Just before our break for the Feast we studied into the spiritual gift of teaching. Last week we looked at the office of "Pastor", those whom God calls to lead His people in the local congregations as good shepherds of God's flock. Just like a shepherd leads his flocks to choice pasture lands to graze on the rich green grass which enables the sheep to grow and that keeps them healthy, a pastor's job is to feed the members of the Ekklesia by teaching them God's Word. 

This article will serve as a follow up on that theme and we will focus on how Jesus, the ultimate Good Shepherd whose major job beside living a perfect life and dying for the sins of humanity, was to TEACH. He told Peter that He would build His church [Ekklesia], and foundational to building is to teach the members all the things that pertain eternal life and how to become kings and priests for the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

For three and one half years Jesus was a TEACHER to His disciples; with twelve of them He choose to provide advanced teaching that would prepare them to become the Twelve Apostles. Even after He was resurrected, Jesus continued to teach His disciples during His several appearances to them before He ascended back up to the Father. On one of these occurrences, Jesus commissioned them with the command to go into all the world and pass on to others all the teachings that they had received from Him. His final command to them was that they were to teach!

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This command was not just for the original twelve apostles of Jesus day, but it was a commission given to the whole church. This mandate to go into all the world to teach was recorded for all those who would come after and is to be obeyed by all those who accept Jesus' call to come and follow Him; and if we are His followers we will live as Jesus did, we will do as Jesus does, and one of the things He did was to TEACH. A key reason for our calling is to learn how to become laborers that help Jesus bring in the harvest of all mankind to become members of the Family of God, whether it be in this life, in the Millennium or latter in the Main Fall Harvest of Humanity. We do that by teaching them how to live the way that leads to salvation and eternal life; so learning how to be good teachers is extremely important to our calling.

The last thing Jesus said to His followers before He was taken up to be with His Father in heaven, was that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit which would empower them to be witnesses for Him. The apostles received the Holy Spirit on Wave Offering Sunday but the hundreds of other disciples did not receive it until Pentecost. This witness would begin in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, and then over the eons of time (right up to the end of the age), was to spread out to the four corners of the earth. This mission would take a whole army of deeply converted believers from every generation that would be skilled in the Word of God that could go into all the world to teach right up to the end of this age. These teachers, and the many that they would train, were to continue to teach all others, then on into the Millennium, and then on into the final period of time that comprises of the Main Fall Harvest of all those who have ever lived but died without knowing the Gospel.

This command to tell others of Him was Jesus' marching orders for His disciples on that final day that He was on earth; and it is the marching orders for those called to be disciples in this modern age. This commission must have been of utmost importance for these were His departing words to His disciples and to the twelve apostles who had been trained to go out into the world and to teach all peoples.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

The Greek word for "witness" is martus (Strong's 3144) and means a witness, an eye- or ear-witness; to be a witness for one, serve him by testimony. (Strong's Concordance)

The English definition of witness is: one who can give a firsthand account of 

something seen,  heard,  or experienced, or to give written or oral testimony of what one has seen or experienced. To attest to the legality or authenticity of  something. (The Free Dictionary)

To witness for Jesus Christ is to give testimony to not only of who He is, but also to pass on to others all of His teachings. To give witness of Jesus we must teach others what He was about and what He taught and it behooves us to learn all we can about how to teach others and do it effectively. The best way to learn how to teach others is to study the methods of the Greatest Teacher of all, the MASTER TEACHER, Jesus Himself. The four Gospels give us many examples of how He taught and contain the life and times of Jesus and His ministry while He was a man here on earth

This week we want to look into the life of Jesus who is the Good Shepherd and is also our ULTIMATE TEACHER and learn about His methods by the examples He provides in Scripture.

As we learned last week, the main job of a shepherd is to feed his flock. A spiritual shepherd's job is to feed God's people by teaching them the whole Word of God and how to apply it in one's life. Christ is the ultimate example for us as to how to be a good teacher. Christ was the Master Teacher and we can learn much from His teaching methods, style, and the kinds of things that He taught. This subject entails a lot and much can be written about all the ways that we can learn from the example of Jesus as written about Him in the Gospels and elsewhere. So we decided to break this subject down and do a series of articles in the coming weeks about TEACHING and how to teach effectively by emulating some of the same methods that Jesus used to teach His disciples and the public. This week we will concentrate on how we can learn from Jesus' example who shows us how to teach beginning with how (and why) He used metaphors and parables to teach about the things of God and about what the Kingdom of God is like.

