Matthew 13:11, 13-15 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’
Did we have eyes to see the chaos of this year? Here’s a hint: No, we did not!
But, they say hindsight is always 20/20, and this year was no exception to that rule.
Laying aside the pandemic and the racial unrest for a second, this year’s election showed everyone’s true colors.
No matter what side of the fence you were on, the election chaos put an extra wrinkle on all of our faces.
By the same token, the household of faith became caught up with prophecies and conspiracies. Whether it was who’s behind the Coronavirus, the election, and now the vaccine debate.
In reflecting on what has transpired this year, Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:11 and 13 resonate with me.
He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
In this case, Jesus had finished speaking about the Parable of the Sower to the crowd gathered on the beach. Afterwards, the disciples questioned Jesus as to why He spoke to people with stories instead of just plainly.
The Lord understood people outside the faith would not perceive the things of the Kingdom of God. For this reason, He broke things down for them to understand.
The Problem
However, for those who are born again, God has made known to us hidden treasures and His will for mankind through the Scriptures.
The problem is we miss it because
- The voice of the Lord is drowned out with other voices.
- Our spiritual eyes have become dim.
Certainly, if we’re honest with ourselves as the Body of Christ, our spiritual vision has been off. As a result, we have listened and looked at the circumstances of this year from a natural lens, just as the Lord described in verse 14:
14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
Dull of Hearing
This year has clearly been one for the books in terms of whatever could go wrong, did!
Consequently, we didn’t have eyes to see the chaos that ensued for all the noise coming from our social media, television networks, etc.
Did we have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord was saying to His church in the midst of everything happening?
I know I found myself, at one point getting emotionally caught up listening to what I wanted to hear regarding the outcome of this year’s election.
Moreover, the household of faith became as dull of hearing and had itching ears to hear what commentators, independent news outlets and leaders in Christendom had to say on the matter.
15For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed,
Our help comes from the Lord, not man
With that being said, as this tumultuous year draws to a close and we enter into 2021, it’s imperative that you and I heed and discern the voice of the Lord.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
In essence, the season we’re in right now, the Lord is calling all of us to trust Him even the more. As Psalm 121:1-2 says… Let’s look to the hills from whence comes our help. Because our help comes from the Lord, not man.
We may not always be able to trace God’s hand in events and circumstances, but we can trust Him and His Word. He has placed His church in this dispensation of time for a reason.
By God’s grace, as our eyes and ears tune into what the Lord is saying, we’ll realize how blessed we are as His return draws near.
Did we have eyes to see the chaos of this year? No.
But, we can have hearts that show and share the love of God and the Good News of Christ to this dying, chaotic world.
16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, 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.
Be Encouraged!
Stephanie
Prayer: Father, give me eyes to see what you see, and ears to hear what your Spirit is saying to me.
In Jesus name! Amen
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