Mark 4:21-25

He Who Has Ears To Hear Let Him Hear!

“Also He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’ Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” Mark 4:21-25 NKJV

There are two key thoughts in this passage:

First is that there is nothing hidden from GOD, He sees all, He hears all and He knows all! JESUS expounds on this in Matthew 10:16-33 where He tells us that we will be persecuted but we are not to fear what men can do to us, only what GOD will do in judgment. Three times He tells us not to fear what men can do to us, vss. 26, 28 & 31 and He reminds us that GOD knows everything about us and will save us. In vss. 26-27 He says, “Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” NKJV Study Psalm 40:6-10; Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46; John 4:34, 6:38.

Most Christians generally understand that there are no secrets from GOD, that everything people try to hide and cover up will be exposed and judged. He is also telling us that what we learn from Him in our personal time is to be revealed and proclaimed in this life by us. There are no secrets in the Kingdom, only timing. This is what JESUS was teaching in Mark, we are responsible for what we hear and if we proclaim it or hide it. We should never proclaim a lie and we must always proclaim the truth. Study Matthew 10:26-31, 11:1-15, 13:10-17; Mark 7:14-16; Luke 8:8, 12:1-3, 14:34-35; Acts 5:17-32; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22, 13:9.

The second is that if we hear what GOD is saying in His Word and by His SPIRIT and we keep it to ourselves we will receive no more, but if we proclaim GOD’s Love and Truth then we will receive even more understanding. He makes the statement, “Whoever has, to him more will be given and to him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Study Matthew 13:10-17, 25:14-30; Luke 8:16-18, 19:11-27;

What does it mean to have ears to hear and eyes to see? In Mark 8:17-18 JESUS asks His disciples, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?” In this passage in Mark 8 JESUS is telling them to beware of the leaven (doctrine) of the Pharisees and Herod but the disciples are thinking about bread. He reminds them of GOD’s provision in feeding the 5000 men and the 4000 men then they understand what He is saying. We tend to look on the natural and do not always see the spiritual implications. Having eyes to see and ears to hear is seeing beyond the natural and understanding the spiritual implications (truth); study Mark 8:13-21; John 9:35-41.

GOD does care and provide for our natural needs but everything in the natural is a type or shadow of the reality of GOD’s Eternal Kingdom, which is both natural and spiritual. We see naturally and we think naturally but GOD wants us to see spiritually and think eternally; study Matthew 6:25-34.

Part of JESUS’ prayer in John 17 was that we are in the world but not part of the world, the teachings of the Apostles throughout the epistles follows this theme. We live and serve GOD in the world to present the spiritual truths of His Eternal Kingdom! Study John 17.