A
reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark (4, 21-25)
Jesus
said to his disciples, “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 you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have
nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
This
is the word of the Lord.
At first sight, this gospel
selection seems mysterious, at least. On further reflection, we see that these
Jesus sayings are quite straightforward. This paragraph, in fact, is made up of
two very short parables inserted in chapter four by the evangelist Mark, but
which do not really form part of the sequence of the other parables about the
Kingdom of God.
