God's Word: It is a Mystery

Text: Matthew 13:10-17
Focus: The Bible
Function:  To help people to understand the importance of scripture.
Form: 

Intro: 

Last week, a neighbor friend of mine said this to me: “well, my husband is one of those baptists and they believe the bible...”

I was taken back, a little. It almost sounded as if she spoke from prejudice against God's Word.

God's word has been continually mis-spoken and mis-represented through the ages.

God's word has at times, been used to bash people over the head, or to gain some sort of power of people.

But that isn't the intent of it.

God gave us His word in order to draw us to Him, back into His family.

And I suppose the reason it gets misused is because there are many times that it is a mystery.
My theology professor used to say: “the Bible is given by God for every on to understand God, even 1st graders, but it isn't a 1st grade primer.”

Last weed we saw that God's Word confronts the status quo, today we will see how God's Word is designed to be a mystery.

Again, Jesus answers a question in this passage.

The disciples are wondering if Jesus is merely speaking to them in riddles, or why He just doesn't tell them more plainly, in lectures, as if Jesus were a college professor.

There are only two recorded sermons by Jesus in the entire accounts from the gospels. And both of them were delivered to the crown while they were on a mountainside.

There is the classic “Sermon on the Mount” in Luke 6 and Matthew 5-7, at the beginning of Jesus' 3 year ministry, and then there is the sermon given from the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24 near the end of Jesus' 3 year ministry.

Now we know that Jesus did lots and lots of teaching, but just like most Rabbi's, He wasn't into giving lectures, His desire was to make people understand by thinking about what He was saying and finding ways to apply it to their own lives.

So, He uses parables, illustrative stories designed to make a person think out the truth for themselves.

Now, we have all had teachers who are more effective than others. Some teachers give that lecture, teaching out of one learning style and it is up to the student to adapt. If the student doesn't, or can't adapt, the teacher can console themselves with the fact that they did their job and it was the student's fault. It might be right because ultimately, success is in the hand of the student.

Or, the teacher can say to themselves, “my job is to get the lesson across in a way that the student can understand, whether or not it is my style.

And Jesus understands that in the narrative, the story, people can identify with a story, place themselves in the story and learn the lesson in a meaningful way.

There is a lot of wisdom in teaching that way. If people are willing to listen with a positive attitude and they trust you, it can be very effective because the truths they learn are truths that they have decided to own for themselves.

But if they do not trust you, and are not willing to listen with a positive attitude, then the stories and lessons can be used against the teacher.

So Jesus answers their questions about why He speaks to them with parables, illustrative stories that make one think.

And it isn't just because people can relate better to stories. There is an additional reason:

God is willing to let them have a hard heart. (Place hard heart on Marisha)

To us, the parables are a blessing  Jesus says: ”to you has been given the mystery...” to those who want to hear.

Those who have, will get more. The wisdom from God's word just keeps on growing.

But to others, it is a source of frustration because those who cannot understand will become even more dull of understanding.

So, the parables themselves are a mechanism to fulfill this principle.

It isn't that God wants to take away anybody's ability to see His truth in them for God is not willing that anyone should perish...

But God is willing for people who choose to reject Him to flee away.

Here is the thing: God stands against the  arrogance of the proud.

For those who claim to be wise, but are not willing to follow the loving, self-sacrificing, giving on behalf of others, caring for the least of these lifestyle that Jesus was teaching and all the while claiming to be Godly because they claimed to understand the mysteries of God, God is willing to let them perish.

People have eyes, but refuse to see. (Place blindfold on XXXX)

People have ears, but refuse to hear. (Place earmuffs on XXXX)

They cannot understand and the problem is a root problem, must worse than blindfolds, much worse than ear muffs.

The problem is here, at the heart. The heart is hard, the heart is dull, the heart is made of wood.

The key is in having an open heart.

We are using younger people to illustrate this today.

Jesus said, unless we can humble ourselves and become like children, we can never see the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).

Is Jesus saying that we become innocent, gullible, or ignorant?

Does believing in Jesus, trusting Him and His word mean that we suspend logic?

Not at all! The key is humility.

The key, is right here, in the heart.

Having a soft, or an open heart. (Give Marisha the pillow heart)

This is what humility and trust does for us. This is what the Holy Spirit does inside a person. The bible, in Ezekiel 36 tells us that the Holy Spirit transforms a heart of stone into an heart of flesh, a soft heart.

I know. I was the original skeptic. I saw things happen in church when I was young that made me really question the reality of it all.

We are saved, and supposedly transformed, but my daddy used to say to me when I was a young pastor: “Phil, just because you are working with Christian people, it doesn't always mean you will be working with Christian attitudes.”

Before that, I had rejected my faith. And then I saw the very real and providential hand of God in my life. You know the story, I was managing a restaurant when it was robbed, I was beaten almost to death and then God miraculously saved my life. I could not deny the reality of faith.

But I was a skeptic. And I remember that first Church I attended. I questioned everything. And finally one day God spoke to my heart and said to me: “Trust me.” Read my Bible for the treasure that it is.” Let me show myself to you.
And then, the Bible came alive to me.

(GIVE binoculars to XXX and ear trumpet to XXX) Play with them and see how much better they hear and see.

When that heart is changed, then all of a sudden the stoppers come off the ears and instead of just normal hearing, it is like it gets amplified. Jesus said, the one who has, will be given more.

And the eyes, the blinders will come off and with the Holy Spirit's help we can see even more clearly.

The key right here is right here, in the heart.

The disciples were also concerned that Jesus used parables. They knew He had enemies who were just waiting to twist His words into alternative meanings.

And Jesus was giving them ammunition to do that.

When Jesus was at trial, one of the charges was that Jesus was going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in 3 days. That temple that Herod built to 70 years to finish. It was much more glorious than the one Solomon built.

It was an incredible monument and to destroy the temple was to act against God Himself.

But Jesus, when He spoke was using a metaphor. The Temple he was referring to was His body and they used those words to condemns Him.

So, the disciples were wondering why Jesus provocative stories, that were misused by His enemies were still being told. They were thinking if only Jesus could speak very precisely, He would never get into trouble with His words.

But the scripture says that God will let someone take it wrong if they want to.

The key, again is right here in the heart.

Having a heart that wants to hear, wants to see, wants to care and wants to serve God.

It starts at conversion. Trusting Jesus to save us. Making the choice to enter back into God's family and then becoming people who get to enjoy that treasure.

CONCL:

10And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12"For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  14"And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them.' 16"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17"For truly 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.