18 Feb James Destiny | “Those Who Have an Ear”
Key Verse: Luke 8:4-10
When Jesus came to speak to the people, He spoke with authority. People came from all over to hear Jesus speak a powerful word. However, when He spoke to them, He spoke in parable.
4 REASONS WHY THIS PARABLE IS CONFUSING
1: JESUS GAVE A LESSON ON FARMING.
A carpenter comes to give a lesson on farming. They did not come from all over to hear about farmers farming.
A. JESUS KNEW HIS AUDIENCE.
Jesus was a carpenter, but because his audience was farmers, he spoke about farming. He wanted to connect with them.
Q. What is an experience where you have spoken to an audience of one or more people where you have had to use a topic that related to them, even though it was not your area of expertise, to make them understand and to connect with them?
2: JESUS SPOKE IN PARABLE.
Preachers should speak in illustration, not parables. Parables hide the real meaning, so the burden falls on the hearers to make the connection.
Para = Alongside
Balo = To throw
Parable = To throw alongside.
EXAMPLE: EVEN MONKEYS FALL OUT OF TREES.
B. JESUS WANTED THEM TO DRAW NEAR TO HIM.
His disciples asked him what the parable meant. They heard, listened and paid attention. They were drawing near to him. The crowd walked away, but they drew near.
Q. How can you relate to this situation in our own life? When God speaks to you through His word, is there or was there ever a time when you walked away because you refused to understand what He wanted you to hear and why (If not your own example then maybe of someone else)?
EXAMPLE: EVEN MONKEYS FALL OUT OF TREES = EVEN EXPERTS MAKE MISTAKES.
3: JESUS SHOWED FAVORITISM.
Jesus showed favoritism by saying: “You are permitted to know the secrets”, But Paul says that God does not show favoritism: Romans 2:11
C. JESUS IS NOT SHOWING FAVORITISM.
They drew near and paid attention. The secrets of the Kingdom of God are for those who make time for Him. If we walk away, we will never understand. The secrets of the Kingdom of God are given to those who are willing to draw near to God, not to hearers, but listeners; to those that make time for it.
Q. Have you ever thought (or maybe someone you know) that the things of God were not for human understanding or that it was not meant for you but only meant for others and why?
4: JESUS SEEMS MALICIOUS.
Others were not permitted to know the secrets. This seems malicious.
He is saying He does not want people to understand and be forgiven.
D. JESUS WAS NOT BEING MALICIOUS.
Some things that God allows in your life are parables. Things like death, sickness, foreclosure or divorce. We should be asking God what he is trying to teach us through these problems.
There are plenty of examples of people in the bible who were given a parable and God taught them something through it:
Joseph: Sold in slavery, went to prison. He grew nearer to God instead of away from God and became Second in Command.
Job: Had everything going for him. He was the richest man on earth. God bragged about Job and then he lost everything; his children, animals, and then he was brought sickness. Because he did not turn away from God, God restored double for his trouble.
Ruth: Lost her husband. But instead of turning away, she followed God. God have her a new husband, a new family and redeemed what she had lost.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: They were in exile, they would not bow, they kept their faith and God saved them.
Q. What is your parable? What things has God allowed or maybe allowing that you don’t understand? Did you draw near to him or are you drawing near to him?
Pray for each other, the lost, campuses, nation and leaders.
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