Parables: Heavenly Truths Cloaked In Earthly Stories

# 326 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 4:10-11 “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, ”

Jesus spoke to this crowd from a boat. We are told that He taught them “many things by parables,” that's what the crowd got....parables. Heavenly truths cloaked in earthly stories. Like the dreaded “story problems” in math class, these parables needed to be carefully studied and a teacher is needed to help guide the student to the correct answer. And to those outside the kingdom (without faith), these truths will remain cloaked because they lack the indwelling Teacher....the Holy Spirit..

For “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)

Look what happened here. Just about everyone left! It's like the students that struggle with the story problem in math. They throw up their hands and say, “I don't get it.” They give up on it and walk out when the bell rings.

On the other hand, the ones who really care will hang around after class and seek out the teacher for an explanation of the material.

That's what happened here. Most of the crowd went home and Jesus was left alone with the twelve “AND THOSE AROUND HIM.” Most of the people showed no desire to wrestle with the words of Jesus, but those who chose to hang around with the master Teacher, were blessed with an explanation.

Hang around Jesus. Treat His Word like a gold mine. Tell Him in prayer that you really want to get it, ask Him for His spiritual discernment. He will be more than happy to teach you these things. Joh 14:26 says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.