One of the most wonderful parts of our ministry is the opportunity we have to teach the Bible in the public schools for all students whose parents are willing for them to receive Religious Instruction. It’s a never-ending joy! This term, I am teaching a series on the parables Jesus told. The parables are particularly interesting to me, especially considering what Matthew wrote about them.
How exciting! Jesus is explaining truths that people have struggled to understand since Adam and Eve first broke fellowship with God in the garden. This prophecy in Matthew is most often attributed to being the fulfillment of Psalm 78:2-3 “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.” At first glance, that might seem contradictory. Verse three clearly says that they heard and knew these sayings because they were passed down to them. Why would Matthew say they were kept secret? In fact, some argue that it is a misrepresentation or a ‘mistake’ in the Gospels. However, I see it quite differently. As I read it, it appears to be a double confirmation. Don’t just compare the two verses in the Old Testament to the two verses in the New Testament. Consider the verses in their context. Psalm 78 is 72 verses of historical context of the behavior of the children of Israel who ‘heard’ of God’s greatness and commands, but failed to love, follow, and obey Him as they ought. They heard… Fast forward to Matthew 13, and what is Jesus doing? He is telling one parable after another, revealing spiritual secrets about the kingdom of heaven. As Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded these parables under the inspiration of God, they all mentioned something Jesus repeated frequently, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Sounds like things hadn’t changed to me! Jesus was now, in person, teaching the wonder and greatness of being part of His kingdom. He spoke in parables so that those who really wanted to know and made the effort to truly listen (pay attention), would understand the mysteries of God. As a teacher, I see this truth illustrated in the classroom every day. You teach and give instruction, even differentiating for those at lower and higher levels. Almost without fail, you have students ask, “What are we supposed to do?” immediately after instructions have been explained. Others will sit fiddling with something, daydreaming, etc., with no real interest in the subject at hand nor any intention of making an effort to learn or understand. They all can hear my voice, but they don’t all pay attention. Those children who want to learn and understand a concept grow and thrive. Those who don’t listen, struggle continually. I’m not referring to children with learning disabilities. I’m talking about children who have ears to hear, but don’t hear. As I have reflected on this truth, and encouraged the children in my religious instruction classes to try to figure out the spiritual lesson Jesus is teaching in each parable, I couldn’t help wondering how many Christians have accepted Christ as the Saviour, but then stopped listening to Him. We saw that clearly in the parable of the Sower, as faith was withered by persecution or hardship and choked out by worldliness and the pursuit of riches. Are we much different from the rebellious and disobedient Israelites of current or bygone generations? Do we claim a relationship with God and then openly ignore or defy Him in our daily actions? Or are we like the man who found the hidden treasure or the pearl of great price and knew what we found was priceless beyond measure?
I had great fun teaching those two ‘mini’ parables this week. The children were thrilled at the idea of finding a buried treasure! Once we ‘figured out’ that the valuable treasure was our faith in Christ and being part of the kingdom of heaven and the family of God, most of the children were adamant that it was worth more than anything else. I enjoyed presenting a scenario to the students: “What if someone approached me and said, ‘Mrs. Berg, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you $50 trillion.’” Their faces lit up, “Wow!” they exclaimed. I continued, “But you would have to give up your faith in Jesus, renounce being part of God’s family, and forfeit the Kingdom of Heaven.” Almost all of them immediately said, “No way!” even though $50 trillion was on the line. It was encouraging to see them agree that the money wasn’t worth it. I have to admit there were a couple who were on the fence, muttering, “That’s a lot of money.” I continued explaining why I would never trade my faith, no matter how much was on offer. We talked about the time we have on earth compared to the time we have in eternity. We also discussed how much we get to take with us when it’s our time to go. It was such a blessing to see the lights of understanding flicker on in so many young eyes. Yet I look around and see many Christians who seem to have exchanged their faith for far less than $50 trillion, perhaps a little freedom from persecution, or the pursuit of life’s comforts; a little fame, or notoriety. They hide their light or decide it isn’t worth the cost. Or perhaps they just get distracted and forget. The exchange is rarely made all at once. More often, it happens one small compromise at a time.
As I read this to Don as I always do before publishing, he gave me another timely reminder.
This week, I encourage you to begin studying the parables along with us. You can even start in Matthew 13 as we did. As we read, let’s ask ourselves: Am I truly paying attention? Do I grasp the spiritual secrets Jesus was revealing? If I do, am I allowing that understanding to make a true difference in the way I live my life?
We possess a treasure far greater than anything this world can offer. If we truly believe it, we must live it out daily so others can see that we are merely sojourners, with our true citizenship in heaven. Jesus’ invitation still echoes today: Have a great week. P.S. Which parable has had the greatest impact on your life? I'd love to hear about it. Sometimes another believer's insight helps us hear God's voice more clearly ourselves.
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