PoG Blog Heavenly Father, we come to you this day on bended knee, seeking to walk in the ways of Your Holy Son. May our time together bring glory and honor to your Holy Name. This we pray, in the precious and powerful Name of Jesus, Amen!

Matthew 13:10-12

(NKJV)

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

(MSG)

¹⁰ The disciples came up and asked, “Why do you tell stories?”

^11-13 He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears.

When I first read the verses for today’s blog, by themselves, I couldn’t make sense of why they had been chosen to stand alone for our study and reflection. But as I pondered over them…it became pretty clear to me that Jesus, the Master Teacher, was setting up the “in-depth” teaching to come by imparting wisdom to his disciples…and to you and me…that had to be understood before moving on.

You see, I don’t think the disciples were really that interested in the form or method of teaching. No, these young in the faith, spiritually immature bunch of committed Christ followers wanted an explanation of the story…they were thirsty for understanding!

Jesus first makes it pretty clear that there are two distinctive classes of “hearers”…those who had “been given insight into God’s kingdom”…and those had not. Jesus is also making it abundantly clear that this “insight” into His and His Fathers’ Kingdom is a gift! Not something that was awarded based on intellect or moral character or for any other reason except by His good Grace...so that ” Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely”. And to the contrary, those whose hearts are not prepared…

“But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears”.

So…is your heart ready…for the rest of the story?

⁹ But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,     nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.      

                                                                                                1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (ESV)

Blessings to you and yours,

jwb