UnCanceled
People don't really want to stand out and be noticed these days.
He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lamp stand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” 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.” He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. - Mark 4:21-34
If you are being noticed, chances are you are saying or doing something that people don't agree with, and that can get you canceled.
Jesus was telling his disciples not to worry about being canceled. Get out there and be seen and heard. If you don't shine, you are not alive.
Like the mustard seed, what you put out into the world will grow and multiply. That could be good or bad, right?
If I don't want to be noticed or singled out, chances are I will keep quiet, avoid making waves, disappear into the crowd.
That is what the crowd was like before Jesus came and spoke to them about the love of God. All stayed in the shadows and tried not be noticed.
But when they saw what he did and heard what life could be like, they gained the courage to stand with him.
When Jesus says the truth can not be hidden in God's kingdom, he is not making a threat that we will be found out. Instead he is giving us hope that what we believe is known by God and worth fighting for.
We do not need to hide our lamp, for that will do nothing to change the world. Instead, we need to be courageous and let he world see the light we have to shine.
Not too long ago, people stayed in the closet for fear of being bullied and threatened. Now they are free to shine in the world.
Shouldn't that be true for all?
More to come...