Lesson 3275

 (Lesson 3275)(12-21-20) Mark 4:23-34

    “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”

    In today’s quote, Jesus warned His apostles, (as well as we today who read the bible), to study carefully the words that He said to make sure that they fully understood the intent. Jesus stressed that point so His disciples so that they (and we) would not misinterpret them and go off on a tangent, not fully understanding what His words actually intended.

    To further clarify the intent of the overall lesson, Jesus spoke in parables to deliberately confuse ALL those to whom He was preaching at the time, knowing that He would explain the true meaning to those who would be teaching His word AFTER He had completed His divine mission to be a ‘one size fits all’ means of remission of sins for those who would believe in Him.

    Sadly, there are many today who do exactly what Jesus warned against. They teach parts of the parables that, Jesus Himself explained, were intended to confuse, without correctly teaching the explanation that Jesus gave.

    It behooves us all to study every tiny detail of the gospel of Jesus Christ so as to make ourselves certain of His intent, and to not be guilty of preaching misunderstood, and misleading messages.~