The Parables of Jesus - The Lamp of Truth

Introduction

Today, we are going to look at our fourth parable of Jesus, which is located in the same section as the previous one, but which is explained using another metaphor. The message is different, but the foundation is the same: it is about the Word and its testimony to the Kingdom of God, which we are called to bring to the world.

In the title, there are two words that are clear, but which require explanation in order to fully understand this passage. It speaks of a lamp and of truth. The lamp is intended to give light where there is an absence of light, where darkness reigns. Truth, on the other hand, refers to what is true, complete, and opposed to error.

In the biblical sense, the lamp symbolizes what gives light to our being, namely the Word of God proclaimed, revealed, inspired, and transmitted to chosen men by the action of the Spirit of God, in order to be communicated to mankind. Its purpose is to enlighten the heart, with all its areas of darkness, so that a person may turn away from his wicked ways, which are contrary to those of God Himself.

As well as truth, which is nothing other than an attribute of God. What comes from God, and what has been established by God Himself, is truth and can only come from Him, because in it nothing is hidden. Truth is unchanging and without error. A person can depend on it and fear nothing if he has faith in it. Truth is a healthy and pure vision, which builds at the deepest level of our being, upon which we can rely and hold on tight.

Reading of the passage of the day.

“And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.“ Mark 4:21-25

Context of the parable.

In the parable just before this one, Jesus presents Himself as the supreme Sower, the One who is the Messiah, sowing the good seed of the Kingdom of God, which is the Word of truth, onto different soils.

In the parable that follows, which speaks about the seed that grows in secret, there is mention of a man who also sows the seed of the Good News, but who, this time, represents each one of us, called to proclaim this Word of life, the one that has the power to bring freedom to captives enslaved to sin.

But the parable of today speaks about who we are as testimonies and as lights, and about the message of the Kingdom of God, which must be the truth. The two go together, for Christ is the Light of the world, the Word made flesh, bearing the light of truth into the lives of those who do not know Him, through this Good News of the Kingdom, the one that saves and gives eternal life.

“And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?“ v.21

Before the lamp gives light, it first has to be enlightened. This is not mentioned in the text, but it is a real fact. First, the lamp is filled with oil and enlightened; then it has to be placed where it gives the most light.

A basket was a kind of small container that was used to measure the quantity of flour or grain, which each household had for its own use, as a measuring instrument. To put a lamp under a basket means that if this lamp is placed in a location that does not allow it to give light, there will be no effect, and the flame of this lamp will be extinguished and will not be able to light the desired place. The image of the bed reflects the same idea, as beds were directly placed on the floor, not allowing the lamp to go under them.

If we now take this metaphor and apply it to our lives today, before anything can happen through the light of the truth, we first have to be enlightened by God, through the regeneration of our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who gives us the ability to understand the Word of God and to use it according to His will.

And when we speak about the Word, which is Christ—His testimony and who He is—for a practical application, if this Word is not released and remains within us, the effect of this Word of life will not be able to give light to the men and women who must be saved.

John 1:9 tells us: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

This may seem obvious; however, if Jesus Himself teaches the foundations of the Kingdom of God, it is because this divine order will remain forever the pattern to follow for those who belong to Him, for those who are born again of the Spirit and empowered by Him.

This mission should not be lived as a duty or a task, but rather as a divine call from Christ, our Lord and Savior, to release this Word with zeal, desire, and conviction, and not to remain complacent in a passive position, which would not be in accordance with what Christ asks of us, to be His ambassadors of truth, bringing His light into the darkest places.

The stand was a useful object and of great necessity. It brought greater light when the lamp was placed on top of it, providing more comfort and the ability to move forward in daily tasks and household duties. Without this greater light, everything became difficult to do. To place the lamp on the stand could be understood as: “to share the Word in such a way that it illuminates the multitude of hearts.”

In the image of the Word of God, this Good News of the Kingdom brings the light of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, which brings sin into the light within us, leads us to repentance, works in our sanctification, and illuminates our souls, leading us to eternal life.

It is this light of Christ that lives in us that must be spread to the greatest number, not through forced or religious constraint, but through a deep desire to be active and useful participants in the Kingdom of God.

We can put it this way: the lamp carries the flame and gives light when it is placed on the stand, and the whole room is illuminated. In the same way, the Holy Spirit who lives in us gives us life and bears witness to Christ through us, so that His light may shine through us and touch the hearts of those whom the Father calls to be saved.

“For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. ” v.22

When light is placed somewhere, it brings comfort, and what is hidden is revealed openly. There are two possible meanings in this verse. First, it speaks of the revelation of the mysteries of God and of His Kingdom, given to those who belong to Him. When this light shines in us through the Holy Spirit, it reveals to us what God wants us to be and what He wants us to say. Our way of seeing and our behavior change, as we have been set apart by God and for God, for His divine purpose.

The Bible tells us, through the apostle Paul, that: “it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.” This involves a true understanding that we are no longer living for ourselves, but for the One who brought us back to life, who shed His precious blood for us, and by whom we are saved by grace.

