Mark 4:21 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Mark 4:21

Comments

Following the Parable of the Sower, which is obviously about the sowing of divine seed, where the sower depicts first of all Christ, then his apostles, then their successors – that is us today – come these further passages in chapter 4, that are all on the same subject. The Saviour hasn't changed the subject, and he continues speaking about his people as light bearers of the gospel of grace, of the message of salvation. There is actually no candle, as such, in the Greek. It's a lamp. It comes from the word for light: a lamp, a portable lamp of some kind. Our translators are trying to be helpful and have chosen the word ‘candle’ in their generation, so they have got candles and candlesticks, but really it is lamps and lampstands, so we might think of an oil lamp and a stand to put it on. ‘Is a [lamp] brought to be put under a bushel [a kind of the measuring vessel]?’ Well of course not! Or even worse, ‘under a bed?’ Well that would be ridiculous, even more absurd. Luke’s version of this miniature parable draws attention to what should be the purpose for which the lamp has been lit: ‘that they which enter in may see the light.’ The lamp has been lit to throw its light around the room, to enable people to see each other, to find objects, to avoid bumping into things in the dark. Why else would someone light a lamp? The person who lit it would be working against himself if he then covered it in some way so that its light could not be seen. This absurdity is implicitly compared with another – the failure by those who know the gospel to make it known. The disciples have the gospel; they have the light in their possession. They must not be tempted to cover it, to hide it for some reason.

Application

There are even churches that have the lamp; they have the gospel; they have the redeeming word, but they hide it; they do not make it known. The illustration rather assumes a lamp that has been lit, that is giving out light. But we could put it another way, and say that they have the lamp but they never even light it. It is left out and buried somewhere and there is no evangelism. There is no visitation of the community, no gospel call going out, and no specific evangelistic sermons being preached. There is just a little word here and there, perhaps, for the unconverted at best, but no persuasive preaching of the gospel. ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick [lampstand]?’ Of course not: it is put in an elevated position so that the whole room is illuminated and all can see. Most people lived in one-room houses in those days. Obviously, it’s the lamp of the gospel, and the room is, if you like, the world in this case, the community. What's the purpose of the gospel in the hands of saved people? To make it known.

What about individuals? What about our personal witness, and our taking of every opportunity, and our praying for opportunities to speak to people within the family, within the business, within our workplace, of whatever kind as opportunity arises? We have this lamp. It is the most precious thing imaginable: the lamp of salvation, the knowledge of the world and the meaning and purpose of life, and the destiny of every human being, and the way of salvation. What do we do with it? Hide it, make it obscure, keep silent about it? The light is propagated by a message, and we are called to be the messengers.

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Mark 4:21 Commentary and Bible Study