Our scripture this morning is Mark 4:9-11 (NLT).
Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders.”
Jesus speaks to us in this passage about listening, understanding and obeying. The Hebrew word “shema” is often translated as “hear” in English but it carries more meaning than just the physical act of receiving sound. Jesus wants us to engage with His lessons, unpacking the deeper knowledge and love they contain.
I don’t believe Jesus tried to prevent “outsiders” from following Him, but rather He didn’t put things plainly because we wouldn’t understand. Parables were a way of expressing heavenly concepts in a context that was relatable to us. It also helped keep those who repeated the parable from persecution – remember the fish symbol used to secretly identify believers? Parables repeated by followers of Jesus didn’t sound like revolutionary statements that would endanger them, but still told the story of God’s love.
Jesus could have told us everything but because of our limited human capacity, we might have been overwhelmed and missed the blessing of the lesson. The simple stories He shared relate to nature and types of people we all recognize, allowing us to understand the real truth in His teaching. God knows the best way to reach every one of us, and it always begins with Jesus.
Loving Lord, You sent Your Son to show us Your love and teach us the way to salvation. Help us to go in Your name to share that love with all the world. Amen.
