Parable of a lamp under a basket from Mark 4:21-25 explained

[SANTOSO]

This is the parable that we have heard:
And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? -Mark 4:21
For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. -Mark 4:22
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." -Mark 4:23
And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. -Mark 4:24
For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." -Mark 4:25

Did we not hear what the Lord have said :
And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? -Mark 4:13

If we have gained understanding of the parable of the sower, then we will understand all the parables including the parable of lamp under a basket.

So, what do we understand from the parable of the sower:
The sower sows the word. -Mark 4:14
So, we understand that a lamp is the word.

Also, we have heard this:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. -Psalms 119:105

Let us paraphrase the Lord’s parable of the lamp under a basket :

Is a word supposed to be hidden under a basket ? Is a word supposed to be hidden under a bed ? Isn’t a word supposed to be on a stand ?
For word is not supposed to be hidden but to be manifested.
For word that have been kept secret will come to light.
Let anyone who has ears to hear the word.
Pay attention to what you hear the word says ：with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more word or understanding of the word will be added to you.

Through paraphrasing, we gained clarity what the Lord have said that He meant a lamp is the word.

But a lamp is not only understood as only “the word” but also other meanings that are written in the Holy Scripture.

We have heard:
The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. -Proverbs 20:27

When the Son of Man sows the seed or the word in the ground of our hearts or the ground of our spirits. When we hear and accept the word, we bear fruit. ( Mark 4:20 )

This fruit can also be called the fruit of the Spirit since it was grown on the ground of our spirits and the Holy Spirit works on the ground of our hearts.

The Lord says in the parable:
“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket”

What is a basket in the Bible ?

A basket, generally made of very thin wooden slats about two inches wide that held one bushel. Fruit was generally still packed and sold in bushel baskets.

Paraphrasing the parable,
“Is the word brought in to be put under a bushel basket” or
“Is the fruit of the Spirit brought in to be put under a fruit basket”

The answer is No.

For the fruit of the Spirit is not supposed to be hidden but to be manifested.

For the fruit of the Spirit that have been kept secret will come to light

 

[SANTOSO]

For we have heard the parable:
“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bed ?”

We can paraphrase the parable,
“Is the word brought in to be put under a bed” or
“Is the eye enlightened with the word to be brought to sleep ?”

For we have heard the parable:
“Is a lamp not brought in to be put on a stand?”

Likewise,we have heard the Lord said:

As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. -Revelation 1:20

We can paraphrase the parable,
“Is the word not brought in to be put on a stand” or
“Is the word not brought to be heard by the churches”

What is “the church” mean ?
The New Testament word for "church" is ekklesia [ejkklhsiva], which means "the called out ones."

We can paraphrase the parable,
“Is the word not brought to be heard by the called out ones?”
The answer is Yes.

The word is to be brought to be heard by the called out ones !

How the word is to be brought to be heard ? By witness

This is why we have heard:
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (NASB) Rev. 11:3-4

Here, the two witnesses are called as the two lampstands.

Likewise, we also have heard:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, -Romans 8:16

Thus, we can paraphrase the parable,
“Is the Spirit of His word not brought to be heard by the called out ones?”
“Is the Spirit of His word not brought to be heard by the spirit of the called out ones ?”

What is the word that the spirit of the called ones hear ?
The called out ones hear the Holy Spirit’s witness that we are children of God.

 

[Jesse Dornfeld]

That's an interesting take on things. I don't know that I would associate the Fruit of the Spirit with the Word necessarily, but I think it's an interesting direction to go with it. I would say the Light very well is the Word, I just don't think the Fruit of the Spirit is the Totality of the Word.

 

[SANTOSO]

Have you considered what you may have heard :

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:23

If Christ is the firstfruits ! What fruits do Christ bear ? If not, the fruit of the Spirit.

 

[SANTOSO]

Therefore it is evident that Christ the firstfruits manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

 

[SANTOSO]

Have you considered what you may have heard :

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:23

If Christ is the firstfruits ! What fruits do Christ bear ? If not, the fruit of the Spirit.

Let me reword what I have written earlier :

Have you considered what you may have heard :

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:23

Christ is the firstfruits ! What fruits do Christ bear ? the fruit of the Spirit.

Therefore it is evident that Christ the firstfruits, manifest is the fruit of the Spirit.