Sunday's Message: The Parables of Jesus - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - New Wine and Old Clothes (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, October 13, we used Mark 4:21-25 to better understand that parable of the lamps and the baskets. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

On Thursday evening, Debbie and I went to Union’s homecoming game. Now, understand, it was a little bit chilly. And so, once we’d spread a blanket on those metal seats and sort of settled in, Debbie went to the concessions stand to get some hot chocolate. And as I sat there, I started thinking about how I’d told myself, back in August, that we were going to be really intentional in attending more games this year and yet here we were, our very first game of the season. My gosh, where did the time go? I mean, it just seems like yesterday when we were complaining about heat and now, on Thursday evening, we were complaining about the cold. Summer is over and our next stops are Halloween, Thanksgiving and, brace yourselves, Christmas. And so let’s say it together, where did the time go?

And I’ll tell you, that’s also where we are in the series we started four weeks ago entitled The Parables of Jesus: The Parables in the Gospel of Mark. And during the first four services, we’ve looked at a story which reminds us that while the new and contemporary are important, the old and comfortable also have value. And then, we talked about how divisions can spell disaster for any community but that we still have reason to be confident. And talking about confidence, last week, we focused on the parable of the sower, which reminds us of what we’ve been called to do, you know, to scatter the good news, and what we can expect, both the negative and the positive. Now that’s what we’ve already covered.

And this morning, we’re going to look at another one of the four parables Mark included in the fourth chapter, one in which Jesus sort of builds on what he’d already said and one that, I believe, challenges us both to appreciate and to share what God has enabled us to understand. And to do that, we’ll approach this story about lamps and baskets (or in the translation we’re using, clay pots), we’ll approach it the same way we dealt with the other one’s we’ve looked at. You see, we’ll answer three questions: first, what did Jesus say; and second, what does it mean; and then third, what are we going to do about it? And hopefully, by the time we leave here this morning, we should have a much better idea about how we should handle all the stuff that God has given us the chance to understand.

And of course, this all begins with question number one, What did Jesus say? I mean, what did he actually say to those disciples who were gathered there in front of him? What story did he tell to capture their attention? That’s the first question. And I’ll tell you, to get a grip on what he was getting at, I think understanding the context is really important. And you know, we’re in luck, what led into what we’re talking about this morning is what we looked at last week. I mean, remember, right before telling this brief story about lamps and basket, Jesus offered a much longer parable about a sower who scattered seeds on two kinds of soils, soil that wasn’t productive and soil that was. And then, he offered a brief explanation about why he offered stories rather than lectures. And then he explained the meaning of the parable he’d just told to his disciples. Now, according to Mark, that led up to him saying this:

You don’t light a lamp and put it under a clay pot or under a bed. Don’t you put a lamp on a lampstand? There is nothing hidden that will not be made public. There is no secret that will not be well known. If you have ears, pay attention!

Listen carefully to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated — and even worse. Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don’t have anything will lose what little they have. [Mark 4:21-25, CEV]

Now that’s what Jesus said, and let’s think about what he was getting at. You see, given what had happened right before, I think this has everything to do with the story he told, and the nature of parables and the explanation he offered. You see, in that explanation, the disciples were given something really special, an understanding that other folks didn’t have. In a real sense, as it related to what they were supposed to do and what they could expect when doing it, well, they weren’t in the dark anymore. But you know, the light they’d received, the understanding they now had, man, it wasn’t given so that it could be snuffed out like a lamp under a clay pot or hidden by being stuck under a bed. Instead, this light should be put on a lampstand. To do its job, it must be visible to everyone in the room. In other words, this understanding they now had should be shared with all those who hadn’t been lucky enough to hear it directly from Jesus himself, which was important because, eventually, it was going to be known anyway. But rather than having all those people wait, now the disciples could pass this understanding on. I mean, now they could start scattering the seeds; couldn’t they? Now they could start magnifying the light. Now they could start sharing what they had been given the ability to understand. And when they did it, when they were scattering and magnifying and sharing, not only would they be doing something wonderful for those who heard, they’d also be helping themselves. You see, by sharing what they had, what they understood, what they believed, they’d actually be receiving so much more themselves. I’ll tell you, as those disciples listened, I think that’s what they heard Jesus say. 

And what does it mean? What does it mean to us as we try to relate this story to ourselves over two thousand years later? What do these words mean? Well, I really believe it comes down to two similar but very distinct lessons and let me share with you what they are.

