PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU HEAR

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.

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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.

At the beginning of chapter 4, Mark tells us that a very large crowd gathered around Jesus and he began to teach them many things in parables. He challenged the crowd: “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” When they were alone with Jesus, the disciples asked him why he spoke in parables. He said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the Kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables.”

We can ask why this is so. If we go to Matthew, in chapter 5, we will read Christ telling his disciples: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” (Mt 5, 14) But John tells us that Jesus is the light of all people. It shines in the darkness. John the Baptizer came as a witness to testify to the light, “the true light, which enlightens everyone”. This light, “became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory”, John says. (Cfr Jn 1, 1-14)

What is Mark telling us, then, in today’s gospel selection?

First, he is announcing that Jesus is the lamp that is brought in to be put on the lampstand to give light to all in the house. Jesus is not just one lamp, any lamp, but the source of light, the Sun high up in the skies that gives warmth and light and life.  We cannot live without the Sun!

Secondly, he is saying that the secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to all those who have ears to hear and do listen, and they become the light of the world. This is to tell us that we are not independent sources of light – any more than the earth could be independent of the sun for its light and warmth. Moon and stars and the earth reflect the light they receive from the source that is the sun. He tells us that the disciple is a co-worker with Christ to spread his light and his life. He tells us that the secret of the Kingdom of God is given to those who listen and reflect on what they listen, and it is given not to be kept secret but “to come to light”. “Let your light shine” Jesus said, and Paul reminds us that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us” (2 Cor 4:6-7). Jesus took time to teach his followers to be true disciples, in order to make them the more publicly useful, as somebody said, “they were taught, that they might teach”.

Thirdly, he is telling us that we have to pay attention to what we hear. What we hear, will do us no good, unless we consider it. “To contemplate and to give to others the fruit of contemplation” is a motto the sons and daughters of St. Dominic cherish greatly. This is what Jesus is saying when he tells us that “the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given to you”. You give what you receive, and the more you give, the more you will receive. Life teaches us that the gifts, the talents we receive are multiplied by being exercised and that what we do not use, we lose. This reminds me of one of the problems astronauts face when living in space. This is what they report, “On Earth, our lower body and legs carry our weight. This helps keep our bones and muscles strong. In space, astronauts float. They do not use their legs much. Their lower backs begin to lose strength. Their leg muscles do too. The bones begin to get weak and thin. This is very bad for astronauts' bodies. So, how do astronauts help their muscles and bones? They must exercise in space every day.” This is to say that those who do not exercise “what they have will be taken away”!

We are disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us remember his teaching, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7, 21). Doers will strengthen their faith and the more they exercise their faith, the more their light will shine on all those they meet. We are called to witness to the Light who is the Word of God that became flesh and lives among us. And let us never forget what Jesus told his disciples, “remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28, 20)