His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. [Matthew 13.10-13]
Why indeed would Jesus speak to the people in parables, but later explain them to His disciples?
This has everything to do with how God deals with idolatry. If we will see it, the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. In other words, their 'taking up their cross and following Jesus' was their choice to rid themselves of every possible idol in order to singularly follow Christ. Because of this conscious choice, they were permitted to understand.
Although Jesus quotes Isaiah in explaining why this happened (verses 14-15), The mechanism of this is also clearly seen in Hosea's prophecy:
Your deeds won’t let you return to your God. You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the LORD. [Hosea 5.4]
A choice to follow idols is the same choice to NOT follow God. Consequently, a choice to NOT follow God prevents a person from knowing God; hence, Jesus' words they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
But, if we look at what Jesus explained in verses 14-15, we see what the end result of not being a sold-out follower of Jesus looks like:
This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.14-15]
The end result of NOT being a sold-out follower of Jesus and therefore NOT seeing and hearing is NOT BEING HEALED. In other words, idolatry is why God's miracles are withheld.
The tried-and-true method of capturing a monkey with a jar and a peanut is the same method Satan employs to prevent God's people from being healed. The monkey puts his hand into the jar to get the peanut, but the mouth of the jar is only large enough for the monkey's hand to pass through empty. The monkey's grip on the peanut will not allow the monkey to pull his hand free of the immovable jar. His grip on the peanut is his demise. As long a we hold to even one idol and refuse to release our grip on it, we are trapped by our very own strength in the miracle-less realm of idolatry. Again,
Your deeds won’t let you return to your God. You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the LORD. [Hosea 5.4]
Seeing the problem however is only a step toward the solution. Hearing, as in listening in order to act differently (to release the "peanut"), completes the process.
The desperation of people who get prayed for but remain un-healed is not dissimilar to the monkey's desperation to get free of the jar.
When God said, "You must not have any other god but me" (Exodus 20.3) certainly, He meant it. His jealousy will not allow us to hold to any other god, and actually calls curses upon those who do (Exodus 20.4-6).
The casual reader of the Bible (the casual follower of Jesus) will never even see this. The more astute student of the Bible (Jesus) may indeed see and hear it. However, it is only the "forsake-all-follower" of Jesus, the Word of God, who will experience the unbridled power of healing as Jesus demonstrated. So powerful is this act of obedience that it will actually have a ripple-effect on others as Jesus demonstrated.
Only those who forsake all to follow Jesus (like the disciples) will see and hear to the extent that they understand AND live in His power. Others may benefit from being in close proximity to a sold-out follower of Jesus, but they will not live in that power on their own - Jesus' teaching and demonstration remain only "parables" to them, and not reality. That's the way our Jealous God designed it. It is above contestation. "It is written..." as Jesus told Satan, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Let go of the peanut. Let go of the idols that keep you powerless and enslaved to the world and its systems.
Father, Your call to singularly follow Jesus is as frustrating to us as the poor monkey who won't let go of the peanut to be free. It just doesn't make sense to us that letting go of our idols actually frees us from the very curses those idols promise to remedy... But, Jesus was clear - Your Word will remain "parables" to us until we let go of our idols in order to singularly follow Jesus alone. May we find the courage to follow Jesus with reckless abandon to the world and its idols. So be it.
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