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A Spotlight on the Scriptures: Mark 4:10-12: Unveiling the Purpose of Parables and Spiritual Enlightenment
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a spotlight on the Scripture, Mark 4:10-12 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.
Some people didn't understand the parable, so they asked Jesus about it. He used parables more often after His enemies rejected His teachings and the crowds became apathetic to spiritual truths. People were interested in His miracles, but not in their deeper meaning.
Jesus used parables to spark their interest. Due to the aggression of His enemies and the indifference of the crowds, parables became necessary. This way, those truly seeking righteousness would understand, and those desiring spiritual truth would have their eyes opened.
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians that God's spiritual truths are revealed by His Spirit, not understood through human wisdom alone. We can help people understand spiritual truths, but they must be open to them first. If someone's heart and eyes are open and they want to know, God's Spirit will make these truths real to them.
We sometimes say people will be lost if they don't accept Christ as their Savior. They are already lost; they will remain lost if God doesn’t draw them to believe in the forgiveness of their sins. Your reaction to God's Word determines if you are saved.
Here's an illustration: 1 Peter tells us to long for the pure milk of the Word. Many of us want the Word but mix it with other information. As a child at the Alabama State Fair, I loved candied apples. Apples are healthy, but once dipped in sugar, they lose their nutritional value, even though they taste good. A candied apple is sweet but diluted because something with no value was added. Many of us read, hear, and talk about the Word, but then dilute its value by adding human viewpoints. May we long for the pure milk of the Word.
Have a blessed day, and thanks for listening! Visit my website to learn more at https://www.biblicaltalks.com
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