10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

The reason for Jesus’ use of parables was not to make the truth plain through story telling. If that were the case, the disciples would not have had to ask Him why He used that method of teaching—it would have been obvious. His purpose was to make the truth difficult to understand for the one who lacked a receptive heart, or to quote Jesus exactly, “whoever does not have.” But, to the disciple, the “whoever has,” Jesus reveals the “mysteries,” or the insight of the parables, as He is about to do in this case.

Happy are those who see and understand, the ones who “get it.” But “getting it” requires two things: 1) revelation from God, for spiritual truth cannot be known apart from Him and 2) reception by the individual, for God will not give more truth to the one who rejects what He has already been given. Hebrews 11:6 echoes this, “… he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” That’s what Jesus meant, “For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he will have an abundance.”

The Jews had a veil over their eyes, so to speak. For some, their hardened hearts prevented their understanding. For others, including the prophets and angels, they longed to know more. “It was revealed to them [i.e. the prophets] that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:12). In Christ, the truth is revealed to those who believe and obey.

Lord, thank You for revealing to me Your truth. Help me to obey and put into practice what I already know, so that You will reveal more to me.