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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to
the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the
kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be
given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what
they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:”
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do
not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:”
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you
will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become
calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”
“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your
ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous
people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear
but did not hear it.”
Matthew 13:10-17
When He was alone, the Twelve and the others around Him
asked Him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God
has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in
parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never
perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
Mark 4:10-12
His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. He said,
“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but
to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though
hearing, they may not understand.’”
Luke 8:9-10
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be
to God.
Over and over again we find Jesus teaching His audiences by way of parables, which were nothing but illustrations with spiritual or moral meaning.
Over and over again we find Jesus teaching His audiences by way of parables, which were nothing but illustrations with spiritual or moral meaning.
But why did Jesus choose this style of instruction? Why
try and educate by code instead up plain language?
As we look at our scripture passages today, Jesus gives us
the answer because as we see, even His disciples were curious. Look again at
His words here:
The disciples came
to Him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because
the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you,
but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an
abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This
is why I speak to them in parables:”
“Though seeing,
they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is
fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:”
“‘You will be ever
hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For
this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and
they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear
with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”
“But blessed are
your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell
you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not
see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Matthew 13:10-17
Why did Jesus speak to the people in parables?
Because anyone who was with Him, surrendering their
spirits and will to His as well as His Father’s, would have no problem
receiving and comprehending the wisdom and direction Jesus was imparting. The “knowledge
of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” would be given to them. Further, if they
continued to remain in the Lord, receptive to His word and way, then they would
experience an abundance of spiritual riches as they stored up their treasures
of heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Jesus promised that His followers would be blessed
because their eyes would see and ears hear.
On the opposite side of the ledger were those who refused
to receive Jesus and His teaching. Of course, counted in that number was the
Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the law. Of interest, their rejection of
Jesus was predicted by the prophet Isaiah who proclaimed that one day the “people’s
heart” would “become calloused” because they would have “closed their eyes” and
“hardly hear with their ears”.
Or in other words, they would be “ever hearing but never
understanding” and “ever seeing but never perceiving”. Further, those who
rejected receiving what Jesus offered would find themselves at even a greater
deficit because He promised that what little spiritual worth they did have
would be “taken from them”. Jesus would go on to emphasize this truth as He told
the parables of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Indeed, if we don’t use the gifts the Lord has given then
He can simply remove them from us and give them to someone else who will
appreciate and use them to achieve His purposes.
So where do you stand today?
Are you counted in the number of those who place their
belief, faith, trust, and hope in the Lord, willfully and willingly receiving
His Spirit and word, those who will receive abundant spiritual blessings
through their choice of submission and obedience?
or
Are you among those who have shut the Lord out of your
life, someone who is living for the world and its desires and ways, someone who
is choosing to see but never perceive, to hear but not understand?
The good news is that we have a choice and that means we
can choose to turn from the error of our ways and exchange the world for the
Lord. Anyone who does will find their eyes and ears opened to a new way of
living, one that leads them to true life now and forever through Jesus.
I pray you have received that promised offer today,
securing your place with the Father and Son forever.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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