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News and views from the German-language region of Europe

October 4, 2013

The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven

Filed under Sabbath Thoughts

After Jesus told the parable of the sower and the seed to a large group of people, His disciples asked Him: "Why do You speak to them in parables?" (Matthew 13:10).

"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given," was His answer (verse 11).

It is interesting to note that Jesus' first major teaching in parables followed the attempt of the Jewish religious leaders to link His divine miracles to the power of the devil (Matthew 9:34; 12:22-37).

Jesus' disciples heard the same message as die the scribes and Pharisees, but their reaction was radically different. Jesus' disciples heard and believed, while the scribes and Pharisees heard and rejected.

Jesus' parables therefore seem to have an element of judgment for those religious leaders who rejected Him: "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him" (Matthew 13:12).

The prophecies of the Old Testament foretold a messiah who would deliver Israel – all Israel, not just the Jews – and establish a messianic kingdom on the earth. Jesus contemporaries, His fellow Jews, understood that. However, they did not understand that this messiah – Jesus – would first be rejected by His own people (John 1:11) and an entire age would pass prior to the establishment of the promised messianic kingdom. That message was included in the many parables that Jesus told His fellow Jews.

They did not understand His message at the time, and nothing has changed in this regard in the last 2000 years.

How thankful are we that we are privileged to know "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven"?

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!

Paul Kieffer's blog with personal insights and news from the German-language region in Europe.

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