Bible Reading: Genesis 46,47,48; Matthew 13:1-29
“And the disciples came, And said unto him, why speaketh thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” Matthew 13:10-11 (KJV)
Parables are stories from everyday life that relate and illustrate certain spiritual truths. It is a style of teaching where you use small stories to hide the truth until the student discovers it himself. Parable is based on the principle that nothing is yours until you discover it yourself. The truth is hidden from the listeners so that they can discover it on their own when they are ready.
God never reveals the depth of His principle to people who love free things. You must give or sacrifice something dear to you to receive from Him. Remember, He says in Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV), “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” The disciples paid a great price to follow Him; Peter abandoned his fishing business. They all left their families to travel with Him on His journeys.
Our interest in God determines the level of information He gives us. He told the disciples, ” I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” John 16:12 (KJV). Your interest will determine what God teaches you in the kingdom. When you begin to understand the principles of the Kingdom you begin to get friction with people because they are at a different level. You begin to separate yourself from your family and friends because you have found the most important thing in life.
Jesus loves everybody, but He gave the crowd parables because they only came there to be entertained. The disciples, however, always stayed back to ask questions. Why wouldn’t they? After all they have sacrificed they must remain. Until you begin to stay back in the word you have heard and ask questions, you may remain like the crowd in Jesus’ day. A lot of brethren are like that today.
Remember, you initiate what you get from God by your understanding and questions.
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to see what You are saying in Your Word.
Bro. Onyema Aghanenu