In Matthew 13:10-16“10. And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11. Yeshua answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12. “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13. “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14. “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15. FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,  WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,  AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,  HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,  AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,  AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ 16. “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly 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.”

I have heard many messages in my believing walk that taught that Yeshua used parables in order to keep the Pharisees, whose hearts were not yielded, from really understanding.  But there is an opposite approach based on the concept that a parable is to help one understand better a thought that is being taught.  In the loving mercy and wisdom of our Creator and His Son, they actually give every chance for someone to understand by using parables and things around us to teach us the truth.  When this is done, yet one still refuses to “see or understand” the truth, then their heart is revealed. As Yeshua says when He quotes Isaiah, “THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES”. 

He tells His disciples that it has been granted to them to know [understand] the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the Pharisees it has not been granted?  Why would some be granted understanding and others not?  Wouldn’t He want EVERYONE to understand the kingdom of heaven? Is that just or fair?  There is one thing that opens up true understanding to us…a willing heart.  So it seems clear that what He is saying is… the willing heart will be granted understanding of deeper things, while those whose hearts who are not willing will not be entrusted with the Spirit of Understanding…the ability to see and hear.

Yeshua goes on in verse 16 to tell them that their eyes are blessed because they see and their ears are blessed because they hear…this is an idiom which means, “because of your willing heart you are BLESSED with UNDERSTANDING!!”  The prophets and righteous men foretold of the coming of the Messiah; however, they could not possibly understand the full meaning of what they “saw” because of the time they lived in; however, they willingly yielded to the truth and shared it as they were instructed.

We are a privileged people to live in a day that has the revelation that Yeshua is THE Messiah and the Torah of Truth is THE way of life!! May we come before Him today with a willing and yielded heart so that we may be blessed with the Spirit of Understanding and in turn will be able to know the mysteries of the kingdom…for this is vital for the day in which we live. 

Shalom & Blessings,

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a