Bible Reading: Mark 4: 21-25

He said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear. He also told them, "Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

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This very important passage by Jesus is not as difficult to understand or mysterious as it may seem. This is another reason it is important to read the WHOLE Bible because here Jesus is talking about wisdom and knowledge of God. Jesus is saying that all teachings about God are not to be kept secret for the elite. Knowledge of God is to be shared in the open just as one would place a lamp in the open where it can shed light for all.

Further, God will make sure that people are unable to keep secrets (again, referring to spiritual matters). For example, people will not be able to hide true prophecy that comes from God; all will be revealed one way or the other.

The passage about the measure given to each is simply Jesus explaining that as one becomes a diligent and good student, one understands what God is teaching more and more. So he who is even a "beginner" at learning scripture and God's ways will gain more and more as he learns. But Jesus warns that one who is not trying to learn, or is learning through false means ("from the one who has not"), he will actually lose knowledge. It's like the contemporary saying where if you attend a confusing lecture or bad information is given that we tend to say "I feel stupider after I heard this lecture than before." Jesus is warning that if you do not work at understanding and wisdom, then even the knowledge you have will be taken from you (because you will either forget, not develop properly, or worse, go down false beliefs and wrong paths of "interpretation."

See, this is why he uses the term "measure" to be used. Think of measure as meaning not just the grain, for example, being measured out to someone, which is what the analogy refers to, but the need for a standard measuring cup. Jesus is saying there is a standard, proper way to dispense and gain knowledge. This is obvious when one thinks of providing grain. People can't use different sizes of measuring cup to represent the same quantity. So Jesus is explaining that the measuring cup that you use will also be used to give to you. So if you use the proper way to measure out the grain of wisdom with others, so will it be used with you by God. Thus your knowledge of God will grow. But if you are using a false measure, one that is not correct for use in gaining and dispensing knowledge of God, you will actually lose what you already have.

I hope this helps. This is a very important and often quoted passage by Jesus, but I think a lot of people don't recognize that he's not saying preach loud and proud in a spotlight. Or to pry for secrets from neighbors. Jesus is being upfront about "gurus" and others who look for secret knowledge that is "nonstandard," to put it in modern terms. Jesus is saying that all knowledge about God must be shared in the open and comply to "standards" by which this knowledge is developed in order for it to grow and be more useful, and to avoid the knowledge being lost or misused.