There was a lot about Jesus that was unexpected. Something that surprised even His disciples was how He taught in parables. After He taught the Parable of the Sower, they asked in Matthew 13:10, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
We often describe a parable as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”, and that’s true – up to a point. Lest we think that these “earthly stories” were meant to break things down, making them easier to digest, consider how Jesus replied to His disciples:
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:11-13).
Do we fully appreciate what Jesus is saying here? His parables weren’t about making it easier for us to understand: He was actually making it a little harder! Why would He do that?
Many in the crowds just wanted to see amazing miracles; but Jesus didn’t come to razzle-dazzle us. They wanted to be fed with never-ending loaves of bread and pieces of fish; but Jesus didn’t come to just satisfy our wants. He came to seek and save the lost. If you could not accept that you needed to change, He did not have anything for you. If you were not genuinely seeking to be closer to God, you would leave Jesus disappointed.
The blessings of Jesus are not found in satisfying our expectations. They are hidden, only to be uncovered when we see clearly. When instead of looking at the actions of others, we consider what we can be doing differently. When instead of being blinded by our prejudices and pre-conceived notions, we really listen to what Jesus has to say and seek to please God. Let’s be true disciples to whom Jesus may say, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matthew 13:16-17). When we see clearly, that is when our lives can truly be transformed!
Visit our sermon podcast page for Ordinary People, Extraordinary God, a series of lessons on how Jesus can accomplish incredible transformation in our everyday lives.