You see, on one hand, God has given us understanding for a reason. You see, just like those disciples heard that parable of the sower and then its explanation, thanks to what the Evangelist Mark wrote, so have we. In other words, we can understand the nature of the seed and reality of the light.   But that’s not all, we can also understand that this knowledge wasn’t given to us so that we can ignore its importance or hide its meaning. No sir, just like it was for those guys back in the day, so it is for us; God is the source of what we know, of what we can trust, and he done it so that we can begin scattering the seed and magnifying the light and sharing what God has given us the opportunity and ability to understand. And you know, I think James had this same kind of idea when he wrote this in his letter to the scattered people of God:

If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.  [James 1:5-8, CEV]

You see, I think this parable reminds us that God has given us understanding for a reason. That’s what we’ve got on one hand.

On the other hand, though, sharing our understanding can lead to some definite results. You see, when we’re out there in the world scattering and magnifying and sharing the good new of Jesus Christ through the words we say and the work we do and the attitude we show, not only are we passing on to others a reality that can absolutely change their lives, we’re growing in our own awareness of unconditional love. And we’re growing in our own appreciation of undeserved grace. And we’re growing in our own acceptance of unwavering support. In other words, as we share with others what God has shown to us, our understanding increases, something that I believe the Apostle Paul understood when he wrote this to the Romans:

I am proud of the good news! It is God’s powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The good news tells how God accepts everyone who has faith, but only those who have faith. It is just as the Scriptures say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.” [Romans 1:16-17, CEV]

I’m telling you, just like God has given us understanding for a reason, if we decide to pass it on, that understanding can lead to some very life-changing results both for them and for us. And that’s what I think the parable means.

Which leads us to our last question: What are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about this story we know? And what are we going to do about this lesson we can claim? What are we going to do? Great question. And I’ll tell you, even though knowing what Jesus said and what it means is important, I think our response is absolutely crucial. As I’ve said before, this is where the rubber hits the road. Of course, we can chew on how we might apply it starting when we leave here this morning. But before we go, let me offer two possibilities that we might want to consider.

You see, first, I think we can decide to really appreciate what we understand, you know, to treasure it and to give it real value. In other words, as individuals, we can take whatever opportunity we have to learn about what God is saying through his word by either reading it by ourselves or maybe better, joining a group to study it together, and I’m talking about groups like the one that meets every Sunday morning at 9:00 or the one that meets every Wednesday morning at 10:30 or the one that meets nearly every Thursday evening at 6:30. Of course, when you come on Wednesday morning, you might want to bring some dog treats if you want to be greeted like Miss Shelly. Now that’s what we can do as individuals. And as a community, we can look for new ways to grow and mature, so that we can become everything God created and called us to be, something that I believe Peter understood when he wrote this in his second letter:

My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the gift of undeserved grace and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen. [2 Peter 3:17-18, CEV]

I’m telling you, first, we can appreciate what we understand.

And second, we can also get out of the pews and from behind the pulpit so that we can communicate it with others. In other words, we can make the decision to share what we understand. Of course, this is something we can certainly do as individuals. My gosh, do you realize that every time we invite a friend or family member to come with us to worship, whether they come or not, we’re scattering seeds? And do you realize that every time we make the intentional decision to show grace and compassion and love to someone else, especially to those who’ve done nothing to deserve it, we’re magnifying the light? And do you realize that every time we demonstrate by our unity that we’re not going to let the world and it’s values divide us, because we follow someone who is greater than the world, we’re sharing to folks on the other side of these walls what God himself has enabled us to understand? You see, I believe that’s what we’re doing. As a matter of fact, I believe we’ll actually be living the very last words Matthew wrote in his gospel:

Jesus came to them and said:

I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. [Matthew 28:18-20, CEV]

You see, right along with appreciating it, we can share what we understand. And for me, those are two ways we can apply this story to our lives.

And I’ll tell you, for me, what’s really exciting is that, unlike the decision I made in August to attend more high school football games this season, man, right now, we’ve got plenty of time to do it. I mean, outside of the playoffs, Union has only two games left and only one is at home. Good night nurse, where did the time go? But that certainly isn’t true as we deal with this story. I mean, we know what Jesus said. And we know, based on the lesson he taught, that God has given us understanding for a reason and that sharing our understanding can lead to some definite results, both for others and for ourselves. And we know that, right here and now, as individuals and a community, we can decide to appreciate and to share the understanding we’ve received. You see, these things we know, thanks to the parable of the lamps and the baskets. And next week, we’ll continue in the fourth chapter of Mark with another seedy story, the parable of the growing seed.