Dabble or Dwell - Mark 4:21-25

We've received a steady dose of Mark's Gospel this week.  Today he delivers a parable two-fer. In a rather short reading, we get both the Parable of the Lamp, and right in behind that, we get the Parable of the Measure. 
 
In the Parable of the Lamp, the message is clear.  The lamp is Jesus, the Living Word of God, and he was not sent into the world to be hidden (or even diminished) by the things of the world.  A lamp is supposed to bring light so that people can perceive the truth - the word of God. 
 
The pivot is then made to measuring: Take care of what you receive; take care of these words of truth.  "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."  To me that means, let's not just dabble in the truth, let's dwell in it.  By linking these two parables, the Gospel is telling us that we are able to fold fast to all that Jesus has given us if we dwell in his Word.  Or said conversely, we're likely to lose what we have if our choice is to only dabble in his Word.  The "measure we give" is the way we pay attention to Jesus' words. The "measure we get" has to do with the freedom, and life, we receive when we hear, and follow, Jesus.
 
In the Kingdom of God, how we cultivate the seed in our lives directly determines how much more will be given to us. This "law of increase", as it is known, plays itself out in our lives every day.
 
Its true of knowledge—if you study little you will gain little; it's true of the skills and crafts—if you train and work little, you will gain little; it's true of our ability to bear responsibility—if you take on very little responsibility, then you will be given very little responsibility; it's true for our physical fitness—if you work out just a little, you will gain little. 
 
There is a "truism" that I once learned in a basic physical fitness course in college that has always stuck with me. The instructor said there's no such thing as the status quo in physical fitness.  There's no such thing as "maintaining" fitness.  At every moment, you are either moving ahead or falling behind.  Even if you go to the gym religiously 4 or 5 times a week, if you doing the same 6 exercises every time you are there, and do them the same way each time, you are losing ground because you are not truly challenging your muscles.
 
I think of sit ups, pushups and other discomforting exercises. They are a pain, but if I don’t do them, there’s a whole sets of muscles in my body aren’t being worked – my overall level of fitness suffers. Similarly, my spiritual fitness suffers if I leave out some of its necessary elements.
 
For many, the reaching outside ourselves, taking our light out from under our bed might be the component of our spiritual lives that might be the most discomforting.  We might be inclined to just be prayerful and keep our spirituality to ourselves.  But, the First Reading though tells us, “We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some.” In other words, our faith is a communal faith that needs to be shared.  We need to “rouse one another to love and good works” as the reading tells us.
 
If we only dabble in our faith lives, we will only have enough religion to make ourselves miserable.  But if we dwell in it, dwell in Him, then we will gain more and more of His presence.  If we invest time with Jesus in a lifestyle of worship, and work at our spiritual fitness, we begin to not just know more about Him- we begin, more importantly, to have a deeper relationship... with him.  Catholic writer, Matthew Kelly, puts it this way: “Our lives change when our habits change.”
 
The ultimate purpose of all parables is to reveal that which has been hidden; to bring to light that which is a mystery because we don't have the benefit of Jesus' direct teachings here on earth in the present day. 
 
Through the authority of the Word of God and with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we are called to personally make a choice to dwell in Christ, the Light of the world. 
 
So, let us ask God today to help us to become more engaged in our spiritual fitness, to let his words sink into us more fully into our being, both in our time spent here at the Mass, and... in our time alone when we can quietly read at our own pace and pray without distraction.  And let us then respond by confidently sharing the light of Christ so that others are encouraged to follow that same light as well!