Explaining All Things

Imagine being a scientist and having the opportunity to sit with Albert Einstein and have him explain all things that you were able to understand. Or imagine being a baseball prospect and being able to discuss hitting or pitching with a Hall of Fame hitter or pitcher. Would you jump on that opportunity?

Now imagine being able to sit every morning with the greatest theologian who ever lived and have him explain all things in the Bible that you would be able to understand. Imagine no more:

    “And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.” (Mark 4:33-34)

When you read Mark 4, you see that Jesus spoke in parable so that only those who were supposed to understand would. additionally, Jesus only explained the parables when He was alone with His disciples.

So what’s the lesson for us? It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? If we are to be disciples of Christ, we are going to have to get alone with Jesus. You may be thinking that Jesus can’t actually sit down with you and teach, and you would be right. However, He did take care of that issue:

    “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s job is to teach and guide us and to glorify Christ. We have a personal tutor, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, at our disposal. He is ready to explain all things to us as much as we can hear.

This means that whatever we desire to learn about God, inasmuch as we can understand we can be taught. We just have to go where school is in. That is in our alone and quiet time, or however you describe it.

So why did Jesus use parables? First, remember that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The Pharisees and Sadducees were considered the biblical experts of their time and they based everything on knowledge and works.

Jesus wasn’t impressed with their head knowledge or outside works. He was and is concerned about our hearts and inside works.

Remember after Jesus was resurrected He met two men on the road to Emmaus? Jesus sat down to eat a meal with them. But prior to that He also taught them:

    “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27)

As you continue to read Mark 24 you see that once Jesus broke and blessed the bread that these two disciples’ eyes were finally open.

We can read our Bibles and hear great sermons and theological lectures, but until we get alone with Jesus our eyes will not be open.

The ball is in our court, we just have to decide that we want to hear from the Master.

I hope you’ll do so today…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2015 David Jeffers

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