God who Reveals kingdom secrets
A turning point in Matthew’s gospel
occurs in chap 12 where mounting
antagonism by the Jewish religious
leaders erupts into open denunciatn
of Jesus. Because of their hard-
hearted rejection, Jesus begins
to speak to them in parables and
explained only to the disciples.
After a rude reception in His home
town of Nazareth, Jesus withdraws
across the Sea of Galilee to the
regions of Tyre and Sidon in order
to escape growing opposition.
Lord, we’ll Respond to Your Word:
(Jesus said): You are permitted
to understand the secrets of
the Kingdom of Heaven, but
others are not (Matthew 13:11).
That is why I use these parables,
for they look, but they don’t really
see. They hear, but they don’t
really listen or understand (v13).
The hearts of these people are
hardened & their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes –
so their eyes cannot see, and
their ears cannot hear, and
their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me and
let me heal them (Matt 13:15).
Lord, help me to be a true seeker
to hear from the personal God.
Help me to have an open mind,
ever ready to listen to You and
to believe Your Word of truth.
Give me the heart that can hear
Your mysteries, understand them
and internalise Your eternal truths.
Help me root out any attitude that
might block my hearing You. Amen.
Lord, help me not to have attitude
of a skeptic that tries to find fault
and thus don’t have ears to hear.
Lord, You don’t want me to turn off
my brain; but neither do You want
me to reject any word from You
that doesn’t fit my logic of things.
I give You Lord the permission
to blow my mind with the things
You want to reveal to me. Amen.
Lord, where my heart hardened at
times, tell me I have turned You out.
For it’s tough to recognise hardness
in myself, and so I need to know.
Soften me up Lord, where there’s
any area of insensitivity in my life.
Draw me close; get my attention
and hold it. Heighten my spiritual
senses Lord to pick up even the
slightest whisper from You. Amen.