Mark 4:21-24
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
Prayer:- "Lord, let your word speak to us today, like a lamp turned on, may we see more clearly. Thankyou Jesus, Amen".
OBSERVATION - ( What is the text about? Who, What, How, Why, When & Where) - Jesus continues to teach using parables. He encourages us to listen and to consider carefully what we hear. There are great rewards available to those who are careful with Gods word!
INTERPRETATION - (What is the message of the text? What is the context?) - The context of Mark 4:21-24 is Jesus' teaching in parables about the Kingdom of God following the parable of the sower. The message is that the truth of God should not be hidden but proclaimed openly, and that believers should listen carefully because their willingness to receive will determine how much they are given. The two main points are that a lamp is made to give light, not to be hidden, and that what is revealed will be revealed, and secrets will become clear. (This is the AI overview - I like it!)
APPLICATION - (What does it mean for me personally? What needs to change in me?) -Ooooooh - I love the parable about the lamp on the lampstand, but it was verse 24 that 'came to light' for me this morning and gave me much more insight into both verses.
This is the message that came to me (and got me excited!)....
So Jesus says again, "If anyone has ears, let them hear." Remember, Jesus was teaching big crowds at the time, and not all of them came to 'hear'. Some came to judge and to validate their own beliefs. So, in order to have ears to hear, Jesus says to come to Him with an open heart and listen. This is how we should approach our Bible reading.
Then verse 24 says to "Consider carefully what you hear.... with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more". This is Jesus saying to read carefully and to consider what we read. Talk to the Lord about what you're reading, ask Him what it means, look up what others say it means. Chew on it for a while!!
What verse 24 is saying to me is that the Lord appreciates it when I take the time to consider his word, not just read it and then move on to something else. Spend time in the word. (Time is a precious commodity that we all need to navigate.) The Lord rewards us when we willingly do this by speaking to us more, by shining his light more brightly so that we see what he is really saying!
Have you ever been speaking with someone and just known they weren't really listening? They may appear to be, but you know they are really thinking about other things? Well, the Lord knows when we aren't really listening either. We may be reading with our eyes or listening to someone share God's word, but our minds are debating, uninterested, or elsewhere! Doing this can result in "even what they have will be taken away from them". Just as we aren't interested in sharing our story with those who don't really want to listen, so the Lord isn't interested in giving us more if we aren't really interested in hearing from him.
So I am encouraged today, and I hope you are too. Pray before you read God's word, carefully consider what you are reading (or listening to), and as you do, be prepared to receive so much more!!
Mark 4:1-20 Date:23/11/25
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
Prayer: Wonderful God, speak to me as I read your word. Let me see as never before. Thankyou, Amen
OBSERVATION - ( What is the text about? Who, What, How, Why, When & Where) - This is about the teachings of Jesus and how Jesus taught in the form of parables. A parable is a short story used to illustrate a spiritual lesson. He taught by the lake, which is called the Sea of Galilee.
INTERPRETATION - (What is the message of the text? What is the context?) - The message is that the effectiveness of God's word depends on the "soil" of the listener's heart, which is impacted by their receptiveness to spiritual truth and the hindrances they face, such as hardship, worldly distractions, or the deceitfulness of riches. The context is Jesus explaining why his message resonates differently with various people, even though the "seed" (God's word) is the same. He teaches that some people will have truly fruitful, long-term faith, while others will reject the word because of their shallow or distracted hearts.
APPLICATION - (What does it mean for me personally? What needs to change in me?) - This was one of the first parables that Jesus used in his teachings and one of the first to capture my heart way back when I was a new Christian. I remember praying so hard that I would be one in the last category, one who would hear it, accept it and produce a crop, meaning that others would come to know Christ because of His work through me. And as I reflect, I am encouraged that my prayer has been answered many times over the past 40-plus years.
As I read today, I can see more why Jesus taught in parables. From previous chapters in Mark, we know that not all the people who followed him in the crowds were for him. The Pharisees, religious leaders, and others who opposed him were also present, seeking ways to bring him down. "To those who have ears to hear, let him hear". This is an invitation to all of us to read and listen to his word with open hearts. If we do this, we will hear the message he has for us. Those who are against him will not hear what he is saying to them because they are so caught up listening to the arguments that divide them from the truth. This is what Jesus means when he says "to those who have ears to hear".
There are so many distractions in place to this day that the devil will use to dull our healing. And way back when I was a new Christian, I remember that even when I prayed to hear, it was a prayer of fear, because I believed a lie that maybe I wasn't good enough to really hear from God. The devil is very clever at trying to keep us from hearing from God. It's not always the big things, like a love of money or a desire to live a sinful life. It's not always the religious jargon of do's and don'ts that keeps us bound. Sometimes it is that small whisper from the enemy, the whispers that say we aren't good enough, or smart enough, or deserving. But this is simply not true.
God's word to us is true! He says that if we come to him with open hearts, ready to hear from him, then he will "let them hear." It really is as simple AND profound as this.
As followers of Christ, we must always remember that we live in a battlefield. We will always be fighting, always resisting the enemy. He won't give up trying to bring us down. I don't say this to bring fear; it's just the way it is. The devil roams around seeking whom He can devour. (1 Peter 5:8) That is his purpose. Understanding this as a Christian can be so freeing. It's good to know who our enemy is. BUT he cannot devour you unless you allow him to. Jesus will always be for you, never against you. (Psalm 118:6) Jesus always has the answer. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) So when you open your bible or listen to his teaching, come with an open heart, come prepared to listen, and you WILL hear. It is God's word to us that transforms us each and every day. We fight the enemy with the words God speaks to our heart. So get your ears on!!
How did you go reading Mark 4:1-20? Would you like to share how God has spoken to you?
You can share here or head on over to my Facebook Page if that is a better space for you.
Bless you as you read his word with an open heart. This is the place you will hear Him from.
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