Breaking the Word

3^rd Week in Ord. Time, Thursday – 27^th January 2022 — Gospel: Mark 4,21-25

Light that promises for more

The hiddenness of God’s kingdom, as a lamp under a basket, is a necessary but temporary state. It is like Jesus urging his followers to keep his identity as secret for a while. However, his messianic identity as the bearer of God’s kingdom will ultimately be fully revealed to all people, like the purpose of the lamp is to give light to all. Therefore the parable of the lamp serves as both a warning and a promise. It is a promise for the true disciples of Jesus; since “the secret of the kingdom of God” is given to them, their understanding will be enriched by greater knowledge and truth. And to them “more will be given” later on through the revelation of the Son of the God through his death and resurrection. But for “those outside” it is a warning; since they have hardened their hearts to God, their darkness will be greater still. From them “even what they have will be taken away” because they have shut their eyes and closed their ears to the gospel.

3^rd Week in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 26^th January 2022 — Gospel: Mark 4,1-20

Focus on the Gain

The parable discourse contains an introduction to the discourse (4,1-2), the parable of the Sower (4,3-9), a saying on the kingdom and its secret (4,10-12) and the interpretation of the parable (4,13-20). As we know, the parable points out four types of soil in which the seed falls. It is lost in three types and bears fruit in only one type. However, each seed contains the potential dispositions to yield the maximum. This scenario indicates that while three quarters that fell on the wayside are lost, only a quarter nurtured on the proper soil yields and brings gain. Although, the focus of the parable is not on the loss but on the gain. This parable helps the disciples understand why Jesus was not impressed by the large crowds that follow him. He knows that most of them will never produce fruit from changed lives; because the Word He is teaching them is like seed falling into poor soil. Each of the three fruitless hearers are influenced by a different enemy: the devil, the flesh, and the worldly things (Eph 2,1-3).