Passage Read: Matthew 13-14
Meditation Verses: 13:10-15
Thought
The people have become calloused; They barely see and hear, but they don't recognize or understand. If they opened their eyes and ears and hearts, they could turn and be healed. But instead of making it easier for them to understand, Jesus speaks in parables, to make it harder for them to get what He's saying! He's willing to heal them if they turn, but He won't help them understand! Instead, He seems to be judging them and letting them condemn themselves. Those like the disciples who understand much of Jesus' teaching are blessed with more instruction. Those who are hardened, even what they have will be taken from them, and they will be lost to eternity.
Application
On the one hand, Jesus says no one comes to the Son unless the Father draws them. On the other hand, He says things like this! If God doesn't intercede, then who will be saved? But God is not obligated to intercede. We have hardened our hearts by refusing to believe and obey, until it's almost impossible for us to hear and understand. We did that to ourselves! God is not required to turn us all around. He helps many of us, but not all. As such, it's not my responsibility to help everyone understand God's Word and expectations, nor should I be surprised if many even in the church can't understand it. Their hearts are hard, and they did that to themselves. They need to undo it or perish. They need to put the time and effort into processing what they hear rather than blowing it off while they're hearing it. I can't make people understand if they're not willing to do the work, and sadly, even if I make it as simple as can be, that doesn't mean they'll get it. Jesus understands people and God far better than I do, I can trust His example and follow it rather than think I'm better or more compassionate by laboring to explain and simplify things so that anyone can understand. Jesus used parables not to help people understand, but to withhold truth from the hard-hearted! That's a frightening thought!