THESIS:
To explain the nature of the Word of God, and His intentionality to us. To
answer the following question – What are God’s purposes regarding His Word, and
what are the warnings all must consider when His Word is presented us?
21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp
brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed,
nor has anything been kept secret but that it should
come to light. 23 If anyone has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He
said to them,
“Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who
hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more
will be given; but whoever does not have, even
what he has will be taken away from him.”[1]
Today is the third of 5 messages on the parables of Mark chapter 4. In the first message we defined the parable, and how and why Christ used them. Chiefly stated, parables illustrate truth and test those who listen. The primary theme of the parables here taught is on the nature of the Kingdom of God, and this is the subject matter of the next 2 messages. Today however, we’ll take note of certain warnings to heed the Word of God. Exactly what are those warnings and what are our responsibilities?
A-
All that is hidden
will one day come to light!
a.
Everything today
which is hidden will indeed be revealed. Parables speak to the fact that men walk
in darkness.
Think about how many Scripture passages
there are about light or lamps or lampstands and how such passages are used. The
Greek word for light here, φανερός, primarily means evident or manifest. Its
use is not first of all to make brighter as though you were to turn on the
lights, but to enlighten as in to reveal truth. Lights do make it easier to see
in the room and reveal things. So we can grasp the understanding. Using a lamp
as a teaching aid Christ extends the revealing lamplight to the revealing eyes
of God. He asks us to consider why a light is employed.
b. The double negative in verse 22 teaches us that there
is an emphasis we dare not overlook.
Verse 22 is interesting. One of the
questions I had was why the double negative? For there
is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor
has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. Why not
simply say ‘everything hidden will be
revealed’? I never like the double negative. What does such a construct
force you to do? THINK! We have to reason the sentence out. People use the
double negative to add weight or emphasis to what they are saying. And
sometimes, to be truthful we are lazy and don’t like to think.
Here’s an excellent example and
explanation by the writer J. R. R. Tolkien in The Hobbit, “I don't know half of you half as well as I should like;
and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some
scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it
came to a compliment.”[2] This example is funny, but
it’s also exactly to the point. Not only does the double negative require us to
work a bit for the meaning, its work that will reward us in the end. Everything
hidden will be revealed. Is that all that’s really meant? Not on your life.
Instead the double negative itself is part of the metaphor! It tends to hide
from the lazy what is plainly there. It’s no secret. If you can read, you can
indeed work it out! You are simply required to consider it.
c. The metaphor of lamps and reference to light make a
clear case that Christ did not come to hide the truth.
When I spoke to you on the parable I
mentioned fairly strongly that Christ did not intend any to misunderstand.
Christ’s use of parable was primarily to reveal rather than to hide. I had a
brother approach me afterward and he rightly stated that Christ did hide the
truth from some. But my point isn’t that he did or didn’t, but that his intent
is to reveal.
Let me explain in this way. In Matthew
25:14-30 we read the parable of the talents. The various servants all received
something from the master. Five talents or two or even one. And the reward was
given only to those who used what they were given. All three had something to
use, but only two of them employed their faculties on the talents and had real
increase.
We all CAN grasp the truth, but only those
who desire to know the Lord move from blinded eyes to the light. In Romans we
read that suppressing the truth in unrighteousness they are given over to their
own lusts and passions and become blind of their own accord. So it is never the
fault of God they do not understand.
Let’s look at the next enigmatic phrase – If anyone has ears to hear, let
him hear. It’s an interesting statement found only in the mouth of
Christ. An exhortation that we see 6 times in the gospels and 7 times in
Revelation. Really it’s in command form in the Greek. Let him hear! Very
practically speaking it’s another point of emphasis. And to whom does He
command? Who has ears?! Who has ears to hear references not
all creatures with the ability to distinguish sound, but those who can take
that sound and make sense of it with understanding or rationality. And hearing
is not a passive listening we so often find ourselves doing at work or home
with the radio or TV going in the background. It’s an intentional grasping of
the thoughts of the speaker. Noodling what He says.
Who made the ear? God, of course. Psalm
94:9 tells us that the ear formed by God was made to hear BECAUSE He hears. We
are made in his image, and therefore, all who are men have no excuse to being
lazy. We cannot claim it is too hard.
How
important is hearing? So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
B-
Since the light of
judgment will surely come – it is imperative to take heed and listen! Such
efforts will be rewarded!
a.
Consider the
effort you use to comprehend the Word.
How much real work do you put into the
Word? Do you passively look at it on your bookshelf thinking perhaps later I
will peruse it. Don’t you think it’s worth the work? We hear the verse in
church often enough, “For all the promises of God
in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”[3]
But do you ever say to yourself, “What promises?” How are they ‘Yes and Amen’?
This is the work of mining the Scriptures! And it is indeed work, and as I have
said – worthy work!
As I was preparing the message one
commentator used a rather comical example on verse 24 (Take
heed what you hear. With the same measure you
use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will
be given.) I’d like to share with you.
Maybe you have heard the story about two
men, one a baker and the other a butcher. Rather than charging each other, they
would trade their goods to each other. But the butcher became angry because the
pound of flour he was given for his pound of meat always came up short of a
pound. He confronted the baker. The baker told him, “I don’t have a measurement
on my scale, but a balance, so I always used your pound of meat on one side of
the balance.” His point was clear. The butcher had been trying to cheat him by
giving him less meat, but he did not want the same standard of measurement used
against him![4]
Do
you realize that the time you spend in God’s Word is time which will
commensurately bless or curse you? This is again an example of the means of
grace which we so often urge you to avail yourself. Do you want to be a holy
man of God, or a holy woman of God? It won’t happen by accident! You must take
heed to the Word! And be ready to reconsider your beliefs as the Spirit through
the Word reveals truth. Truth indeed will separate the men from the boys, the
ladies from the girls. Doctrine rightly divides – and among other things it
will force you to see yourself in the mirror of God’s righteousness. Do you
want God’s blessing and favor on your home? How much do you want it? Are you
willing to let the sword of the Word pierce your soul and spirit? Correction is
not an easy thing to take.
b.
