9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"
13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
2 comments:
13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"
These verse give us an idea how frustrated Jesus must have been about His followers and listeners, which also includes us.
Hebrews 8:10 says: "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
Unfortunately, although God's words are put in our minds and written on our hearts, we still disobey Him every day and just live the way WE want. According to 2nd Timothy 1:7, God gave us a spirit of love, power and integrity.... We should have faith and pride in our walk with Christ and seek His mercy and wisdom, as we seek His will and understanding of the word. I am convinced that Christ everyone of His followers to produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
It's a sad and frightening thought to "be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"
C.S. Lewis wrote a great book about hell. He made it very clear that people choose to go to hell and stay there. I think that's very true. I used to wonder why God would let people go to hell - but now I realize that He doesn't want that. He calls and calls to all of us. We just obstinately refuse to listen.
In some ways it is easier to be miserable, hopeless and unhappy. There is no responsibility. no trying, no striving to make things better.
Post a Comment