Pay attention

05Mar
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
-Mark 4:24-25


Until this week, when I actually invested some thought and effort, I have always found this passage in Mark’s gospel confusing. It seems to suggest that in some unfair way, the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer, doesn’t it? This may be the way of the world, but it’s hard to hear Jesus say it.


But the context of the verse is (as always) everything. Mark Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in a boat anchored just a few feet off of shore, teaching a large crowd gathered on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. Mark notes that “he was teaching them many things in parables” and he gives us the parable of the sower, the one about the farmer who scatters seeds onto various places, with the fate of each seed depending on the quality of the surface it comes to rest upon. Jesus finishes the tale with the command: ”He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Later, after the crowds have left, he has to explain the parable of the sower to the disciples, who are eager to understand - but don’t fully get it. Jesus carefully explains the meaning of each line in the parable, one by one, and finally says again: “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 


The very next verses are the ones appointed for today, which begin: “Pay attention to what you hear.” I finally see that Jesus isn’t referring to any sort of material “stuff” when he talks about the measure you receive or the measure you give. It isn’t about being charitable or not, and it isn’t about being rich or poor - except perhaps being rich or poor in the desire to understand God’s word. “Pay attention to what you hear” (saying it with a strong emphasis on the word “attention” helps) is not the introduction to something important that Jesus is about to say - it is the thing itself! To make the effort to understand is what Jesus is asking for, I think. And when we do this, the measure of effort and desire to understand God’s word that we put in is what we receive, and more. The scriptures are opened for us. But if we make no effort - as I had done with this passage so far in my life - and passively declare “this makes no sense at all”, we can expect whatever relationship we have with The Word to suffer.


Musical Reflection - Stile Antico sings Sicut Cervus by Palestrina


Lord Jesus, thank you for being our good teacher. Grant us the patience and desire to always try to understand your word, even though we will fail sometimes. Knowing that the Holy Spirit will always guide us, bring us to a closer relationship with you through the regular meditation on your word. Amen.

Parable

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