Hear and see

DEVOTION

PROPHESIES AND FULFILLMENTS CONCERNING CHRIST

HEAR AND SEE

Ps 78:1-2

O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old.

NIV

We certainly know this to be true. Jesus spoke in many parables. We talk about them in Sunday school classes, we hear sermons based on them, we write stories, even books about them. But the reason for them is the point of this prophecy. At least that is what is seems. Why did he speak in parables? His disciples asked the very question.

Matt 13:10-17

10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'   16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

NIV

Matt 13:34-35

34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."  

NIV

The key is in the word hidden, “I will utter hidden things”. The Hebrew word means a dark saying, a riddle, a difficult question, an enigma, a saying with double meaning. All that is wrapped up in a parable. He spoke in code, which is why the meaning enigma is used. He spoke with double meaning. Whenever he said the kingdom of God is like, he was speaking about things of old, or since the creation of the world. In some sense parables are no different from the whole of scripture to those who have closed their ears and shut their eyes. Because we know Christ, because he lives in us, as us, we understand those parables, many of which he explained to his disciples. But even without the explanation we see the truth of them. We see them in the context of all of scripture. We understand the principles of truth because we know God and all he has done for the world, for us and in us and is doing through us. Because we are his reflection to the world, his ambassadors, his spoke persons, he has given us insight into his truth. This is not of our own doing, from our own flesh, intellect, or education. But by the Spirit. Jesus sent him to first convict us of our need to repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and second, to lead us, those who repented and accepted, into all, not some, truth.

John 16:13

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth

NIV

Some might quote a verse from Job about not being able to probe the mysteries of God, but that was one of Jobs friends, one of his supposed comforters who was challenging jobs faith rather than comforting him. Daniel speaks about the fact, more then once, that God reveals the truth to us, he reveals mysteries.

Dan 2:28

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries .

NIV

The parables of Jesus are in a sense a mystery to those who do not understand because they do not have the Spirit dwelling within. But we do and therefor there is no mystery that is withheld from our understanding. God desires we know everything about him and about his kingdom. He has opened our ears and our eyes so we can hear and see.