Understanding

To understand according to Thomas Edison requires one to “stand under”. Applied to understanding spiritual teaching, a receptive person must “stand under” Jesus. Unwilling to do so, the religious leaders and the majority of the people in Jesus day couldn't grasp the meaning of His parables. In a sense, Jesus was talking in code.

Believers understood the truth He was speaking, but hardhearted unbelievers couldn’t see it. Using intellect alone, they could not see the hidden messages of the parables. Like a steganographer, Jesus hid His teachings about the Kingdom of God in plain sight by making them part of simple “word picture”, that is, a parable.

Are you making progress preparing this week’s lesson, “Be patient with others”? Bible teachers need the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. Our own intellectual skills are insufficient. Abraham Lincoln said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.”

Pray that your Bible lesson will be clear, interesting and relevant to your class members. Pray that they “get it”, and that it’s meaning is not lost on them. What does it mean to say that you understand the parables in Matthew 13?