That make it difficult to understand?
If you wanted them to grasp the glories
Of the Kingdom, speak as plainly as you can!”
Cried the disciples to Jesus one day.
“It is not given to Judah to know
Kingdom secrets, but you’re giv’n the way,”
He answered, “that to heaven you may go!”
The use of parables was meant to fog
Calloused minds of Jews, made that way by God;
Also, to guide seekers of a righteous fate
Through earth’s evils to heaven’s pearly gate!
Parables were used not to better teach,
But to put heaven out of Judah’s reach*!
*Until Christ’s Second Coming
“The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you teach in parables? He replied,’The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. … This is why I speak to them in parables:
*Isaiah 6:9-10
Jesus had just finished teaching a Jewish crowd, in which He had told the parable of the sower of seed. Even His disciples had difficulty relating the story of the sower whose seed fell on various types of ground. Since they knew the poor Jews of Galilee would also not understand Jesus’ lesson in this and other parables, they asked Him why He taught in this manner. He reminded them of the judgment God had placed on Israel as told them by Isaiah during his ministry. God had become so hurt by Israel’s repeated disobedience, that He dulled their spiritual insight. Of course, God had known before creation that the Chosen People could not keep their responsibilities under their covenant with Him; He had planned from the very beginning to send Jesus, His Son, to earth in human flesh to be sacrificed for the sins of all men. That is the reason He dulled their insight---had they accepted Jesus as their King and Lord, where would be the atonement for sin? The Jews had to reject Jesus and crucify Him, so that God’s plan would unfold as planned. Therefore, Jesus taught in parables for two reasons: 1. To befuddle the Jews; and 2. So that His disciples and Gentiles with insight would be saved.
It might be that some people will consider God unjust to the Jews. In effect, they were denied equal opportunity for salvation with the Gentiles for the 2000 or more years from the birth of Jesus until today and beyond (until Christ returns); but consider this: The Gentiles were denied salvation for more than 2000 years as well from the creation of Adam until the apostles’ spreading the gospel to them after Jesus arose to heaven; plus, when He returns, He will pour out so much grace on the Jews that most of the remnant will be saved. You can read about this in Zechariah 12:10-11.
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Posted June 1, 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment