Thursday, April 7, 2011

Parables and Flesh

Matthew 13:10-17 (NIV)The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”  He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.   Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
         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.’
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Acts 1:24 (NIV)
Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen

Why did Jesus teach in parables?  Other than the explanation Jesus himself offers above.  Let’s go a little bit deeper.  Acts clearly teaches His ability to see heart condition.  The crowds as a whole were there to get their “flesh” (see previous post) needs met.  Jesus provided healing and food.  They (the crowds) didn’t necessarily care about their deeper “spirit” needs.  Parables were a popular way of speaking so Jesus gave them something to talk about, those who had an interest in the spiritual side questioned further and Jesus, often gratefully, explained to those the “deeper things of God.”

I don’t think Jesus taught in parables to purposefully fulfill prophecy, I am sure He was saddened by it’s accuracy.

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