Why Talk That Way?

May 30

Read: Mark 4:10-35

Why Talk That Way?

“To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that: ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” - Jesus (v.11)

It is not Jesus’ goal that everybody would understand what he was talking about with the parables. The parables are not designed to be “easy” or necessarily “straightforward”. Look at what Jesus himself says! (cf. v.11 above) They are designed to be somewhat cryptic and to cause the listener to pause. This is exactly what the parables Jesus had spoken did… including the parable of the sower did… they did not get it right away! They had to ask him to explain.

This is a really good habit to get into: asking Jesus to explain what we do not understand. It is a good thing to admit that we simply do not get it sometimes… to be able to tell Jesus that what he is saying does not make sense to us. Sometimes this is intentional, because it causes us to lean into Christ. Likewise, times of “not understanding” open the door for us to experience our “eyes being opened” and being given “ears to hear”. These are moments that teach us to lean into the Holy Spirit within us.

I think Jesus a little surprised though when they didn’t track with him at first… why? Because Jesus KNEW that these people had been given “ears to hear”, they were - after all - the ones that the Father told him to call to himself. The truth is, it is a process to learn how to use the “ears” we have been given… it takes time and practice. We must be intentional. There are many things that seek to devour the “word” that comes to us. Here are some things to be reminded of:

Satan can “take away” the word like a bird takes seed.

Lacking “roots” - being shallow- means you will wither and fall away under trial or persecution.

“the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things” will choke you!

The ultimate goal is “accept (the word from God) and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

The majority of the “seed” in this parable never makes it to fruition. This is a humbling and alarming truth. The goal of being in the Kingdom of God is to bear fruit. This is why, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God.” We have been entrusted with his secret so that we may function in the Kingdom of God and “bear fruit”. We must not “hide” what has been entrusted to us. (v.21-23) You are rich soil that has been given the precious seeds of the Kingdom / “the secrets of the Kingdom”.

There is a powerful principle that Jesus outlines here for his followers:

“Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (v.24,25)

Jesus is asking you to “PAY ATTENTION to what you hear.” Realize that there are many things that will seek to destroy the fruitfulness of Jesus tells us. But simply listening is NOT ENOUGH. Jesus is calling us to USE IT… to put to use… to take action. Jesus is only going to “measure out to us” what we will use. Jesus will never “add more” to those who do not use what has already been revealed and given to them. What is the alternative? “and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (v.25) We will see this worked out time and time again; Jesus is always simply asking us to be faithful with what he has entrusted to us. We have been entrusted with the secrets of the Kingdom of God… and the next few verses will tell us what that Kingdom is like! Until then.

Pay attention; “grow some roots”; do not remain shallow.

Use what you have been given.

You will be entrusted with more when you are faithful with a little.

Keep your eyes open for the way that Satan is seeking to carry away the “word”.

Know for a fact that “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things” will choke you out in a second! Tear these things out of your life like a weed in a garden.

Love you guys. - JDP