4 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Leviticus 25
Mark 4:1-20

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Mark 4:10-12 (CSB): “When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that ‘they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Some Christians believe that Jesus told parables for the same reason their pastor uses illustrations in his sermons. They suspect that parables were used to gain attention and help explain the truth.

But that isn’t true. It’s not biblical. Mark tells us in the verses I have chosen for today why Jesus spoke in parables.

Jesus spoke in parables because they required the listener to contemplate the story and its implications. It would require quite a bit of motivation and effort on their part to understand what Jesus was saying.

When we read the parables in Scripture, we’ve heard them taught and preached on so many times that we understand their meaning. But the people of Jesus’ day were hearing them for the first time and had no clue what Jesus meant by what He said.

This brings us to the point: People who loved Jesus and what He said would have wanted to reflect on His words until they understood them. But the people who didn’t love Jesus wouldn’t give His parables a second thought. They didn’t care what He said, so they weren’t motivated to dwell on His stories long enough to understand their meaning.

Parables REVEALED truth to sincere Jesus-followers but CONCEALED truth from everyone else. Everyone who dwelt on them, after getting their meaning, would have understood that God was calling them from sin, calling them to ask for His forgiveness, and positioning them to receive it.

Mark 4:10-12 (CSB): “When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that ‘they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.'”

This brings us to the application. Do you love Jesus and His Words so much that you dwell on them until you understand them? Do you seek answers to questions you have about God’s Word because you are hungry for them?

Or do you have more in common with unbelievers who were content to remain in ignorance about what Jesus has said in His Word (your Bible)?

Your response to God’s Word (hunger / apathy / disdain) will tell you a lot about the condition of your heart.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to give you a greater hunger for His Word.
  • Ask God to help you to do the hard work (whatever that means) to understand what you are reading in His Word.
  • Ask God to help you put into practice (belief and behavior) what you are reading in His Word.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what a parable is and why Jesus used them, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What is a parable?”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)