Parables - light is for shining

Mark 4.21-25

Jesus illustrates the meaning of his teaching about hiding the truth inside parables so that those on the outside cannot ‘get’ them. And to do it he uses a ‘mini-parable’.

A person lights a lamp and brings it to an interior room needing light. When he brings it in, he does not put it under a basket or a bed. He puts it on the lampstand, where it can light the entire room. End of story! Jesus tells this little domestic story in the form of a rhetorical question. The unspoken answer to the question is that it would be ridiculous to bring light into a room and then hide it under something, so that it cannot fulfill its purpose. Light is for illuminating, not for hiding.

What does that mean?

Jesus has just prior to this taught three things that relate to this little parable:

1. That the disciples have had the secret of the kingdom revealed to them.
2. That those secrets are concealed in the parables and Jesus draws them out and explains them so the disciples can understand them.
3. The secrets remain hidden in the parables to those ‘outsiders’ who are rejecting God’s Son.

So what further light does the little lamp parable bring to this teaching?

Jesus gives the meaning to the lamp parable in verse 22. (You can tell, because he says “For”, meaning, here is the literal connection with the parable.) He expresses the meaning twice:

1. None of the hidden things are meant to stay that way.
2. The things that are secret are that way so that they can be brought to light.

This begs the question: Why, if they are meant to be brought into the open, are the secret things that Jesus was teaching about the kingdom hidden?

Evidently, Jesus was carefully managing the revelation of the secrets of his kingdom, so that they would have their fullest and best effect. His strategy of concealing them from some people for a time was so that at the right time they would be powerfully revealed.

Here’s a simple illustration. One of our staff had a special event in her life and our DP decided it would be nice to present her with some flowers at our staff dinner. The flowers arrived during the school day and just a few of us knew that. They were concealed in the sickbay so that the teacher and most other staff were unaware of them. Then, at the staff dinner, we brought out the flowers and I had to give a little speech and hand them over and make a fuss of the teacher. What was hidden (the bunch of flowers) was only hidden for a time and only hidden so that it could be revealed at the best possible time.

Here is another illustration:

In World War 2 when the Allies were going to invade Europe to take back France from the Germans and end the war, the timing and planning for the invasion was secret information that was only completely known by a few. All sorts of training and planning went on undercover to make sure that the army, navy and airforce were all up to their job when the invasion happened. The reason for keeping it secret was so that it could be revealed at the proper time with a powerful impact. The secrecy was SO THAT it would be revealed – not just secrecy for the sake of not letting on.

Jesus didn’t want his disciples (or us) to think that his teaching was some secret knowledge for just a few people. There were two reasons why he was keeping his truth bound up within his group of disciples (Is 8.16 Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples.).

1. His word needed to first be worked deeply into the minds and lives of his disciples so they would be ready for the explosion of his kingdom.
2. The enemy was working hard to derail Jesus’ mission by getting people to misunderstand Jesus’ ministry and prematurely make him king on their terms.

Application:

Christ first embeds his word in our lives so that it produces a change of heart and character, before he ‘goes public’ with it. The word must be hidden in our hearts first. It must be understood and work its changes. (Psalm 119.11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.). Christ teaches his Church so that we are equipped to DO SOMETHING.

However, it cannot remain hidden for ever. We may not conceal the true source of our wisdom, purpose and love. Jesus told this little parable so that his disciples did not become withdrawn and lacking vision. He wanted them to anticipate the grand reveal of his kingdom. It came at Pentecost.

Again, Jesus told them: If you have ears to hear – then LISTEN. He called listening “paying attention to what you hear”. We have to give our attention to Christ’s word. Take it in – take in a big measure of it – take it in often. Because the measure you use in taking in his Word will determine what you receive. If you have are receiving a lot, you will receive heaps more. But if you are taking in very little – even that little you have will evaporate into nothing so you retain nothing.

Proper listening is to give close attention, have a strong willingness to be taught and to make use of what you receive. If those conditions are present, then what you hear will do you good. The more attention, the deeper the willingness, the greater the determination to do what the word says – the more of Christ’s Word you will receive. And with his word comes his fellowship and help.