Blogging through the Gospels: Mark 4

Blogging through the Gospels with Amy at Mom's Toolbox.


Reading:  Mark 4

Scripture: Mark 4: 11-12


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!’ ”

Observation:


This verse is sticking out to me, but I think it is because it is something that I have never really understood.

I know that the ways of God are "foolishness" to the world.  I get that.

But here, it seems like the Lord is deliberately hiding the Truth from those who might hear it and become saved.  I know that if they opened their mind and truly thought about the parables, and took it a step further to make the connections to their own lives, they would understand.  So why the parables?  Even the disciples didn't understand them.


It is passages like these that would make a good argument for a Calvinist.  Clearly the Holy Spirit is needed in the act of bringing people to the Lord.  If they are just parables that people are just hearing and dismissing, with no further thought, the Holy Spirit is needed to draw them in to the Truth.


Application:


I still don't really understand the why of it all.  I may never. I certainly don't need to understand it to keep growing in my own faith.  But, it does make me incredibly grateful that He did call me.  He did draw me to Himself.

Our Great God has a very big plan.  It all unfolded according to HIS specifications, and we are STILL part of it today.

Prayer:


Thank you, Lord, for cutting through the scientific junk in my brain, and for calling me so persistently.
Thank you, Lord, for answering unresolved questions that had lingered in my head and heart for years in the blink of an eye.

Thank you for all of the amazing, incredible blessings of my life.
You are worthy of ALL my praise.
Amen and Amen.