The men whom God called to be Jesus' disciples from the very beginning called Him "Teacher".

John 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

The Scribes and Pharisees and the general public also knew Jesus as a teacher and that is what they called Him. The two Greek words that mean teacher are translated as "Rabbi" and "Master" in the King James Version of the Bible.

Sometimes the King James Version use the term "Rabbi" as the title used by His followers and the people. This term literally means "the teacher"  just as John the Baptist was called "Rabbi" by his followers.

John 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

The Greek word for "rabbi" is rhabbi (Strong's #4461)  and means: Rabbi, as an official title of honor -- Master, Rabbi. (Strong's Concordance)

John 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi [rhabbi], when camest thou hither?

The Greek word for "master" is didaskalos (Strong's #1320) and means: doctor, master, teacher. (Strong's Concordance)

Also from HELPS Word-studies we have this definition: 1320 didáskalos (a masculine noun derived from 1321/didáskō, "to teach") - a teacher, an instructor acknowledged for their mastery in their field of learning; in Scripture, a Bible teacher, competent in theology. See 1319 (didaskalia). (HELPS Word Studies)

Matthew 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master [didaskalos], I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master [didaskalos ], we would see a sign from thee.

John 13:13 Ye call me Master [didaskalos - Teacher] and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he addressed Jesus as Rabbi and said that He was a teacher.

John 3:2 Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

He was [and IS]  the greatest Teacher of all and Jesus taught that we are to call no man "Master" except Himself. "Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [Teacher] even Christ."  (Matthew 23:8) That is what He was recognized and known as more than anything else when He lived as a man in the flesh here on earth.

Jesus Christ was a very unique teacher for He not only taught the Word of God but He also was the Word of God. (He still is but this is referring to when He was here on earth as the man Jesus) The people that heard Him teach were amazed and recognized that He was totally different from any other teacher with whom they had ever come into contact with. After His Sermon on the Mount the people said of Him:

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

On a couple of occasions when He entered the synagogue and taught, the people would make comments as to His speaking abilities and the kind of wisdom that came out of His mouth. They, not knowing who He was, wondered at how this simple person (thinking of Him as the carpenter's son) could speak so eloquently about the things of God with such great wisdom.

Matthew 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

Luke 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

From the accounts in the Gospels we read that Jesus taught from many locations and at many kinds of events, (wherever He happened to be) and He typically used whatever situation was at hand to teach lessons to those He came into contact with. His teaching was not limited to classroom settings nor limited to a specified time slot as we are accustomed to when we think of being taught by a teacher or a professor in our day. His teaching was very natural and seemed to come spontaneously and He taught using various occasions and events taking advantage of each opportunity to teach spiritual lessons to those in His presence.

This brings to mind Deuteronomy 6 where God, through Moses, tells the Israelites to teach their children as they were living their lives in all situations. This is how I picture Jesus as He interacted with His disciples as they lived and traveled together and encountered all kinds of people and situations.

Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

When someone came to Him about sharing an inheritance, He would teach about covetousness, when He encountered a woman at a well He taught her about how she could drink living waters that He had to offer that would lead to eternal life. The Gospels are full of these kinds of examples.

Whatever the environment or terrain Jesus happened to be in, that was what He used as His "classroom." Sometimes He taught from a mountain, other times from a boat launched out from the shore, or in a boat out at sea during a storm, or walking on the road, or while in the temple or at the synagogue; He taught at a well, a grain field, while walking on water, in the upper room during Passover and in the Garden of Gethsemane, and even from the cross as He was dying. He taught from many places and He taught many different kinds of people. The things that He taught were spiritual things, they were profound and often they were radical [seemed new to the hearers].

Jesus knew just what His disciples, or whom ever happened to be the target of His teaching, needed to hear and learn. He knew just what to say and how to say it to those He came into contact with. His teaching methods were in no way random or hit and miss, rather the occasions that brought Him into contact with certain individuals were well orchestrated by the Father; these opportunities to teach were well thought out and He used every opportunity to teach about how to live, about the laws and ways of God, how to aptly apply the spiritual intent of the laws of God, about the Kingdom of His Father and how one could attain to eternal life and living in that Kingdom forever. Jesus openly taught the people that He received the words from His Father as to what He should teach and what He would speak.

John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine [teaching] is not mine, but his that sent me.

Jesus used the Word of God as his curriculum.

