Year 2 Day 93

Year 2 Day 93

Pray (ACts)

Read - Mark 4:21-23

Message - Alan Burke

Light is essential for life, we though about that on Monday and nobody has flung it back to me to say I’m wrong so it seems we are all in agreement. Today once more we focus on this parable of the Lamp. Where Jesus tells a parable and asks the question, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? And then says… Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?” What a question, of course you put it on a stand, we all know the answer, and when you put the lamp on its stand in the middle of the house it shines and what is concealed is now visible. But as we thought about on Monday Jesus is speaking of himself and the kingdom of God, for God is light (1 Jn 1:5), Jesus said “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12) so this light, this lamp, is Jesus. 

This parable like all of the parables in chapter 4 are about the secret of the kingdom of God that is now being revealed, the kingdom of God that is present in the person of Jesus and to many who are on the outside, remains veiled, unknown, they do not understand, they cannot hear. Yet the purpose in Jesus coming, just as the purpose in a lamp or a light in our home is not to keep things hidden, but instead to illuminate. Jesus Himself was proclaiming the truth to those who were on the outside (4:12), they had failed to see that the kingdom had come. Here though Jesus was teaching his disciples that they would understand, that there was indeed a day coming when what was hidden will be disclosed. 

On that day Jesus will be known as the coming King, people who have ears to hear to will hear and understand. Those on the outside may not understand the parables now, some of them will in time, for God’s glory was being revealed in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Though his life, death, resurrection and ascension and many did have and do have had ears to hear. For those who do not have ears to hear, they are still fumbling in the darkness, they are clueless, for their eyes have been blinded, they are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God (Eph 4:18), their eyes have been blinded by the evil of this present age. Although they refuse to now they will indeed recognise Jesus for who he is, for Jesus here is ultimately talking about the day that the full manifestation of his nature and his kingdom will be revealed on the last day, and on that day some will face the eternal consequences for their sin for they have no heard or seen (Mt 25:31-36). Light is essential for life and because they have not heard or seen then they will face the second death (Rev 21:8)

In Matthew’s gospel we are to let our light shine before men, that they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matt 5:16), that is what we are to do, Paul in Ephesians teaches us that …you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (Eph 5:8). Our task as the church as those who have been called from darkness to light is to live in the light and to make known the light of God’s kingdom in how we live and as we proclaim the good news of the Gospel about Jesus Christ the Son of God (1:1) and proclaim a Jesus proclaimed “the Kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news”

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC
Q96 What is the Lord’ s supper?
The Lord’ s supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’ s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. (1 Cor. 11:23–26)