Parables

Jesus often spoke in parables, which are stories that illustrate Biblical truths. What is difficult to understand about the parbles, is His reasoning for using them. This is what He says in Matthew 13:12...

12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.

Why would Jesus want to speak in such a way that some people cannot understand? I actually heard a sermon preached on this subject last week. My pastor spoke of this passage as being the antithesis of modern preaching. In the majority of today's pulpits, sermons are "dumbed down" so that everyone can understand what is being said. Difficult sections of Scripture are skipped over in favor of those that make congregations feel good. In an effort to retain large audiences, many pastors give people what they want to hear. Jesus took the opposite approach. He spoke in parables so that only those who had "ears to hear" would understand His message. In this way, He was weeding out the true seekers from those who were hanging around for selfish reasons. There were many among his followers who were there for the miracles, or because they wanted to be part of His kingdom when He overthrew the Roman oppression (the Jewish expectation of the Messiah), or simply because they were caught up in the momentum. Regardless, not everyone who followed Him was really listening to His message. We certainly have the same phenomenon going on in our churches today, with many filling the pews for social, cultural, or even business reasons.

Those who do not have "ears to hear" can't understand, which is essentially a judgement for unbelief. This does not mean that such people can't ever "hear", but that they cannot do so while their hearts are in rebellion or indifference to God. In Mark's account of the same message, Jesus follows up His comments regarding "those who have ears to hear" by saying that "whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought into the light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear". So it is not His desire that there should be listeners who do not hear, but this is the sad reality.

Tomorrow's reading: Mark 5:1-43; Matt. 8:28-9:26; Luke 8:26-56