Jesus begins teaching in parables when surrounded by the crowds.
These are short fictional stories that demonstrate a spiritual principle. I like to think of parables as like a Rorschach test. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear then it will make sense to you. If you are closed-minded and heart hearted then it won’t make sense.
Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah when he was rebuking the people of Israel for their calloused hearts but then affirms the crowd and anyone reading today who is asking God to reveal Himself and make Himself known.
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Matthew 13 Video:
Matthew 13 Notes:
Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear?
Jesus begins teaching in parables.
In fact this is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. In fact I have tried to live by what we learn in the parable of the soils for the last 20 years and even wrote a book to my children with these principles in them. It’s called Fruitful. Get a free assessment and overview for free at www.ericbryant.org.
There is also a very important parable talking about heaven and hell. We don’t have time to jump into that, but let me just say it’s probably not what you think it is – especially if you grew up in a more fundamentalist church. Tim Mackie of the Bible Project has a fantastic message on that exact parable here.
So what is a parable? Why would Jesus share these short fictional stories when surrounded by the crowds?
I like to think of parables as like a Rorschach test. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear then it will make sense to you. If you are closed-minded and heart hearted then it won’t make sense.
Remember Jesus is trying to spread his message to as many people as possible for as long as possible before he gives up his life. Often the religious leaders leave after hearing Jesus teach feeling perplexed. Those willing to hear, totally get it!
Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah when he was rebuking the people of Israel for their calloused hearts but then affirms the crowd and anyone reading today who is asking God to reveal Himself and make Himself known.
“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. “
And then listen to this:
“For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.“
On this side of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension – we have access to what the prophets and righteous people of the Old Testament did not have! We discover later, we have access at all times to the Spirit of God within us when we surrender our lives to follow Him!
How does God want us to open our eyes and open our ears today?
