Matthew 13:10-17 Page 825 in Pew Bibles

1. Matthew 13:10-17 Page 825 in Pew Bibles Then the disciples came up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.

2. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand.

3. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look, yet never perceive.

4. For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back—and I would cure them.

5. “But your eyes are blessed because they do see, and your ears because they do hear! For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.

6. Matthew 13:10-17Page 825 in Pew Bibles The Kingdom Parables in Matthew

7. The Question • Vs. 10 “Then the disciples came up and asked Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’” • An earthly story with a heavenly meaning • Not an analogy with every part having a meaning – Don’t try to make a parable “walk on all fours” • Why didn’t Jesus just come right out and say it? >

8. The Secrets are a Gift • Vs. 11 “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.” Q >

9. Wayne Grudem If we are to know God at all, it is necessary that he reveal himself to us. Even when discussing the revelation of God that comes through nature, Paul says that what can be known about God is plain to people “because God has shown it to them” (Rom. 1:19). >

10. The Secrets are a Gift • Vs. 11 “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.” • A parable hides the truth from some • Luke 8:10 “So He said, ‘The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so thatlooking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” >

11. Use It or Lose It • Vs. 12 “For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” • When people hear the principles of God’s word and embrace the truth it leads them to (and awakens desire for) more insights • When people hear the principles of God’s Word but neglect its truth, they forget what they know >

12. How Committed Unbelievers Keep God at an Arm’s Distance • What did Jesus preach on today dear? • “Something about some sheep that wandered off” • “Something about some ole farm hands” • Keep it unintelligible • Keep religious language other-worldly • Disconnect it from everyday life, particularly weekends • Story of visitor and hymns and choruses Q >

13. Warren Wiersbe When we hear the Word of God, we are not participating in a static event, but in a dynamic experience. We are either the better or the worse for having heard God’s Word. . >

14. The Person’s Understanding • Vs. 13 “For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand.” >

15. The Person’s Understanding • Vs. 14 “Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look, yet never perceive. Xref>

16. I Corinthians 2:12-14 • “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God. • We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. • But the natural man does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to know it since it is evaluated spiritually. . >

17. The Person’s Heart • Vs. 15 “For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing…” >

18. The Person’s Heart • Vs. 17 “For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.” • John 8:56 “Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.” Xref>

19. The Person’s Heart • I Peter 1:10-11 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow.” Xref>

20. The Person’s Heart • I Peter 1:12 “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you concerning things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.” . >

21. The Person’s Will • Vs. 15 “…and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back—and I would cure them.” • God is not obligated to overcome a person’s unwillingness to believe • On Judgment Day, no one will be in a position to complain they do not have what they did not want . .