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Mark 4 · a question people ask

"For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him" (4:25). Isn't that unfair?

In the text

Jesus doesn't explain the saying in this chapter, so here is only what the verses say. It comes after a lamp that is put "on a stand" (4:21), and straight after "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear" (4:24). In Mark the more is given "to you who hear" (4:24). Luke tells it after the lamp too, beginning "Be careful therefore how you hear" and ending "even that which he thinks he has" (Luke 8:18). Matthew has it in Jesus's answer about the parables, with "and he will have abundance" (Matthew 13:12). The chapter doesn't say what the more is, or what is taken, and these notes don't fill it in.

The verses

“He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand? For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.””
Mark 4:21-25 · World English Bible
““No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.””
Luke 8:16-18 · World English Bible
“The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.”
Matthew 13:10-12 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Mark 4

Mark 4: Ears to hear

Jesus explained the farmer's parable himself: the farmer sows the word, and those on every kind of ground hear it (4:14-20). And in the boat he "rebuked" the wind and said "Be still!" (4:39) with the same two Greek verbs he used when he silenced an unclean spirit (1:25).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions