Mark 4:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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?

NIV: He said to them, 'Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand?

NASB: And He was saying to them, 'A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?

CSB: He also said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it to be put on a lampstand?

NLT: Then Jesus asked them, 'Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.

KJV: And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

NKJV: 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?

The word translated "basket" is from the Greek root word modios and literally means a "bushel measure." "Bed" is from the Greek root word kline, and means a small bed or couch, as what people reclined on when sick or eating a meal.

"Light" represents several different things in the New Testament. Here it is the word of truth about the kingdom of God as taught through parables. Until this time, the Jews knew that the Messiah was coming to redeem and rescue them. But they didn't understand who the Messiah was or how He would save them.

It is now time for Jesus to reveal God's plan, but He does so judiciously. For one, He doesn't allow demons to authenticate His identity (Mark 1:24–26, 34; 3:11–12). If He allows them to speak for Him, they will quickly twist His ministry with lies and lead many astray. He also limits the revelation of His message to those who trust Him enough to really want to understand. To outsiders, He will, for now, be the prophet who heals people, casts out demons, and says wise things. He knows that the deeper He delves into His true purpose, the quicker and harsher the opposition will react (Mark 3:1–6).

That reaction is inevitable, but before it happens, He needs time to train His disciples to spread His message to a wider audience (Matthew 5:14-16). Soon, He will send them out to preach and heal with His authority (Mark 6:7–13). Within a few years, they will be the fathers of His church.

Mark 4:21–25 is Jesus' explanation of what makes for good learning conditions. Jesus has previously revealed why some people accept His teaching while others don't (Mark 4:1–20). ''Light'' is the truth of Jesus that should be let free to reveal the secret of the gospel. But it will only provide illumination for those who pay attention and come with a deep desire to understand. Next, Jesus will tell the disciples their responsibility in spreading the gospel (Mark 4:26–29) and what reaction they can expect (Mark 4:30–32). Luke also records this story in Luke 8:16–18 while Matthew touches on the themes in Matthew 5:15–16 and 10:26.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.