Let's look at this parable. What is this parable saying? We can not understand this just in a single reading. But, it's not surprising that we can not understand it so easily. Because that's the nature of a parable.
The Lord clearly told the disciples, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables."
Then he makes his disciples understand this parable. In this parable, it talks about "a measure." But, we are not told what to "measure." Therefore, this parable is ambiguous and what it means cannot be grasped readily. But, like with the other parables, if the disciples ask the meaning of the parable in earnest, the Lord will give them a clue or a key to its meaning. The key of "measure" is represented as "a bushel" (a measure of grain) which is written just before this passage. And we notice this "bushel" also has a connection to "The Parable Of The Sower" in the same chapter. Therefore, the flow of Mark chapter4 goes like this:
In practical way this is talking about our attitude toward the word of God. When it comes to the word of God, one man may plant with a little faith and so have a low yield or few bushels - that is, little faith. For those who see the Bible as just a book of moral rules or a guide to right and wrong, that's all the Bible is to them. There are some novelists in Japan who committed suicide though they read the Bible. For them, their "faith" yield is small. Their bushel basket is not very full. Even for some Christians, their bushels are small with some slim pickings out of their slim faith. Some Christians receive the doctrine of salvation from the Bible. But, they won't accept any other aspect of the Bible. They can not accept tongues nor healing gifts out of the Bible's faith bushels. Their bushel basket is never large enough to hold the full gospel. But, on the other hannd, there are those who accept every truth of the Bible. They accept the gift of the Holy spirit including the gift of prophecy. Their measure is big. And the wonder of the word of God is this: God's grace is given according to one's measure of faith.
For example, someone had a bushel which would not accept God's word about the gift of prophecy. But, one day, he tried to expand his measure of faith and tried to accept the word of the gift of prophecy. After this, he received grace and the gift of prophecy came upon him. This is the meaning of "with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you." And even more wonderful about the word of God is: For those who accept the word of God more and more, then more and more grace is meted out to them.
Another example is that one man may accept the word about Jesus's virgin birth, his resurrection, his second coming, the gift of the Holy Spirit and seek for the Spirit's gifts earnestly... Then he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of healing. In addition, on another day, he may realize the fact that there are other good things to be given such as love, joy, and peace. These fruit of the Holy Spirit, which he had not yet sought for in earnest are now put into his bushel of faith.
But, another person may be different and say this: "I can not accept
Jesus's virgin birth and second coming. I also can not believe the creation
stories in Genesis. I'd rather believe in evolution. However, I have
the conviction that Jesus saves. I believe in salvation." But, some
day he might think, "It is really a scientific idea that human blood cleanses
sin. What does God have to do with it?" As a result, even his faith toward
"salvation" is faded away. This is the meaning of "he that hath not, from
him shall be taken even that which he hath." Therefore the conclusion
of this parable is "Take heed what ye hear." It deals with our attitude
toward the word of God. Because there is no difference in the word of God,
which we hear. Because the same word of God is given to every person. But,
what varies is attitudes. There are differences in the attitudes of the
hearers. Christian people's lives differ depending on the attitude in which
a person hears. This parable warns believers to hear with faith and receive
bushel loads in return.
Let's do the will of God with a faith that will produce bushels of gifts from the Holy Spirit in these end time days.
Let's do the will of God in the end time.
-end-