For Those Who Have Ears To Hear

Scripture: Mark Chapter 4

11 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 12 so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.  34He did not say anything to them without using a parable.  But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

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Observation: 

Why speak parables?  Why not just say it straight out, especially with something this important? 

The best I understand, based on a comment Jesus makes in verses 11-12 is that Jesus knew that there were those in the crowd that had already hardened their hearts, they joined the crowd for their own reasons – likely to catch him saying something that could get him hauled before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling counsel).  This presented a challenge!  How do you speak so that the right people hear the truth, and the others just hear a story?  

Jesus’ answer to his dilemma was the parable.  In this opening set of parables, Jesus reveals what the Kingdom of God is like, and he uses the imagery of seeds to explain it, something that a group of farmers would connect with immediately.

Application:

Fast forward to today.  What do you “hear” when you read the parables?  Do you hear the deeper truths or just a story?  If you don’t, the solution is within the first parable… check the soil of your heart. 

Prayer: 

Lord, I am so thankful that you found a way to speak and teach!  I am grateful to the Holy Spirit who searches out the deeper things of God and reveals those truths to us.  I pray that you open the ears of our hearts.  Amen!