A BIG SECRET
Mark 4:10-11; 23-25 NKJV
10 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,
23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
I will let you in on a small secret. To get the most out of this devotional, make sure you read the entire chapter 4th chapter of Mark and pay particular attention to the parable of the sower.
Mark chapter four is a dynamic chapter. Jesus is speaking to the multitudes and sharing the highly important parable of the sower. After He finished speaking, the people who were around Him, along with the twelve apostles, asked about the meaning of the parable, and Jesus' answer reveals a powerful principle.
When asked about the parable, Jesus answered. His answer referred to the mystery of the Kingdom of God. That word mystery is also rendered hidden truths or secrets. Jesus let them know that the Kingdom of God contains truths that are not readily apparent. God's Kingdom is spiritual and not in your face. But the good news is those who asked about the parable were the ones who were let in on the secret. These were the ones who stayed around after Jesus was finished speaking because they wanted to know what He was talking about. They had a heart to know. They had ears to hear.
After Jesus explains the parable of the sower, He uses the phrase, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Obviously, Jesus is not talking physical outward ears on the head. Jesus is speaking of a heart to know and hear God's Word. Those who stayed behind to ask about the parable had ears to hear.
Then Jesus explains that with ears to hear or a heart to hear, what God is saying is more would be given. But to those who did not have ears to hear, they would lose what they had. This ties in with the parable of the sower. Those without ears to hear and, let me add, apply God's Word have it stolen from them. This is not a function of background or intelligence. Ears to hear is not according to education or the ability to grasp difficult concepts. Anyone can have ears to hear. And to those who do, they will continue to receive more and more from God's Word. Jesus also said that the measure or importance we give to God's Word is the level we receive. This would make sense with the 30, 60, 100 fold return that Jesus spoke of in the parable.
APPLICATION
So here is the big secret. If anyone has a heart to hear God's Word and put it into practice in their life, they will see results. God's Word is incorruptible seed that will produce a harvest.
So the question for us is, do we have a heart to hear what God is saying to us in the scriptures? Do we value His word and treat it as important? The good news is that we can make adjustments and develop a heart to hear. And as we do, the secrets of God, the hidden truths, will open up to us more and more.
I am so glad Jesus never said that the mystery of the Kingdom was only available to the twelve. The hidden truths are available to all who have a heart for God and His Word.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You that the secrets of the Kingdom of God are accessible to me. I have a heart for You and a heart to hear and apply Your Word.