Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables.  Matthew 13:34

I love a good story, especially if shared by an exceptional storyteller. Jesus must have been a powerful storyteller because we are still talking about each of his stories thousands of years later.

Many of his stories were parables, and He spoke in this literary form to fulfill prophecy.  “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”  Matthew 13:35  In this passage, Jesus reaches back to Psalm 78.  Israel had strayed from Yahweh ~ even though He’d rescued them repeatedly from their enemies.  Their unbelief was unfounded because he had spoken openly to them, displaying His power with signs and wonders, only to be rejected. 

Many centuries later, Jesus spoke in parables to bring judgment on Israel’s collective hardness of heart.  Only those who had a true relationship with Jesus would understand the meaning of the words.

Jesus also spoke in parables to fulfill another prophecy, this one from Isaiah.  “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull; and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes…”  Matthew 13:14-15

What does that mean for us as we continue to immerse ourselves in the language of Jesus’ parables?  Isaiah would tell us that it’s possible for us to hear them but not understand them.  Unbelief skews the message and renders it impenetrable.

I’m praying for each of us during this study ~ that we will be more than hearers, but women of understanding. I want us to enjoy full disclosure.

If there is anything that will compromise my ability to understand Your stories, would you reveal it to me?  Amen