Mark 4-6: This Little Light of Mine

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? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
    “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”  - Mark 4:21-25 NIV

There was no way for Jesus to hide who he was.  No matter how many times he told those he touched not to tell anyone who had healed them, the word spread, and the crows followed, looking for something that they could not get from their priests, their government officials or their doctors.  For the disciples, and even those of us today who follow after him, it's often not quite so obvious who we are.  For one, we don't have the the faith that Jesus did.  We do not know the Father as well.  Then there is the hesitation:  we don't want to send the wrong message, we don't want to embarrass the gospel, we don't want to embarrass ourselves.  I think of myself and how much easier it is to be a witness in a foreign, third world, country where no one knows me, than it is here at home where I might be recognized. 

'This little light of mine', we used to sing, ' I'm gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? No!  I'm gonna let it shine.'

'Whatever is hidden', Jesus said, 'is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.'

2010 Post - Mark 4-6:  A Prophet Without Honor