The Irony of Ignorance

Mark 4:24-25

24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

This passage seems like an afterthought being almost buried under the lesson of the lamp that should not be covered by a basket, the parables of the sower and the soils, the seeds including the mustard seed, and followed immediately by the miracle of Jesus calming the storm at sea.

The lesson from this short passage, however, is quite profound and very serious. When Jesus says "Pay attention to what you hear", he was referring to his teachings, the Word of God.

"Pay attention" does NOT mean read or browse. It means STUDY. It means MEDITATE. It means investing time to know what God is really saying in the pages of the Book that could give you or cost you eternal life! Please read: https://relational-theology-institute.blogspot.com/2020/05/enhance-your-knowledge-of-scripture.html. We need to study the Word in order to know God more and more.

Mark these words:

1. If you have no desire or very little desire to study the Word diligently, then you have no desire to know God intimately (John 1:1; Psalm 1: Psalm 119)
2. If you have no desire to know God intimately, you are violating God's desire to have a personal relationship with you, not just as an acquaintance, nor a servant, not a slave, but as a friend, even as his child. (John 1:12; John 15:13-16)
3. If you have no desire for personal relationship, you lose the Kingdom of God because the kingdom is all about relationship with God. (John 15:1-6)
4. If you lose the Kingdom of God, you lose eternal life. (Matthew 7:21-23). "from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Sadly, many Christians think that study is optional not realizing that their eternal life may also become optional. They lose the firm foundation of being certain and assured that they do have it.

In John 17:3, Christ defines eternal life as knowing him and knowing God. What does that tell us??? Obviously, if we don't know God and Jesus well, we cannot experience eternal life! John 8:51-52, Christ says, "Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone KEEPS my WORD, he will NEVER see death."

Many people say there is no way they will ever lose eternal life once they have it because St. Paul says so in all his letters. Well, Jesus Christ says the exact opposite in all the gospels (including James and the author of Hebrews)! Who would you believe more Christ or Paul? Believe both, but Christ should interpret the words of Paul and not the other way around! Peter declared in John 6:68 that Christ has "the words of eternal life"!

But you won't know this for sure if you refuse to study. The irony of ignorance. The tragedy of ignorance!