The persons who edited the Gospels, putting them into their final form, very often grouped themes or sayings of Jesus together that seemed, to them, to be related. For example, the Gospel of Matthew has been deliberately arranged into five major sections as an echo of the five books of the Law (Torah or Pentateuch). These five books were the heart of the religious understanding of the people of Israel. Matthew presents Jesus as the new Moses bringing God’s new Law – the Law of love, compassion, mercy – to the people.
In the Gospel of Mark, the fourth chapter begins with a series of parables and parabolic sayings related to the Reign of God. Since no one had an audio or video recorder, it’s quite likely that Jesus didn’t just talk nonstop using images and phrases that are so loosely connected from one to the next. And out of context, some of these sayings don’t make a lot of sense. Jesus spoke to each person or crowd that came to him with words and sayings directed to their situation, needs or questions, based on his own observations and experiences.
One of the difficult verses in the gospels is placed at Mark 4:25. To the one who has, more will be given, and to the one who has nothing, even what they have (or think they have) will be taken away. Has what, or doesn’t have what? Jesus could very well be referring to the people’s own lives. In their day, as it seems to continue for many today, those who have get more, come out on top, do very well. Those whom society forces to the bottom end up struggling with less and less. The wealth of the mighty does not lift up those who have less, it drives them further down.
The context for this verse that seems to be floating free is the Reign of God. In the gospels, Jesus is constantly contrasting God’s reign with the kingdoms and powers that ruled their world. Whether it was Rome, the great oppressor, or the petty tyrants Rome put in place to oversee parts of the empire, the impact on the little people was the same. They worked harder and ended up with nothing. Cruelty was the accompaniment for their daily bread.
Jesus promised that if the people embraced the Reign of God they would know Shalom – the peace that comes when everyone has what they need to live well. This could begin here and now if they (we) so choose. He also warned that if they rejected God’s reign what they had would be taken away. Only when everyone has the necessities of a full human life can there be the possibility of any real peace.
This can only come to be when we, as humanity, have a complete change of mindset / attitude / way of seeing (metanoia). We need to reject the inner and outer forces that drive us toward the survival attitude of everyone for himself or herself. The Reign of God is about everyone is in this together, working together in whatever way we can to bring about Shalom for all. Every person would then have more.