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.”
Matthew 13:11
Part 1
We have not always understood that God has opened His word to us that we might understand and comprehend the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” By means of the Holy Spirit, He has opened up the Scriptures so we will know what His plan is. I believe God has opened the Scriptures so clearly because He expects us to take His Truth and do something with it. Why would God speak so positively of us? It is because it was always His plan! Paul tells us that God included us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). We should take this Truth and walk in it. If God included you and me in Christ before the foundation of the world, that means neither Adam nor the devil was or is a problem for Him. When God says something, it is not “as good as” done; it is done!
These truths are beyond the thinking of natural man. The Bibles says the natural man cannot (note: it does not say “will not” or “chooses not to”) understand the things of the Spirit. The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit; therefore, we must have the Spirit of God to understand the things freely given to us by God. Matthew 13:10-11 says, “And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ 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.’” What God is saying is that through His Son, we can understand His purpose and plan. He is also saying it is given to the sons of the Kingdom to know what the Kingdom is about in order to be more effective.
Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” We need to understand why we understand things of the Spirit of God. We are believers and have understanding because God has spoken it into us; therefore, our nature is one of understanding. It grasps the Truth of the Lord. The Spirit of God in us grasps His Truth. Many of us are more interested in understanding things than we are in understanding the One who gives us those things. God tells us very plainly in Matthew 6 not to seek things. He says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). God will always add necessary things to us as we seek Him first.
Part 2
In Matthew 13:11, Jesus explains His use of parables to His disciples by saying, “it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” If it has been given to us to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, why do we not know them? Verse 12 has a principle that can be hard to understand. It says, “for whoever has, to him more will be given.” We need to understand the principle of God regarding why we do not understand. We always need Him to initiate His work in us first. I call this DIVINE INITIATION: He gives every one of us a part of Himself. He gives us FATIH, and the says, “there is more of Me; use your faith to pursue more.” One can always tell how much someone desires something by the manner in which he or she pursues it. If I really desire peace, I will pursue peace. If I desire love, I will pursue love. If I desire money, I will pursue money. And if I desire God, I will pursue God. If we do not have understanding, it is because we have not pursued it.
Jesus continues, “therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:13). The Spanish version of this verse says, “looking, they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t listen, nor do they understand,” They look but they never see. They hear but they don’t listen; they hear a sound, but they don’t really listen to the words. We must be deliberate in listening to the Word of God. We must masticate (chew it), swallow, digest, and let that word become a part of us.
God has given every man a measure of faith. If we use the revelation Jesus gives, we will receive more revelation until we are loaded with it. It is like receiving interest and dividends. It is an awesome principle that the Lord is teaching us. I believe the church has entered a period of supernatural increase. Seek increase in your love for the Lord, in your understanding of His Word and ways, and in your commitment to live your life in a manner pleasing to Him.
Part 3
We have been reviewing Matthew 13:11-13, in which Jesus explains His use of parables. Referring to those who lack understanding, Jesus says, “and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled” (Matthew 13:14). There are prophecies we want fulfilled in our life, and there are others we do not want fulfilled, such as the one that in Matthew 13:14-15, “hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive. For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed.” God was giving them truth, and they closed their eyes and stopped their ears. In verse 16, He contrasts His disciples with the Pharisees and says, “but blessed are your eyes for they see.” God is saying to the church today, right here at Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship, “blessed are your eyes for they see.” This is exciting for me! BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES FOR THEY SEE! God says here that you have perception and ability not to see only the surface of a matter, but to see through it and into it. He is giving us a promise, and we must take it. We must never let it go! “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 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” (Matthew 13:16-17).
You and I want to treasure everything that God says to us. We want to capture the message, apply it diligently, and continually seek increased understanding. You want what is of God that comes in your ear to remain in you; you do not want to lose it. Likewise, God desires what He say to you to stay with you. He wants you to see things in Him that you can never get out of your mind. And what then will He do? He will give you eternal understanding. He will give you an understanding of the ages with the wisdom of the ancients. He wants to give you secrets that no man has ever known. One may say, “well, Pastor, what will that do?” To have the wisdom of God puts one in a unique place: a place where one understands the voice of the Father. We have the mind of Christ. We have this great mind that is never confused, confounded, or bewildered. All we need to do is activate our faith by BELIEVING. Thus will we apprehend all He has given us in Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Pastor Don
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