#272 Kingdom: Why Speak in Parables?
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” [11] And He answered and said to 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 shall more be given, and he shall 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.
Mat 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable, [35] so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”
Mark 12:1 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man PLANTED A VINEYARD, AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT, AND DUG A VAT UNDER THE WINE PRESS, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.
It is interesting that Jesus ONLY spoke to the multitudes in parables. It appears if we are to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in the whole world as a “witness to every nation” that we should speak plainly so everybody could understand His plan, His purpose and the consequences of ignoring the Kingdom. We should be able to explain the laws of the Kingdom, the character that is required to participate and His eternal purpose for the Kingdom to function on earth in the same measure it is now functioning in heaven.
I used to think that Jesus spoke to them in parables so they wouldn’t understand but now I realize that He spoke to them in parables because they could not understand. They didn’t have the capacity to understand because the Kingdom is of another dimension. Unless they were born again they just could not “see the Kingdom.” John 3:3] Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” . Even Nicodemus who was a learned scholar could not understand the Kingdom message or even what it meant to be”born-again.” It is not a matter of intelligence or mental capacity but a matter of perception in the spirit.
John 3: 6] “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] “Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born again.’ [8] “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
What the Holy Spirit produces in us is “spirit” and this IS the organ that understands the Kingdom message. However, this capacity to understand was granted to the disciples but not to these others at that time. Since the disciples were not yet born again until after Calvary, this must have been a special grace that was granted to them to understand. Still, the Holy Spirit was with them.
From this simple example we anticipate that this is still a big problem today. Therefore, the Kingdom may still have to be preached and taught by the use of parables. We have at least 34 parables that are recorded so are we limited to these parables to proclaim the Kingdom to those who are not born again? What about “church members”that are born again? Are we then limited to sharing just the parables. For example is the parable of the prodical son a message of the Kingdom or a parable for evangelism about “getting saved?” Is the parable about the ten virgins a message about the Kingdom or an evangelistic message about “getting saved?” Should we limit the parable of the ten virgins to the unsaved or it that a message to the “church that is born again?”
Mark 4:10 And as soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. [11] And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables, [12] in order that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE; AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND LEST THEY RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.” [13] And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? [14] “The sower sows the word. [15] “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
If we understand the basics of the Kingdom we can devise our own parables. This parable about the sower is the Key to understanding “all the parables.” If we don’t understand the 34 parables that are written we should not be making up our own parables. The natural mind will make up parables that focus upon “forgiveness of sins” that has very little to do with the Kingdom. Since the Kingdom is the solitary focus of the parables we should not make them try to say something else but this is what the natural mind does. The fact that we have “a born again spirit” does not prevent us from preaching or judging with the natural mind. This kind of preaching is very popular today so the Kingdom has remained a mystery after 2000 years!
Once we understand the Kingdom parables that are given, we may produce our own parables that are valid, IF they accurately depict the Kingdom in our personal lives and as the requirements for eternity. Our parables will most likely ramble because our goal is to be exceedingly clear so there is no misunderstanding. Jesus was not confined to this limitation. I will attempt to create my own example of a parable about some of the things that we feel God is showing us.
A doctor that was recently graduated from medical school with a major in surgery enlisted in the army and was assigned to the battle field hospital that treat wounded soldiers before being taken to the regular hospital. This new surgeon was trained in hematology, virus, germs, immune systems, oxygen, breathing, lungs, digestion, liver and all the organs necessary for survival. He had been sufficiently trained in all the doctrines and methods of surgery. However, on the battlefield he could not handle the stress of making life saving decisions and the result was that he had a nervous breakdown and failed under severe testing. Other surgeons in the field unit responded to the demands by an intuition of the proper response. They just knew from within what to do and the proper procedure.
The Kingdom is like that! Many fail under the stress of testing, trials, frustration, endurance, and the result is they revert back to human decisions and many mistakes that cost others their spiritual lives. Knowing the doctrine of helping people is one thing but having the spiritual resources that rise up out of a Kingdom life is quite another. Those that fall apart under stress are disqualified. Only those who persevere under trial and overcome are counted worthy of the Kingdom.
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Those who love Him must also be successful in persevering under trial if we are to receive the “crown of Life-Zoe.” Approval follows the overcoming. If the medical doctor fails while under severe conditions and is disqualified we consider that discipline as normal but we excuse a “Christian” for all kinds of reasons. The problem is that the Kingdom is not sentimental and doesn’t cut us a lot of slack because of childhood conditions or parents that were messed up. Each man is judged by His own works. Either good or bad!
The super grace proponents will respond that this is much too radical and too demanding. This is too severe for those under grace! The Kingdom demands that we measure up to Kingdom character, even to the measure of the stature that belongs to the fulness of Christ.
Heb 12: 10] For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. [11] All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Every son which He receives must be disciplined in order to qualify for the Kingdom. Only those who are trained by the discipline and the discipline produces personal and experiential holiness will be acceptable in the Kingdom!
Since there are so many Kingdom demands and no other options given we may see the crisis and wonder what provision God has made for us to meet these demands. If we fail under fire we are disqualified but if there are no trials, testings, tribulations and discipline we are not even being considered for the Kingdom! We may just be “Christians” that are standing at a distance feeling sorry for those who are being tested and not even be aware of their high calling.
