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1/13 Reading Portions: Genesis 14; Matthew 13; Nehemiah 3; Acts 13
Matthew 13:35
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
PARABLES
Today, there is a misconception among many professing Christians about Christ’s use of parables. Some have been led to believe that the parables were delivered by the Lord as stories and illustrations to enlighten the unbelieving hearer so they might understand gospel truth. Not so. Jesus told His disciples,
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Matthew 13:11
Parables were not used to clarify and educate, but to conceal and segregate. Matthew explains that Jesus used parables as foretold in Psalm 78:2,
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old.
Heavenly truths cannot be understood in earthly terms. They are spiritual and eternal, not natural and temporal. This is why the
…natural [unredeemed] person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
Christ’s parables were not meant to illuminate gospel truth to a fallen world, but instead, meant to illustrate to the faithful that, apart from God’s sovereign grace, gospel truth is as far from and foreign to the natural person as to “think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!” to quote George Whitefield.
All the words of Jesus Christ were heavenly words because He was the heavenly Man. We are to be as Christ, as He spoke. We are commanded to speak,
…as one who speaks oracles of God. 1 Peter 4:11
This doesn’t mean every word spoken must be for preaching the gospel. It means we are to be so filled with and submissive to gospel truth, that every word comes forth in gospel power and holiness— and we will be misunderstood at times, no matter what we say. Nevertheless, our Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lord, purge my mouth and cleanse my tongue,
May my speech praise Your name:
With my voice bless the Holy One,
And bring Christ Jesus fame.