The reference to you who hear, more will be
given speaks to the weight of the teaching.
When
I say that I mean to say that our God is a gentle God. He knows that we are but
dust. There are many teachings found in the Word which are easy to bear. Some
great promises are a huge blessing and they sit right near the surface, if you
will permit the analogy, of a miner. When a miner goes to work, he expects to
dig for his gold. And if he finds something near the surface he rejoices. God
graciously provides for us a myriad of promises right on the surface of the
Scriptures. Lately in my personal devotions I have been mining in Psalm 46 and
Acts 17. Two very different mining efforts. Psalm 46 is rich and easy to reach.
Acts also promises riches, but more digging is required. I have to consider the
audience and time and location much more than in Psalm 46. I have to dig. To you who hear, more will be given is the same
principle we see in 1 Corinthians 10:13. There Paul is speaking to the matter
of temptation. But the same God who will not allow you to be burdened beyond
what you are able to bear also will not burden your soul with weighty
theological doctrine, if you aren’t willing to take the lighter stuff to heart.
c.
The question of the
weight of the teaching speaks to our being a teachable people.
Are
you acting on what you do know of God and His Word? If you don’t you cannot
expect Him to address any questions you have. If you are not willing to take
serious consideration His Word as it is in the Scriptures, then how do you
expect Him to take seriously your requests and concerns? Do you let petty
matters such as pride of heart blind you to the truth which is right before
you?
Consider
two Scriptural examples – one positive and one negative. The positive example is
of Apollos in Acts 18. 24 Now a certain
Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately
the things of the Lord, though he knew only the
baptism of John. 26 So he began
to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila
and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and
explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting
the disciples to receive him; and when he
arrived, he
greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.[5]
Apollos
was mighty in the Scriptures, but he needed them explained more accurately. A
proud man does not take correction. His pride is stung by the very act.
In
the late 90’s I was teaching the college and career Sunday school class in
Chicago for 3 years. And at one point one of the church leaders sat in to
listen. After the class he gently rebuked me. And to tell you the truth, it was
devastating. So much so that I doubled down and studied harder. And to tell you
the truth, I don’t even remember what I was teaching wrongly today. But I took
it to heart.
That’s
the right way to ‘hear’ the Word of God! Take it to heart! Get after it. If you
are convicted, rather than go back on your heels in defense, listen. The
Scripture tells us that if you rebuke a wise man, he becomes wiser still (Pro.
9:8). Even the rebuke of the wicked is worthy to be considered.
The
second example is a bit more esoteric, but I think it is clear enough. It is
the account of the handwriting on the wall in Daniel 5. King Belshazzar gets a
warning from God in literal words written by the finger of God on the wall of
the room. Mene mene, tekel, upharsin. Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided. This wicked king was being
given a grave warning. Daniel recounts to him all his great advantage – having
seen all that Nebuchadnezzar experienced, and hearing the decrees he made
concerning the most high God – Belshazzar should know better! Daniel interprets
the words and instead of this king tearing his robe and throwing dust on his
head (like the people of Nineveh did) he simply pays lip service to Daniel.
Do
you do that? Do you sometimes pay lip service to God? I know that at times all
of us do. Do you realize what that is like? It is like the man with one talent
who says in his heart, I know you are a hard man, reaping where you did not
sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed. But this man became afraid –
instead of considering the graciousness of the one who did indeed give his a
whole talent to work with, he thought only of the harshness that such might
exact if it was lost.
The
Proverbs tell us to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and to ‘lean not’ on
our own understanding. This is the point where we come to our last comment.
d.
Whoever
does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. The
example of Judas.
Judas
is an excellent example of one who had but really didn’t. He was not only a
close disciple, but one of the twelve. He was able to heal and cast out demons
like all the others. Christ even washed his feet! Yet what did Christ say of
him? It would have been better that he had not been born. All the benefits of
being with the very Christ of God for 3 whole years squandered for 30 pieces of
silver. He never had it to begin with folks. There is a price to be paid for a
wicked heart. God calls all men everywhere to repent!
So
what is our 'take-away'? In the light of the coming judgment believers ought to
be the most thoughtful of people. I have 2 points of application.
1-
Men do walk in darkness - and we ought to consider that even as Christ does.
How do we speak to unbelievers? Christ indeed spoke so as to be salt and light.
We should do likewise. Our zeal for the truth should not be deliberately harsh, but neither should
it be compromisingly weak. It's a
fine balance. When a non-believer encounters us we should leave him with an
impression of zeal that is informed and caring. This should be our intent. We
may not know if that is how they leave us, but for our part we ought to care in
such a way for their soul that they wonder to themselves, "How can he care
more about my own soul than I do?"
2-
We should be a teachable people. And this goes doubly so if we ourselves are
teachers. We will bear the greater burden. Ask yourself if you really do listen
when someone challenges what you know? Do you really care what the truth is, or
are you interested only in defense of your stated position? We are human, and
as the old saying goes, to err is human.
Be willing to subject all you hold true to regular examination. You may find
that though a position was true, it was still inadequately stated or taught. We
must be teachable! If the Lord of the universe could condescend to live among
men and be obedient to earthly parents and even to the point of the cross
(Phil. 2:8; Heb. 5:8) who are we to stand uncorrected? He who has ears to hear
– Let him hear!
Amen
