GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 4:21
No Eclipse Here
On August 21, 2017, Alice and I were spending the weekend in our RV at the Twin Lakes campground on the shore of Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. It was a beautiful weekend, and the sky was clear. At about 1:05 pm, the moon began to pass in front of the sun, and it started to darken. By 2:37 pm, the sun was completely obscured. There was a total eclipse, which lasted a little over 2 minutes. It was a memorable experience. The stadium at Clemson University was completely full because it was a location for maximum eclipse viewing. Then, everyone began to return home at the same time, and we were in heavy traffic for over an hour on I-85. A trip home that normally took about an hour lasted about three hours that afternoon. Clouds often obscure the sun, but it is rarely eclipsed by the moon. The sun has shown every day since creation. It’s not supposed to be obscured or hidden, although that happens approximately every 18 months. It occurs at the same location approximately every 375 years. I do not expect to be at Twin Lakes to observe the next one!
In a characteristic Markan practice, the writer brought together four different sayings of Jesus, which are scattered throughout the Gospel of Matthew. In the first of these sayings, Mark wrote, “And he said to them, ‘The lamp is not brought in order that it be placed under the basket or under the bed, is it? Is it not brought in order that it be placed on the lampstand?’” (Mark 4:21) In this figure, the “light” stands for Jesus’ message about the Father, the Gospel. Just as the moon obscured the sun on that August day, there are things that obscure the Gospel: baskets or beds—things like worldly distractions (cf. the rich young ruler, Mark 10:17-27), fear of persecution (cf. Peter’s denial, Luke 22:54-62), legalism (cf. the Pharisees, Matt. 23:27-28), apathy and spiritual laziness (cf. the Laodiceans, Rev. 3:15-16), or pride and self-righteousness (cf. the Pharisee, Luke 18:9-14).
No, Jesus said that the lamp is to be put on the lampstand so that it will give light—share the Gospel (Matt. 5:14-16), live in obedience to Christ so that our lives reflect his truth (John 15:5), and remove anything that dims the light (fear, sin, distractions, or pride).
In Sunday School, we learned the words to the chorus “This Little Light of Mine”—“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”
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