Jesus’ disciples came and said to him, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowds?” Jesus replied, “Because they haven’t received the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but you have. For those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough. But as for those who don’t have, even the little they have will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to the crowds in parables: although they see, they don’t really see; and although they hear, they don’t really hear or understand. What Isaiah prophesied has become completely true for them: You will hear, to be sure, but never understand; and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing. For this people’s senses have become calloused, and they’ve become hard of hearing, and they’ve shut their eyes so that they won’t see with their eyes or hear with their ears or understand with their minds, and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them. “Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear. I assure you that many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t. (Matthew 13:10-17, CEB)
Parables are devices that Jesus used to allow those who know to really know and those who didn’t know to never get a clue.
So you see but don’t actually perceive and hear but don’t really understand.
Sometimes, God’s word is confusing. We do not need to be discouraged when we are slow to grasp, just know that others don’t get it at all. And those are the people we need to live out loud for. So they might come to know that God loves them and wants them to be a part of the family.
Love out Loud.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 