Mark 4:21-23 - 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? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
A couple of weeks ago, in a prior devo, I asserted that
scholarly debate about the “messianic secret” was, in my opinion largely
overstated. For me, the above passage
confirms this idea. Jesus uses the image
a lamp to describe the nature of the kingdom.
You would not cover or hide a lamp for it’s purpose is to provide
light. Likewise, you would not conceal
or minimize the kingdom of God, for it is a reality and way of life that is
meant to be shared. I think Jesus’s
meaning here, especially as Mark has told the story, is fairly
straightforward. The treasure Jesus
shares with us is meant to be shared with others.
Too often though, Christians want it both ways. On one hand, they are attracted to the
teachings of Jesus and even more drawn in by the Love Jesus incarnates. But at the same time, most do not want to be
perceived as a “radical.” Further, they rightly don’t want to impose their own
beliefs upon others. As a result, we
have the epidemic of “private religion” and “live and let live” mantras. In the text above, Jesus calls this what it is
– nonsense.
If what we have received from Jesus is light, then what
purpose does it serve to hide it? I believe
Jesus calls us to use our light in the same helpful way that one would use a
good light source. We bring it into
places where people are living in darkness.
We live in a way that demonstrates the value of following Jesus’s ways
in real life. Another use of light is to
illumine the often-concealed injustice and evils that plague our society. Light is not always welcome in such places,
but Jesus calls us to “set it on the lampstand” anyway.
Don’t get me wrong; we aren’t called to annoying and
obnoxious as some Jesus-followers have been prone to be. What was always obvious in Jesus’s approach
was that, even when He was confrontational and/or angry, it was obvious that
his motivation was love. He was not
known primarily for His anger. He was
known for His love, mercy and healing. But
avoiding confrontation at all costs falls short of faithfulness to the nature
of the Kingdom.
Questions: Think of a
time when a conversation or situation in which you found yourself was running
contrary to what you believed to be right.
How did you handle it? How would
you handle it in the future?
Prayer: Lord, help us
see ways to more authentically “let our light shine.” Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for the victims of the latest round of bombings in Ukraine that have killed and
injured hundreds of civilians.
Song: What Makes a
Man? – Ben Rector and Thomas Rhett
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