WHOEVER HAS WILL BE GIVEN MORE

I’m continuing with the red words in Scripture. Posts on the Commands of Jesus are available and complete. 

Posts on the Promises of Jesus began this year. Some of these are difficult to understand and must be read in context. I’ll provide a bit of context for one of the scriptures but it will help you to read each one in context.

Matthew 13:12 Whoever has will be given more and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

Matt. 25:29 Everyone who has will be given more and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

Mark 4:24-25 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.

Luke 8:18 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.

Luke 19:26 To everyone who has more will be given but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

Here’s the context in Mark 4:21-25 – 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 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.”

Michael Card in his book Mark: The Gospel of Passion, says about this passage: “Its all about listening, and seeing, and understanding, and perceiving. The parables speak, they shine; the Word has power of its own and grows. Our response, the measure of attention we use, means everything. If we genuinely give ear, more will be measured out to us. If we stubbornly refuse to engage, even what we have will be taken away. This is not a statement on the character of Jesus. It is a statement about the nature of truth and the consequences of refusing to listen.”

John MacArthur similarly says, “Those who despise the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, burying them in the ground and clinging instead to the paltry and transient goods of this world, will ultimately lose everything they have.”

Barclay makes it even clearer. “If a man is physically fit and keeps himself so, his body will be ready for ever greater efforts; if he lets himself go flabby, he will lose even the abilities he has. The more a student learns, the more he can learn; but if he refuses to go on learning, he will lose the knowledge he has.” “There is no such thing as standing still in the Christian life. We either get more or lose what we have. We either advance to greater heights or slip back.”

Dear Father,

We thank you for these Scriptures that encourage us to listen, read, reflect upon and learn of You and learn your Word. Help us apply ourselves to this. Help us not drift away from you. I’m eager to study and apply your Word to my daily life. May we never stand still in our walk with you.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.