KNOWLEDGE:
TO YOU IT IS GIVEN. TO THEM IT IS NOT
The disciples had a great longing
to learn. But they knew when they ought to ask questions. They
never asked questions in public; "they came to Him
privately." They sought the good of others first and only their
own next.
"Why do you speak to them in
parables?" "Because it is NOT given to them to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of God. . .because of their
evilness." This knowledge is a gift; it is given only to
true disciples.
"To him who has, to him shall
be given and even in abundance. To him who has not, from him
shall be taken away, even that which he SEEMS to have. Anyone
who has zeal will receive this gift from God. Anyone void of
this zeal will not receive this gift; these are the careless,
hard to persuade. . .to such we must remain silent. If we
continue to talk to the careless, his carelessness will be
aggravated. But to him who is striving to learn, we must pour
in much wisdom.
"That is why I speak to them
in parables; because they are lazy and careless." They
won't understand. Their blindness is not natural; it is voluntary
and self-chosen: "Seeing, they see not." The
blindness is caused by their own wickedness.
The Jews saw Christ driving out the
devil but could not see that this power was from God. The Jews
heard Christ lead them to God and they accused Him as not of
God. The judgment made by the Jews was contrary to what their
eyes saw. They not only disbelieved but even found fault and
laid snares. They inflicted the loss on themselves by stopping
their ears, by closing their eyes, by making their heart fat.
Why did they do this? For
fear of being converted. . .showing their aggravated wickedness and
defection from Him. Christ had spoken. He who
hears and understands will be saved. He who does not
understand will be lost.
The Sower went about to sow seeds.
The seeds were good; but most of the soil was bad. The seeds
were not, not because of the Sower but because of the soil.
The wayside represents the careless souls who received the word but
lost it. The soil with thorny plants represent souls rich in
desires; the worldly desires choked the seed. The rocky ground
represents shallow and superficial souls who easily betray the word
of God.
To lose the word of God in the
midst of persecution is more excusable than when there is
none. The plant was not destroyed because of the birds
nor the sun but because "it had no roots." It
is not the thorns that killed but he who allowed the thorns to
grow.
Let us not blame the birds, thorns
and rocks BUT instead blame the corrupt soul. To be saved, let
the soul carefully learn the teachings of Christ; then let him have
a continual recollection of the things learned. Next, let him
have the fortitude to practice what he had learned, firstly, by
having contempt for riches and, secondly, by praying for deliverance
from all worldly desires. Neglect one of these and you will never
progress in the spiritual life.
(03-02-04)
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