30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 18 31-34 KNOWING THE THINGS THAT ARE SPOKEN OF HIM 14 Eager to know
📖 Luke 18:31-34
29Oct2020 - *Eager to know* - _Luke 18:31-34_ - KNOWING THE THINGS THAT ARE SPOKEN OF HIM 14 – Bible reading: _Mark 4:10-12_
_Luke 18:34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken._
_Mark 9:31-32 For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." (32) But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him._
The disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them, which was very important for them to know. He was telling them the gospel message but they did not understand and were afraid to ask Him.
As we had seen earlier, the Lord reprimanded the disciples for being foolish and slow of heart in not understanding the things that we were spoken of Him. _Luke 24:25-27 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! (26) Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (27) And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself._
The Lord wants us, as His disciples, to have a heart and mind that is hungry and thirsty for the things of God. What is it that we hunger for? Are we hungering only for the temporal things of life or are we hungering to know and participate with Jesus in the good news of His kingdom?
When Jesus was on earth, He taught the people through parables. He wanted them to have a seeking heart that will dwell on the things that He had spoken and then receive the message into their lives.
_Matthew 13:34-35 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, (35) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS KEPT SECRET FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."_
He always challenged the people to have ears to hear. God wants the church to have ears to hear. We see this message coming through in all the messages to the seven churches in Revelation chapters two and three. _Mark 4:9 And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"_ There is no excuse for not knowing the things that are spoken of Him.
We find that the Lord taught the people through parables but he took the time to explain the meaning and application of the parables to the disciples. _Mark 4:33-34 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. (34) But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples._
Here again, Jesus was wanting to see if the disciples had the passion to know the understanding of the parables.
_Mark 4:10-12 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. (11) And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, (12) so that 'SEEING THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND HEARING THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND; LEST THEY SHOULD TURN, AND THEIR SINS BE FORGIVEN THEM.' "_
We find that few from the crowd, that had heard the teachings of Jesus, along with the disciples, wanted to know the full import of the parables. It was to this minority that the mysteries of the kingdom of God are given.
Was it that the Lord did not want the crowds to know? The Lord longed for the crowds too to know and receive Him, but there had to be an eagerness in them, for the deeper things of God.
How is it with us? Are we hungering and thirsting for the deeper matters of God? Or are we too restless, impatient and cluttered in our thinking that we are not able to drink deep at the fount of living waters?
The point that I wish to make here is this. The disciples had the hunger for the things of God. They asked Jesus to explain to them the deeper revelation of the parables but when it came to the matter of Jesus going to the cross, which He told them on several occasions, they did not ask Him to explain the purpose for Him to go the cross.
Friends, do you see the irony here? We have taken a fair amount of time to understand the meaning of the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples did not seek to know what the crucifixion was all about. Their mind was fixed on Jesus setting up His kingdom. _Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened._
Let us now look at us. Just as the Lord longed for the disciples to understand the cross, He longs for us to understand and participate in His kingdom rule here on earth.
We, in contrast to the disciples, are content with the message of our sins being forgiven at the cross but we are not ready to appreciate that the Lord is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth to Himself and we are entrusted with this message of reconciliation, which is the gospel of His kingdom.
_Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross._
*Thought to ponder*
```The church is asleep with the message of personal salvation but we are not awakened to the responsibility of the gospel of His kingdom.```