Every surgeon must submit to very severe discipline and pass through many testings to be qualified to function in that capacity but we think it strange if a Christian is tested in that way to be qualified for sonship and be counted worthy of the high calling of God.. The rule seems to be that the “flesh fails” but the “spirit overcomes.”
1PE 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; [13] but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. [14] If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. --- [16] but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. [17] For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? [18] AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? [19] Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
Human decisions are made out of the lower psuche life and are subject to failure. The Wisdom of God functions out of the higher Zoe Life. The tree of knowledge depends upon the psuche life while the Tree of Life (Zoe) depends upon the Zoe Life in the Kingdom person. Doctrine is the product of the psuche life while revelation and spiritual understanding is the product of the Zoe Life. Under-coming is the outcome of the psuche life while over-coming is the outcome of the Zoe Life. When the psuche is tested it readily gives up because it sees no purpose for trials. Since the Zoe Life is out of the spiritual dimension it perseveres under trial.
Then why should we even speak about the Kingdom in parables? Because the Kingdom is in another dimension of the spiritual, the eternal, and is not comprehended by the natural mind. We surely don’t speak in parables to keep them from understanding but because they don’t have the facilities to understand spiritual things. Spiritual things are foolishness to the natural mind and they cannot understand them because they are spiritually understood..
When we speak of “union Life” with Christ we are not speaking of “psuche” but of “Zoe.” The Vine-branch union is a union of Life (Zoe). If Christ has been made unto us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, how do we tap into that dimension? By His Zoe Life! Psuche responds out of the natural mind while Zoe responds from the spirit.
Since the next restoration is within the illumination of the seven Spirits of God it is essential that we move out of the realms of psuche and into the dimension of Zoe. The seven Spirits of God don’t reveal the things yet to come in the realms of the natural mind, to the natural man, but all revelation is in the spirit of man. This is in the realms of the law of the spirit of Zoe in Christ Jesus that sets us free from the laws of that other dimension.
Teaching the natural mind on Sunday morning has proven to produce few results in the promotion of the Kingdom. It is only through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that we can develop in our spirit to know Him. The Zoe Life will be the universal Life in eternity. The testing now is to reveal which life we are using to respond to God in various situations.
A prophet that is using the psuche life to prophesy is a false prophet. Not because what he says is wrong but because the source of what he says is wrong. The psuche might speak what is right but in eternity that is wrong. John 12: 25] “He who loves his life (psuche) loses it; and he who hates his life (psuche) in this world shall keep it to life (Zoe) eternal. The psuche life must be left behind so if we haven’t made the transition to the Zoe [eternal Life], what life will we have in eternity? Psuche in eternity would respond out of human compassion and not out of a Kingdom agenda which is not sentimental. Eternal love is out of the Zoe Life which IS Christ. He IS Zoe!
Jesus didn’t respond out of “human compassion” but out of “divine compassion” which proceeds from Agape. But why is the Kingdom not sentimental? Because the Kingdom responds out of eternal reality and only deals with reality!
Mat 12: 30] “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
This is Kingdom reality! In the Kingdom we cannot be vacillating. We must take a firm stand. The middle of the road attitude is rejected as being against Him. If we fail to gather with Him, in the Kingdom that is the same as scattering. If we are not actively working with Him in the Kingdom, we are working against Him. While this seems too radical it does explain how the Kingdom evaluates things.
It is during severe crisis that we know if we are responding out of a Kingdom Life (Zoe) or out of a human response with the psuche life (natural). The parables are revelations of how the Kingdom Life responds in various situations and also how the Kingdom Life develops within us to produce the fruit of the Kingdom in visible form and life. The eternal Kingdom will be governed by the Zoe Life of God in each Kingdom person. Since the psuche will be left behind, the sooner we begin to lose our dependence upon it the sooner we will begin to mature in the Zoe Life of eternity. To try to operate out of both the natural and the spiritual life will soon be seen to be impossible in the realm of the Kingdom. Since the Kingdom is absolute it cannot permit a mixture of natural and eternal Life.
Dictionary -absolute >adjective 1 not qualified or diminished in any way; total. 2 having unlimited power: an absolute ruler. 3 not relative or comparative: absolute moral principles. 4 independent of the rest --final. 5 a value or principle which is universally valid or able to be viewed without relation to other things. 6 Without mixture that stands alone without support.
The Kingdom cannot be compromised or assimilate anything not like itself and sets the standard by itself without outside permission. It is not dependent upon another. The parables must reflect an accurate Kingdom! Some sentimental kingdom that accepts those who don’t meet its standards but accepts them because of “grace” is not the Kingdom of God.. Any preaching or parable that suggests that is wrong and is the product of the psuche life and the natural mind.
Using parables will become an important support in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom in this next restoration. If we have a clear understanding of the existing parables we may use similar parables that relate specifically to this generation. However, the result must be to present accurately the demands of the Kingdom.
Parables devised by the psuche life and the natural mind will be identified by some sentimental concepts such as God accepting the lukewarm into the Kingdom because of His great Love, mercy and grace. It should be clear that these things are freely offered now to prepare us for His eternal government but a time of reckoning is coming when those who have been casual about the Kingdom in this life will not be qualified to participate in that absolute Kingdom where no mixture can be tolerated. Only His Life can function in that dimension. The under-developed and undisciplined will find it impossible to conform to the absolute Kingdom. The New Earth is still heaven but the government is out of Zion and the word of the Lord is from the Jerusalem that is above.