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From the Pastors Desk,
Love Grows Here!
Matthew 13:10-17
The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
“Look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” This word in Matthew 13:10-17 is very confusing. Parables are known as an earthly story with a heavenly message. So what is this heavenly message that overturns the expectations we have of God and his kingdom and upsetting theological convictions. Jesus speaks in parables to confound the hearer. Let’s think about the Father in the prodigal son. The son leaves his home with his inheritance and squanders everything he has until he reaches the depths of society in a pig pen. The people of Israel had squandered their inheritance by holding onto legalisms that destroy relationships. Jesus is telling them to remember the love of the Father and turn back to his love. God started the relationship with man in the Garden of Eden and wants to continue to be in that beautiful peaceful relationship at the beginning with you today. When we are not loving we are not living the abundant life that Jesus tells us is at hand. Listen carefully to the parables; we want to hear and we want to see!
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