BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VI)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VI)

As we consider the PERSON and WORK of JESUS CHRIST, we must highlight his Primary Teaching Methodology, namely His Parables.  These are powerful learning tools, simply defined as earthly stories with heavenly meanings.  They were originally designed by Christ to convey, clarify and create the Kingdom of God to/in those for whom His revelation was ultimately intended and revealed.  Carefully reflect on the following scripture passage to understand the nature and intent of Christ’s parables:

Matthew 13:10-16;34-35

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 

¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 

¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 

¹⁴ And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
¹⁵ For the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 

¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

³⁴ All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 

³⁵ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

As you have undoubtedly gleaned from this passage, the parables of The Master Teacher had two distinct purposes.  Firstly, they were intended to freely share the “mysteries of the kingdom” with those disciples who occupy a covenant relationship with Christ.  Typically, Jesus introduced such parables with the phrase, “The Kingdom of God is like…” such-and-such situation or thing.  His parables disclosed eternal truths that were somehow inaccessible and obscured to those who were not “born again,” and therefore “cannot see [comprehend] the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)  

Secondly, His parables were designed to be a secret form of communication within the Body of Christ, veiling the gospel truth from those persons who were not yet ready to receive or embrace it.  This function of Christ’s parables is based upon a prophetic message with roots reaching back to Isaiah, “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.” (Matthew 13:14 – Acts 28:26)

Nevertheless, the inability of Christ’s contemporaries to understand His teachings is somewhat difficult to wrap our minds around due to the simplistic nature of his parables.  This suggests spiritual blindness, not intellectual ineptitude.  Why?  Because Christ’s teaching was so basic and so brilliant.  The essence of Christ’s didactic method was the simple fact that He always started where people were (socially, culturally, politically, religiously) in order to take them to where they should go (spiritually).  For example, whenever Jesus Christ engaged members of the agrarian or farming community, he shared the liberating truths of the Kingdom by starting at a point of absolute familiarity, seed-sowing.  “Behold, a sower went out to sow.” (Matthew 13:3)

The classic Parables of the Kingdom (as recorded in Matthew chapter thirteen) are crystal clear illustrations of the practical means, value and benefit of a covenant relationship with Christ.  Among these are The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, The Parable of the Leaven, The Parable of the Hidden Treasure, The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price and The Parable of the Dragnet.  Common themes in Christ’s teaching stories are the ideas that the Kingdom of God is open to all who embrace it by faith, the Kingdom is positively valuable, the Kingdom continually grows and develops, the Kingdom is very diverse, and the Kingdom may be infiltrated by spiritual perpetrators and detractors.

Whenever I have the opportunity to reread the parables of Jesus (through the lens of a school teacher), I stand in absolute awe of their simple-but-profound revelations, along with the incomparable wisdom and didactic skills of The Master Teacher.  Jesus Christ designed a highly effective soul-winning curriculum, and thereafter He planned a wide array of spiritual lessons that fully engage the intellect, captivate the imagination and transform the worldview of any sincere student of The Kingdom.  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!