Yeshua was asked by his disciples why He taught in parables. I used to assume it was because it made it easier for people to relate and understand, but His answer is different and it can really challenge us to think a bit differently if we let it. Let us not take for granted that He has chosen us to understand. Let us be humble and thankful.
10As soon as He was alone, [b]His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM.”
More detail is recorded in Matthew.
An Explanation
10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
16“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly 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.
Some have been granted the opportunity to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and some have not. Yahweh does not reveal Himself to everyone equally. Some He has chosen for honorable purposes and some for common.
21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
Thus Yeshua says He speaks in parables so that some will hear and understand and some will not. This may be very challenging for some of us to digest who have been taught that Yahweh wants everyone to be saved. Not all are chosen for special purpose of being in relationship with Him. Caution, however, do not let this lead you to stop praying for people who are lost. It is by prayer that some will be brought to relationship with our LORD.
Let us also recognize that this was always His intent, as it is captured in prophecy to which Yeshua refers.
Take time to reflect on the word. Let it challenge your comfort zone. Test what you have been taught against what the word says. Let us also change our attitudes a bit to be less confident in ourselves for our salvation and relationship with Yahweh and more grateful to the LORD for choosing us. Yes, we had to respond and choose Him, but He chose us first. Be humble and thankful in regards to your relationship with our Father.
Yeshua also refers to giving more to the one who has much and taking from him who has little. I think this is in relationship to our faith and our corresponding relationship with Him. There is no middle ground. We are either with Him or against Him. Do not try to ride the fence between Yahweh and man.
30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
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