It Has Been Given To You To Know

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”  He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”
Mat 13:10-11

How many times have you heard men say that Jesus used parables to make things clearer?  He was using simple concepts which all men could understand so that even the common people could grasp what He was saying, right?  Actually, nothing could be further from the truth according to Jesus’ statement above to His disciples!  Parables didn’t make things clearer.  They made things unclear!  Listen to Mark’s account of our passage above:

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.” (Mar 4:10-12)

Later in this same chapter we read, “And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.” (Mar 4:33-34) Even the disciples had no hope of getting the point to Jesus’ stories unless He later interpreted the parables for them!  For that reason, Jesus told His disciples, “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.” (Mat 13:16-17)

If we get nothing else from these passages, we ought to understand that only God can make His word effectual in the hearts of men.  We should never declare the gospel without continual prayer for God to bless that effort!  The parable associated with our text today compares sharing God’s word with sowing seed.  How ought we to sow it?  We should cast as much of that seed out any time we are able because we never know when it might prosper! (Ecc 11:6) But never forget this analogy.  The farmer can till, plant, water, and fertilize, but he can never make that dead seed result in life!  Paul uses the same analogy to glorify the Lord for saving men’s souls through the preached word.  Only God can give the increase!! (1Co 3:7) If you are among those who have understood His word unto salvation, He alone must get the glory for that fact.  It’s not because you were a little smarter than the next guy or more willing to receive His word.  You understand because God granted you understanding!

This truth ascribes glory where it belongs–to our God and Savior!  He hides and reveals.  Just listen to Pro 25:2: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”  All the seeking in the world won’t reveal that which God chooses to conceal.  Ought we to seek?  The latter half of that verse says, “Absolutely!”  But seek crying out to God as the One who reveals the Truth to men.  Have you seen the Truth–I mean the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? (Joh 14:6) Then give God the glory for His great mercy!!  “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”.  O Lord, thank you for blessing us by causing these blind eyes to see and these deaf ears to hear!

Jamie

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