Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!'

And he said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given to you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Mark has brought four little sayings by Jesus together here, whereas in Matthew's Gospel they are scattered throughout his work. Jesus worked for three years, travelling the whole area, talking with hundreds of people, and many of these sayings would have been repeated again and again, and because they are short and pithy they would have been remembered.

If we take just the first saying - it's absurdity would bring the words to mind. No-one would light a light and then cover it up so it couldn't be seen or couldn't help people to see. Jesus wasn't referring here to light, but to Truth! No-one who learns the truth can hide it - they must bring it out for all to see, even if it means they are in danger. There are times in our life when we know what is the right thing to do, and indeed we say that "we should stand up and be counted". If we know something is right, or something is wrong, then we should say so.

Secondly, our Christian faith should be seen. A priest wears a 'dog-collar' to identify them and their vocation, but most people do not wear an obvious symbol of their faith, nevertheless we should be known for our faith. When Jesus said these words, his listeners knew that their lives could be on the line, they could be denounced and killed for their faith. Is it too much to ask that we show our faith today?

Heavenly Father,
help us not to hide our faith from others,
but to speak of it, when appropriate,
and to show others through our actions.
May we learn to speak up for Truth and Justice,
and not be afraid to denounce things
we believe to be wrong.
Amen.