Why Speak In Parables
Or
Hidden Truths Seen And Heard
Sunday Jan. 5, 2020
Scripture To Consider:
“And the disciples came and said to Jesus, ‘Why do You speak in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.’”
“Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’”
“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Matthew 13.10-17
Something To Consider:
The disciples saw immediately the directional change taken by Jesus pertaining to His preaching and teaching. It concerned them enough to ask Him the question; “Why do You speak to them in parables?” The mysteries or hidden truths have been and will continue to be given to those who have a sincere interest in understanding. But to those who have no interest or desire to understand, the truth of the kingdom of heaven remains hidden, buried beneath the surface of a parable.
But the command of Scripture given us by God through the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2.15 in the King James version is; “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [or rightly understanding] the word of truth.” And Paul continued his instruction and warnings by stating in verse 16, “But shun [or turn from] profane and idle babblings [foolish speaking]: for they will increase [or lead to] more ungodliness [or practicing iniquity and wicked living].”
Paul then records that idle babblings or foolish speaking of untruths by many will spread like cancer. And then Paul names Hymenaeus and Philetus who concerning the truth have erred or have strayed from the truth of the Word of God. And worse, Paul declared that these cancer-like false teachings have and will continue to overthrow the faith of some. So much for the nonsense of the Once Saved Always Saved false doctrine of demons! The early apostles believed a person could depart from the faith.
Something Else To Consider:
Those whose hearts are darkened by disbelief and repeated rejection of the truth of God’s Word, may often hear truth but not understand. Those whose hearts have grown dull of hearing the hidden truth that would set them free from the disease of spiritual heart failure, hear and yet do not understand. They hear what others hear. They see what others see. And yet, the truth remains just within the reach of all who seek the spiritual healing and meaning that is made readily available in each parable.
Understanding the truth simply takes an interested heart. Understanding the truth also takes a person realizing their need for truth and their following through by seeking to know the truth. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6.7-8; “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he [or she] who seeks finds, and to him [or her] who knocks it will be opened.”
But the biblical truth is that not everyone will ask, not many will seek, and only a few will knock long enough and with enough enduring to the end intention to ask and seek, to thereby be given access into eternal life through the understanding of truth. For most, they want to be silver spoon-fed just enough truth to satisfy their itching ears but not enough to cramp their compromising and complacent life style as they act out the part of a so-called Christian!
Something More To Consider:
Isaiah’s prophecy continues to be fulfilled in the many generations since Jesus spoke the words. His words still speak to the truth of many generations of hearts that have grown dull of hearing, blind to seeing, and indifferent to the truth of God’s Word. Therefore, the interpretation of this parable has much relevancy for us and our 21st century generation. “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” And blessed we are if we remain interested and inspired by the hidden truth revealed day by day in the preserved written Word of God.
Therefore, by our seeing the truth, will we understand? As we listen to or read the truth, will we understand with our hearts and be converted? Or will we be offended by our non-biblical blindness and or by our non-discerning deafness to the whole truth of the Word of God? Will we be as these religious leaders of Jesus’ day whose ears were hard of hearing and whose hearts were far from God?
A Few Final Words:
Or will we simply and finally close our ears and our eyes to the biblical communication of the truth of the written and preserved Word of God? This parable Jesus spoke some two-thousand years ago is so picturesque of this 21st century generation of religious but not spiritual church leaders and attendees. Therefore, what will it take to awaken the church to the truth? What will it take to reverse the complacency and the biblical compromise that has permeated this end time generation?
But thank God for the true spiritual remnant that remains in every generation including in this 21st century generation. According to Jesus, “But blessed [or eternally blessed] are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Not all are open to the truths made available for their spiritual understanding but blessed are those who do remain spiritually open to the truth of God’s Word. Jesus spoke the truth when He declared in John 8.31-32; “If you abide [or endure to the end] in My Word, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth [of God’s Word], and the truth shall make you free.”
We are free indeed when we have spiritual ears to hear what the Holy Spirit of God is saying to this end time enduring to the end remnant of true Jesus followers. We are free indeed when we open our eyes to what the written Word of God teaches us to observe rather than succumbing to the traditions of men and to the false doctrines of demons propagated by men who lack spiritual and biblical understanding. For according to Jesus, “Take heed that you are not deceived.”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, bless us by opening our eyes to see and our ears to hear the hidden mysteries that others desired to see and to hear. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 