The Secret

Mark 4:11-12 When He was alone, the Twelve and the others around Him asked Him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"

The particular parable that those closely following Jesus were looking for an explanation of was the one about the Sower. You know, the one about the seed falling on different types of soils. Even more importantly I think are these words that precede that elaborate explanation that address the principle of perceiving and understanding. We have been given the secret. At the time of our salvation God installed in us a spiritual capacity to understand spiritual things. All believers have it. Like every other tool, it must be used in order for it to be effective. Jesus Himself, in us is the key to understanding. All we must do is turn to Him and seek Him and listen. Ask to see with spiritual eyes and hear with spiritual ears and you will understand so many more things, so much more easily.

This is not a mystical process or magical experience. Let's start with a simpler process. Those who do not know Him or the truth or have the capacity for understanding because they are not followers of the King see things but they don't perceive. Meaning, they look at it and don't get it. They see it but don't really see it. The epiphany of really seeing is possible for every believer on a level that non-believers cannot experience. I'm sure you have looked at something and not been able to see what you were really looking at and then all of a sudden you close your eyes or look away and look back again or take a slightly different angle and Bingo, there it is. The same thing happens with listening and actually hearing or understanding what you are listening to.

In this world we live in we are taught and trained from many sources to only hear and see what we need to hear and see. In this high-tech age that we are all being exposed to our spiritual eyes and ears are more important than ever. If we don't really hear and see on a deeper level we are going to tend to believe all kinds of stuff that is probably not as it appears or sounds. A little scary sometimes huh? I remember back when it was obvious when somebody was doctoring a photo or twisting words. Computer generated images look real, feel real, seem real and we have a far more difficult time differentiating between truth and fiction. In this day and age it is essential for Christians to be able to step back from the onslaught of images and information and the spins put on them. Seeing is not believing. If I see it I may not believe it. If I hear it, it still may not be true. Even if I 'saw it with my own eyes or heard it with my own ears'. Our perceptions must be questioned and our analyses and findings must be double-checked. Most things are not as they seem.

The deceiver, the devil, the prince of lies is extremely capable of deception, illusion and trickery. He plays on emotion, need, disinformation and weaknesses to make us both question truth and believe lies. A final thought here to give you pause to think. If we really saw Him and heard Him and grasped the meaning of the secret that is revealed in us in Him... we would indeed be forgiven, transformed and redeemed. Herein is the key. More and more often with everything we see and hear, we must take a second look or listen to make sure it is what we are being told it is. Don't obsess on this, but also don't blow it off. Think carefully and try to see from God's perspective exactly what is really happening in every context around you. Wisdom that comes from Him and His Word is a cure for foolishness, paranoia, blindness and deafness. Let those who have ears to hear, listen.

Keep seeking the truth,
Pastor Fred

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