Mark 4:21-25
A Lamp on a Stand
21 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? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The Parable of the Lamp on a Stand is found in three different gospels, Matthew 5:15, Mark 4:21, and Luke 8:16...The Parable is a metaphor for how we should live our lives in this world...And in living our lives we should follow Jesus and Hs Teachings...
In the parable, Jesus compares His followers to a lamp that has this Light, this Certain Kind of Light...He says that we should not hide our Light under a bowl or a bed, but instead place it on a stand so that everyone in the house can see it...Jesus wants us to Spread the Light...
This means that we should not be ashamed of our faith, but instead let our Light shine for all to see how we are followers of Jesus...We are to acknowledge Him on earth and then He will acknowledge us in Heaven...Acknowledging God means recognizing His existence, His power, and His LOVE as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe....He is the Source of this Light and the Source of Life itself...Spreading the Light means living our lives in accordance with His teachings and principles, which emphasize love, compassion, forgiveness, and righteousness...We should live our lives in a way that reflects this love, compassion, and righteousness of Jesus...Then other people will know that we are followers of the Light...This can be challenging in a world that is often filled with darkness, but it is important to remember that we are called to be beacons of Light in a world that desperately needs this Light of LOVE...
Followers of Jesus believe in God's Word, which is the Truth...Let us speak up for the Truth and what we believe.... When you see injustice or wrong, don't be afraid and let us help...As Jesus showed us it is important to stand up for what you believe in, even if it's unpopular...When we stand up for these things we are showing the Light...
Let us, like Jesus, be a good role model as others watch us live...Live your life in a way that is consistent with your beliefs...People are more likely to be receptive to your message if they see that you're living a life that's worth emulating...
We are all a part of the communities we live in...Make a difference in your community...Find ways to use your time and talents to help others...Volunteer your time, donate to charity, or just be a good friend and neighbor...Do random acts of kindness in your community...Then you are sharing your Light...
It's important to remember that we are all called to be a Light of the World...We may not feel like we're making a big difference, but even a small candle can be seen far away in the distance...So let our Light shine...
If we are true followers of Jesus then our actions and deeds will be shown to the others in the Great Light of Jesus, the Light of the World...