Illuminating Truths: The Lamp in Mark 4:21-25

Continuing the Parables of Jesus in the Book of Mark. and if You missed the study in Matthew

The parable in Mark 4:21–25 in the King James Version uses the simple picture of a lamp to teach how God’s truth is meant to shine, search, and shape our lives

In this short parable, Jesus asks if a candle is brought “to be put under a bushel, or under a bed,” and not “to be set on a candlestick.” He goes on to say that nothing is hidden that will not be manifested, urges His hearers to “take heed what ye hear,” and ends with the principle that those who have will receive more, and those who do not have will lose even what they seem to possess.

A lamp that must shine

A candle (or lamp) is made for one purpose: to give light, not to be hidden under a basket or pushed under a bed. In the same way, the truth of the gospel and the work of God in us are not meant to be concealed, but to be seen in our words, character, and choices. When Jesus saves, teaches, or corrects us, He is not giving us private information to hoard; He is lighting a lamp that should brighten every room we walk into.

Think of a believer who has quietly learned forgiveness through a painful season. That lesson is a lamp. When they choose to share their story, respond gently in conflict, or refuse to nurse grudges, the lamp moves from under the bed to the candlestick, and others can see the way.​

Nothing hidden forever

Jesus then says, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.” Light does what light always does: it reveals. In the end, the truth about God, the truth about us, and the truth about our works will all come into the open before Him.

This is both a comfort and a warning. It comforts those who feel unseen in their obedience, because God notices every hidden act of faithfulness and will bring it to light. It warns those who try to hide sin in the dark, because secrecy is only temporary in the presence of the One whose light searches the heart.

Take heed what you hear

Next Jesus says, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear,” and, “Take heed what ye hear.” Hearing in the Bible is never just about sound entering the ear; it is about receiving, weighing, and obeying what God says. “Take heed” reminds us that we are responsible for what we allow to shape our minds and hearts.

In a world full of noise—opinions, headlines, podcasts, posts—this command pushes us to ask: Is what I’m listening to drawing me toward Christ or dulling my appetite for His word? The more we welcome His voice, the more capacity we gain to understand and obey, and the more clearly the lamp burns within us.

The measure you use

Jesus continues, “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.” The picture is of a measuring scoop: the measure we use becomes the measure that is used for us. Applied to hearing, this means that if we approach God’s word with a large, eager measure—open heart, humble spirit, willing obedience—He responds by pouring out more light, more understanding, more grace.

On the other hand, if we come with a tiny measure—casual, distracted, half-hearted—our experience of truth will be small and shallow, not because God is stingy, but because we have limited what we are ready to receive. The same principle echoes in other teachings of Jesus about giving and receiving: the standard we use boomerangs back on us.

Having and losing

Finally, Jesus states a sobering principle: “For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” In the context of hearing and responding to God’s word, “he that hath” is the one who truly receives and acts on the light given; “he that hath not” is the one who refuses or neglects it.

This is not favoritism; it is a spiritual law. When we respond to the light we have, our capacity to receive more increases, just as a muscle grows stronger with use. When we ignore or resist the light we have, even our existing sensitivity dulls, and truth that once stirred us begins to leave us unmoved.

An everyday example is Bible reading. Two people may read the same passage. One approaches prayerfully, asking, “Lord, what do You want me to obey today?” and then acts on it; over time, Scripture opens up to them more and more. The other reads quickly, checks a box, and never lets the word confront or comfort them; over time, the Bible feels dry and distant, and even the little insight they had seems to fade.

Living the parable today

This brief parable invites us to three responses.

• Let the lamp shine: Don’t hide what Christ has done in you. Live and speak in a way that lets His light spill into your home, workplace, church, and neighborhood.
• Walk in the light: Bring your hidden corners into God’s presence—your fears, sins, and wounds—trusting that His exposing light is also healing light.
• Widen your measure: Come to Scripture, prayer, worship, and service with a generous measure—ready to hear and obey—and ask God to enlarge your hunger for Him.

As we do, the promise of Jesus in this parable becomes our lived experience: “unto you that hear shall more be given.”

Discovering the Path of Salvation series by Stephen Luckett