You Think You Know, But Do You Understand?

Matthew 13:10-13 - His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.” (NLT)

Devotional Series: The Stories Jesus Told

Have you ever wondered why Jesus told parables? If you have ever been through any sort of public speaking or writer’s training, you will have most likely been taught that stories help people connect and understand what you are saying. But in today’s passage, we learn that Jesus taught in parables for the exact opposite reason!

Jesus taught in parables to separate the wheat from the chaff! The listeners from the pretenders.  The parables were not to make his teachings more accessible. Rather they were used to make us dig a little deeper, hear a little more intently and to search a bit more circumspectly. The paradox of teaching through relatable stories with deeper meanings, Jesus calls a secret of the kingdom!

Matthew 13:11 - He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. (NLT)

Whenever I come across a passage of scripture like this, I am reminded of how different we are from the Lord. Our conclusions are not the same as his. This humble example reveals that good conventional wisdom, may not always line up with what the Lord is saying to us either in his word or by the Spirit. We must not assume that we know, have seen, understand or have heard everything about our circumstance.  Our posture before the Lord must always be one of curiosity and hunger - knowing we haven’t arrived yet, not overly confident in our last revelation but ready to learn something completely different from him as we take our next step forward.

Questions for reflection:  Have I assumed that I know what the Lord is saying to me? Is my posture towards the Lord to listen more deeply and to follow him more closely? Do I need to repent for being presumptuous before the Lord?