10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”—The words of Jesus from Mark 4:10-12
The following humorous story is currently making its way around the internet:
The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert.
After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.
Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, “Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?”
The Lone Ranger replies, “I see millions of stars.”
“What that tell you?” asked Tonto.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, “Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What’s it tell you, Tonto?”
“You dumber than buffalo droppings,” Tonto responds. “It means somebody stole the tent!”
Sometimes in life, we see but we don’t really perceive. An event, or series of events, will occur. We will experience those events, but we won’t really grasp the full meaning of what has happened.
In the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post, Jesus explains to His disciples that He uses parables to impart truth so that, though many may see, only those to whom He gives insight will perceive the truth. It seems to me that God continues to follow this same pattern today.
Many times in life we encounter events that we can observe— that is, we can “see”—but that do not make sense. Whether these events occur in our personal lives, our lives at work, or in our lives at church, we can look at what’s happening but have no glimmer of understanding as to what is actually taking place.
Maybe part of the key to our understanding this Scripture passage comes about by understanding that Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 6. Here’s that passage:
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “For how long, O Lord?”
And he answered:
“Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
It seems like God gave the prophet Isaiah a bleak task. But, it occurs to me that God still gives His prophets today a bleak task. So, maybe that’s why sometimes it seems as if people are “seeing but never perceiving.” God has decidedly hidden from their understanding the work He has done, is doing, and will continue to do. He has hidden His work until the time when He sends the Holy Spirit to open the “eyes of their understanding.”
As the Apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18-19a:
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Precious Father, we sense joy arising within us as we consider the great gift You have given us of the hope for a clear understanding to be able to perceive the work You are doing in our world.
We thank You, Precious Father, that—especially in the midst of the chaos of this life—You are the One who controls every aspect of our lives. We choose to rest in Your mercy and grace. And, we thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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