Parables And Mysteries

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. 

Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them. “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:10-17)

Confirmation bias is everywhere.  According to one definition, confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms or supports one's prior personal beliefs or values. It is an important type of cognitive bias that has a significant effect on the proper functioning of society by distorting evidence-based decision-making. 

Whether Republican or Democrat we all suffer from this bias.   This is one reason why we need Jesus’ parables because, as he said, “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”  “Gross is the heart” of all of us because we hardly hear with our ears; we do not see with our eyes.  

We need Jesus to heal us, to make us open our eyes and hearts to understand the other point of view and not consider those with the opposite opinion to be our adversaries – our enemies.   There is no surer way to calamity than “us versus them” attitudes and resulting polarized behaviors.  Tragically, 2020 shows little sign of “gross-less hearts.”

Jesus said to those with knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven: “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away."  The more we understand his parables, the richer we become.  He reveals the mysteries.  We must listen.

Deacon David Pierce