The "core" of His teaching was about forgiveness, repentance and how live for God, how to become righteous as He and His Father are righteous; to think in spiritual terms and not carnally as the world does; and that mere men and women can become transformed into the very image of the Father, if they commit to living for Him; and how to become perfect as God is perfect. He brought a message that would eventually turn the whole world upside down (Acts 17:6). It did so to a certain extent in His and the apostles' day, but in the future that message will absolutely gloriously turn the whole world around. (See Acts 3:21, Romans 8:16-23, and Habakkuk 2:14)

It was His teachings of the way to abundant life (a life that is the opposite of the ways of Satan) that leads to godliness, righteousness, justice for everyone, that is full of love, peace, joy, and abundance, and that God's way is the only way that is worth living; and He taught about the coming Kingdom of God and how people can enter into it. He said that He had come that we could have LIFE and that we might have it more abundantly. How can we have that kind of life? By hearing God's words through teaching and then letting those things that we hear sink down into our ears and living them.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

So we see that Jesus did have a very special curriculum for His disciples in His day and has a curriculum for all those called out by the Father since those days. It is a curriculum which He and His Father had worked out from the foundation of the world to teach and get ready a people for themselves. That curriculum is the written Word of God contained in all the Scriptures. When Jesus walked here on earth He based His teachings on the words of the Old Testament and then inspired the Gospel writers to record His life and times, His teachings, sayings and parables that He taught the original disciples for us who would come after. What a Gift His Word and Teachings are to all those who are called and can study His Word whenever we desire!

2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2nd Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

1st Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Psalm 19:9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord {all God's Word] are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Jesus came to have many followers when He was here on earth but only twelve of them were chosen to be His apostles during the three and half years of His ministry. It was to these men that Jesus spent the most time with and they were the ones He prepared so that they in turn could teach others. They were also called the disciples.

The Greek word for "disciple" is mathétés (Strong's #3101) and means learner, disciple, pupil.

Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

In the same way only the ones that the Father specifically chooses to call can come to Jesus to be taught the things contained in the Scriptures and come to a right understanding. Even then it takes years of studying and applying those things in our lives to really come to know His teachings in all of their spiritual fullness.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Those who are called by the Father and have responded positively to that calling and commit to being a disciple of His Son have been placed in a precious student/discipleship relationship with the Master Teacher. In order to teach others we must first become excellent students, willing to learn ourselves, then Jesus can use His called out to teach others about spiritual things.

Jesus' superior teaching skills are seen in His simple way of teaching that could be readily understood by ordinary people. He used language that everyone could basically understand even though the spiritual meaning might be hidden from those who were not called at that time to become His disciples. In Mark we are told that the common people came gladly to hear Him speak (Mark 12:37).

Jesus was brought up among the common people of the land for His family was like everyone one else living in the community. They were not the wealthy nor were they among the high class. His foster father, Joesph, was a carpenter and a common worker among the people. Growing up in such an environment, Jesus would have acquired the language that He was use to hearing. But He was also schooled by the rabbis as a young man so He was probably more educated than most.  Therefore He knew how to relate to all classes of people from the common people right up to the more educated Pharisees. As a wise teacher He knew how to use the language that His listeners could relate to so He would adjust accordingly. Working as a carpenter's son, supposedly the son of Joseph and Mary, He thoroughly understood common ordinary people and their language.

As teachers it is important to speak the language of those we are teaching in simple straight-forward terms that they can understand. If we try to sound like a college professor when we are trying to teach people who have an eighth or tenth grade reading level, it will be hard to retain their attention. As effective teachers we can add new words and terminology over the course and teach our students what they mean, but to grab their attention and retain it we must keep our teaching simple and understandable, talking to them at their level, not above their level.

When Jesus taught the public He spoke in their language with a modest simplicity, and though His listeners might not understand all that His teachings implied, they could generally relate to what He was saying. Jesus tried to reach His audience at their level of understanding and about the things that would be of interest to them. He spoke of everyday problems and situations that everyone was familiar with and could relate to. In this way He was able to capture the hearers' attention and then He could expand by associating those things to things of a spiritual nature.

Jesus was a Master Teacher who knew how to captivate the attention of His audience, and He spoke with authority. The people and His disciples loved to listen to Him, in part, because He made His teachings so interesting and even entertaining. Jesus' style of teaching was to put His ideas/concepts that He wanted to convey into literary forms using the metaphorical, overstatement and hyperbole, and paradoxical language of a culture that loved to tell and hear stories and the latest news. (With our obsession in our modern day culture with all of our entertainment outlets, our TV sitcoms, movies, broad way plays, videos, 24-hour news casts indicates that man has not changed.) Jesus' style of figurative speaking and His use of stories (parables) helped His listeners to remember more easily and made it relatively simple for them to associate the principles He taught along with them. It is evident that Jesus assumed that His hearers were capable of understanding this kind of figurative language or He wouldn't have used it. The writers of the Gospels also expected the same of their readers, that they would be use to this kind of literary expression of words and ideas and would be able to clearly see the meaning of what was being taught.