And then, secondly, when the light of the Word of God, this Good News, is spread, the secrets hidden in the darkness are revealed: those that are in the heart and that God sees. Once again, God is omnipresent and sees everything. Bringing things to light is a divine work that we cannot control, because in the sovereignty of God it is an action accomplished by Him alone, so that He may be glorified.

We can preach the Word and explain it, but it is God who reveals it and who convinces hearts of its truth and its power through His Holy Spirit.

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” v.23

This verse is repeated in several parables at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It is a call to a true hearing, so that the Kingdom of God may be manifested according to God’s purpose. We find this same call in Isaiah 6:9–10, which Jesus applies to His own ministry, confirming that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. But those who did not grasp who He was, because of a hard and closed heart, rejected Him through a lack of spiritual discernment and sincerity of heart.

It is also a powerful reminder to listen to what the Master says to His disciples, in a serious and direct tone, so that their attention may be complete. It is not a passive listening, nor merely an outward listening, where one hears physically but where the heart and the thoughts are far away.

The Bible tells us that faith comes from what we hear, and what we hear comes from the Word of God. But this faith can only come through the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit, who works according to the will of God, in order to draw to Him those who will be saved, in accordance with His holy sovereignty.

Our mission, as children of God redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, is therefore to be this light in the world. As Jesus also says, “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14), in order to give light to the dark places where lost souls are found. Jesus also gives us this reminder when He says to His disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matt. 10:16). This is a hard reality, but it is nevertheless necessary for the work of God to be accomplished.

This mission is sometimes hostile and requires an attentive and constant listening to the Word, but it is so glorious when we become aware that we are participants and instruments in the plan of salvation that God is accomplishing in this world. If we belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us, and we are these lights, carrying the flame of the Word so that it may give light to hearts wherever we are.

“And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” v.24

Jesus speaks again and places even more weight on what He is about to say: “Pay attention to what you hear.” This means: “pay attention to how you interpret, so that what is said is heard with wisdom and discernment.” It is like a new form of warning, because it concerns the Word of life, what the Lord Jesus Christ wants to say and wants to be understood.

In a context such as this, people were accustomed to oral communication, which was the primary means of transmission. Jesus carefully weighs His words so that His audience may understand that this is a matter of eternal life or judgment, because following Jesus is the path to this abundant life.

The second point is to measure with integrity. Here it is a question of the principle of reciprocity. But what do the Lord and we ourselves measure? Faith expressed in obedience, which flows from the love shown toward God, not in words only, but in actions.

The one who loves the Lord or who puts the Kingdom first will receive a greater measure than the one who does not put it first. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them,” as a kind of cause and effect, and also in 1 Samuel 2:30, “For those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

“For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” v.25

This reciprocity between God and His children is even more explicit here, and also more radical. For in order for the Kingdom of God to move forward, God gives to the one who receives and puts into practice, and takes away from the one who does not do so.

So what does God take away? In this passage, it is what one receives and is called to redistribute faithfully and truthfully, namely the light of truth, which is the Word. Because if one of His children does not use it, its effect is taken away and given to those who will use it.

How is the light of truth, His Word, taken away? How does it manifest itself, and how is it seen when a spiritual reality is taken away? It is seen when the fruit begins to rot, when God, through Jesus Christ, is no longer the center but becomes a means by which we glorify ourselves instead of God, when religion takes the place of the truth of the Gospel of Christ. God withdraws His light but does not abandon His people, and He still calls us to repent and to turn back from our iniquitous ways. For God is merciful and just, without which we would not be here together in this place.

Often, Jesus uses parables to speak about the end times in order to help us understand how God puts His plan of redemption into action. Apostasy and heresy are serious subjects in our current society, which mocks God in many ways, making things appear fun but which are in fact blasphemous, when realities or revelations that are not from God present themselves as coming from Him, and especially when this enters our churches. The return to the Good News of Christ is essential for the proper functioning of His body, which is His Church.

Jesus also warns us by saying that, at the end of times, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it” (Matthew 24:23). This warning reminds us of the importance of discernment, so that we do not allow ourselves to be diverted from the truth of the Gospel and so that we remain firmly attached to the Word revealed in the Scriptures.

The neglect of our relationship with God and with His people, our brothers and sisters, and of the work that He gives us to accomplish, quickly leads us in an opposite direction. It is up to us to make decisions that will have a real impact on our lives and, by extension, on the lives of others. When the Apostle Paul speaks of “working out our salvation,” this is also a call to grow in our sanctification, to be more Christlike, and thus to give all the glory to God.

Conclusion

To conclude, I would like to quote a verse which, for this parable studied today, gives us a beautiful understanding of what the Word of God is for those who do not know it, and for those who love it and already put it into practice in their lives.

The psalmist tells us: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”Ps. 119:105

The Word of God can give light to our lives, enabled by the Spirit of God living in us, but only if we allow Him to take root in our hearts. Once this Word has taken root, it grows and gives us life, leading us to the desire to share it with those who need to be saved. The light that the Word of God provides has no equal, neither near nor far, because it comes from God and was transmitted to us through Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.

May the path that is lit by this Word of life be the narrow one that leads to eternal life for us, for those around us, and for all those whom the Lord will want, by His grace, to save through us.