Verse: Matthew 13:10-13 (ESV)
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12 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.
13 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.”
Devotion:
Well, that clears it up. Am I right? Nothing like a cryptic answer to really help somebody understand the use of cryptic stories. Which means we’re probably going to need some context. So here we go.
In Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke plainly to the disciples, sharing wisdom regarding the kingdom of God. So it’s understandable that they would be curious why he was now (earlier in Matthew 13) speaking in parables to larger crowds, veiling the meaning of his message.
His explanation seems unjust, like the disciples are being shown favor that is withheld from the others. Verse 12 sounds like it’s talking about what is to come for “the one who has”. But really, it’s a justification of verse 11. Unlike the Pharisees, the religious leaders, and the overwhelming majority of the nation of Israel, Jesus’s disciples had chosen to follow him, giving up their lives as they knew them, and committing to seeking after the kingdom and understanding his message.
Verse 12 explains that the result of this faith is what was laid out in verse 11 – that it had been given to them to know the secrets of the kingdom. THAT was the “more” that would be given, because they already had believed in faith.
On the contrary, the punishment for those who had not believed was to have the secrets of the kingdom presented to them, from the King himself, but in a way that further confused their already limited understanding. This mirrors God’s punishment of the pharaoh in the story of Moses, God having further hardened his heart after his initial display of stubbornness toward Moses and the Israelites.
It is important to note here, that this story does not mean God will hide his kingdom from everyone who does not immediately believe. We have seen too many examples through history of the contrary to think that might be the case. Instead, it was to 1) fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah being rejected by his own people; 2) to amplify the fact that the Gospel message was not specifically for the people of Israel, but was accessible for ALL people.
Prayer:
God, thank you for providing your word for us to learn about your kingdom. Please help us to better understand its secrets, and expand our belief, so that we may share both with the world around us. Amen.
Author: Dave MacDonald
Recent Comments