What is important to you in your life? Is it wealth, good health, your family? What did Christ say was important to our life as he gave his sermon on the Mount? Was it for us to be happy in life or was it not for us to be conscious to look after spiritual matters. Matthew 5:3
What are we risking to be taken from us and why?
We find Jesus teaching from a boat on the sea of Galilee, as he begins to teach about the sower and what happens to the seed. His disciples questioned him about the teaching, and he said that only those who have been granted it will understand the teaching of the parable. Next he begins to explain the purpose for those who have been given understanding, as we pick up on the reading from Mark.
Mark 4:21-25… And he went on to say to them: “A lamp is not brought to be put under a measuring basket or under a bed, is it? It is brought to be put upon a lampstand, is it not? For there is nothing hidden except for the purpose of being exposed; nothing has become carefully concealed but for the purpose of coming into the open. Whoever has ears to listen, let him listen.” He further said to them: “Pay attention to what YOU are hearing. With the measure that YOU are measuring out, YOU will have it measured out to YOU, yes, YOU will have more added to YOU. For he that has will have more given to him; but he that does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Jesus said that “even what he has will be taken from him,” what is this, that is being taken away? Now let us read from Luke’s account:
Luke 8:17-18… As for that on the fine soil, these are the ones that, after hearing the word with a fine and good heart, retain it and bear fruit with endurance. “No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it underneath a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand, that those stepping in may behold the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become manifest, neither anything carefully concealed that will never become known and never come into the open. Therefore, pay attention to how YOU listen; for whoever has, more will be given him, but whoever does not have, even what he imagines he has will be taken away from him.”
So, what is to be taken way?
Is it a Good Heart?
Your Light?
First, we know it’s not something tangible because of what Luke identifies here in the Scriptures. It has to be something that “we imagine we have”, like truth, understanding, our good standing with God, or are light.
Also, there is a measurement that is involved, it has to do with how much you give out, and, in that way, there will also be a justification for further receiving or taking away of this gift.
Does not a lamp need something to burn to make light up?
In both passages of Scripture Jesus gives the example of a lamp so that what comes from it can be seen by others.
We are in fact in danger of losing the oil that keeps us burning but there is still more to it.
Next, we’re going to need to break down these passages of scripture. We need to look at the Greek words and the meanings behind the word by using the Strong’s Concordance Biblical word language dictionary.
“Ears to hear” in Strong’s Concordance #G3775 we find this expression referring to “Faculty of Perception”
“Listen” we find in Strong’s #G191 a richer meaning is expressed as “Comprehend by hearing”
And if we follow it up with the next verse, and focus on the expression “Pay Attention” or “Take Heed”
We can easily see that meaningful action is required, we need to beware, alert or observant yes, watchful so as to know how to respond to what Jesus is saying.
So, now to answer the question “what will be taken away?
Our ability to perceive and comprehend so, as to know how to respond to the information that Jesus is giving us by the Holy Spirit.
We risk having the light in us fading out if we fail to listen to Christ and follow his voice. We may need to adjust our position of thinking maybe even our misplaced loyalties. Next let us see what else might be taken away.
Mark 4:9-13… Here Jesus identified that our Forgiveness and Understanding are at risk of being taken away by God.
2 Peter 1:2-9… The apostle Peter reminded us that we could become blind by shutting our eyes and becoming forgetful of our cleansing.
There’s a lot at risk right now. We need to seriously think about what Jesus is telling us by means of the Holy Spirit, are we going to take serious God’s word as the ultimate authority or that of the authority of man’s dogma?
So, who are you going to listen too? Who are you following? What is going to be your truth?
Acts 3:19-24 “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get YOUR sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah and that he may send forth the Christ appointed for YOU, Jesus, whom heaven, indeed, must hold within itself until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old time. In fact, Moses said, ‘Jehovah God will raise up for YOU from among YOUR brothers a prophet like me. YOU must listen to him according to all the things he speaks to YOU. Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’ And all the prophets, in fact, from Samuel on and those in succession, just as many as have spoken, have also plainly declared these days.
If we have chosen the words of men over that of Christ Jesus we are in need of repentance. We have truly forgotten the cleansing by Christ Jesus. Whatever understanding we may think we have about God’s incoming kingdom can and will be removed from us. Just as it was removed from the Israelite nation oh so many years ago when they did not fully accept Jesus Christ.
I suggest taking the opportunity to re-read Romans 11:17-27 then Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3.
And as Jesus Christ repeatedly said: “let the one who has the ear hear was being said” to the congregations.
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