Matthew 13:13,15 – Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand… 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.
Jesus taught mostly in parables. The people who heard rarely understood exactly what He was talking about. His disciples didn’t even understand. Jesus, at times, explained the meaning of the parables to His disciples in private. And when we read the gospels and the parables today, we have a hard time understanding them. I remember as a kid, listening to a sermon on the Good Samaritan and how it explained how Christ would return in 2000. It was cool back in the 80′s, but now that it’s 2012 and Christ has yet to return, not so much.
The problem with understanding parables, Christ, the ways of God, what God wants us to do – is always us, not God.
Even reading scripture this morning, I know I read one verse 3 times before I really let the words sink in. I wasn’t paying attention. You know, how you can read something without really reading it, or hear something without really hearing it.
In Matthew 13, Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower. Later in the chapter He explained what the parable meant exactly. But in the middle of the, “What did He just say?” of the people, Jesus said that it was a fulfillment of scripture and ok that the parables He spoke in were a mystery. It’s all about perspective and proximity.
Our understanding or lack of understanding of what’s in scripture has a lot to do with the perspective of our faith and the proximity of our heart. Just like living in Christ and following Him is by faith (2 Cor 5:7), so also is reading His Word and understanding it. We’ve got to allow His Word to soak in and absorb us by our faith in Christ as the Savior and Messiah. James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” If we deliberately choose our jobs, our families, our hobbies, and even our own stubborn inability to understand, then we will not be in the place of His light and wisdom.
We will most certainly read the Bible and think, “What does that mean?” But don’t give up right there. Everything in scripture has to agree with every other thing in scripture. The more you read, the more you soak His words in. The more you soak it in, the more agreement you will see – which will help explain and help you understand what the prior verse means. The bible is not just a manual or book of do’s and don’ts. It is The Word of God.
Lord, give me wisdom. As I step closer to You and away from this world, help me see the wisdom and truth of your Word. Help my perspective be of faith. May my heart be close to Yours.