This however can also become complex for in other places Jesus said that He spoke in parables so that the disciples could understand what He was teaching, but that the meanings would not be understandable to others.

Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

As Jesus modern day disciples it is important that we keep in mind that Jesus taught by using a variety of literary figures of speech; we need to take that into account when we are studying and meditating on God's Word and when we are teaching God's principles to others. It helps us to understand the things we are studying more clearly if we stay aware of their use throughout all of the Bible and take the time to look things up. We can use a Bible dictionary and or concordance to see the variety of meanings and how those meanings might apply within any given context.

The two most common literary figures of speech are the "simile" and the "metaphor".

Jesus knew that people often learn best when they are able to compare from what is known (familiar), to what is unknown (unfamiliar). Jesus was very skillful as a teacher and He was an expert in using comparisons and analogies to make His teachings come to life and to make them more understandable. He would speak of common ordinary things that were familiar to His audience and use them as analogies or metaphors of more abstract things, usually things pertaining to the spiritual. He was a master at making the complex simple and easy to understand for those who had ears to hear, and sometimes they were used to mask the meanings to those whom He did not want to understand (which we will address later).

The definition of a metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, figure of speech used to describe, illustrate or apply something to a lesson that it does not usually denote. Synonyms: image, analogy, comparison, symbol.

Metaphor, like a simile, is a comparison between two essentially unlike things. In a simile the comparison is explicit ("The eye is like a lamp for the body"). In a metaphor the comparison is implicit ("The eye is the lamp of the body"). Extended metaphors are allegories.

The Gospels are full of analogies, symbolism, comparisons, metaphors, proverbs, and parables; in fact the whole Bible uses these kinds of language tools to impart knowledge and understanding. The whole Word of God reflects the mind of God (after all Jesus is the Word) so it is only logical that Jesus would also make wise use of these things to teach about deep spiritual truths when He was here as a Teacher on earth.

Figures of speech or figurative language enable the teacher to add color and variety to their lessons so that he can keep his students and listeners engrossed. This makes his speaking or sermon entertaining, lively, and thought provoking; but at the same time, he is able to impart information and understanding of certain precepts. Jesus employed this kind of figurative language throughout His ministry; it was His main teaching style. He used many common everyday objects as analogies to clarify, inspire, and to stimulate His students to think about spiritual concepts that could be derived from His analogies. He used these techniques to teach His disciples and also when He spoke to the multitudes, and even in addressing the Pharisees.

He used symbolism in His teachings to illustrate the spiritual principles of what He was trying to get across. He strove to impart clear understanding to the people by using what they were familiar with to explain new or unfamiliar concepts. And He used tangible physical things that they knew to help describe things that were conceptual and more abstract in nature. For instance He used such common things as motes and beams to describe hypocrisy, the birds of the air and the hairs on our heads to illustrate how much the Father cares for us and we can trust Him. He used harvesting and bearing fruit to help His disciples to understand fruitful growth in spiritual things. Jesus deliberately took common every day items His audience could understand and attached them to spiritual truths to make those spiritual truths plainer. Jesus was proficient at using these kinds of symbolism to portray the deeper truths of the spirit to His disciples and even to others who asked Him questions or presented Him with a problem.

We can see as we read through the Gospels how Jesus had the amazing ability to link familiar phrases and things with ideas that at first seemed difficult to grasp. The Lord shaped truth in ways that people could picture it in their minds and contemplate on its meanings, virtues and merits. As teachers we, too, can ask God to help us to employ similar techniques. Studying the Gospels and then practicing at patterning how Jesus taught can help us in our teaching skills. As we employ such methods we can learn to teach in ways that make it easier for those we are teaching to understand the deeper things of the Spirit.

An example is when Jesus simply asked for a drink of water from the woman who came to the the well where he was resting, and then He turned the conversation into a lesson to teach her that she could have the living water from Him that symbolizes eternal life.

John 4: 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus used common household items such as candles, salt, and light to depict that a believer's good works and example can illuminate to others what it means to be a follower of Jesus that is full of righteousness. Salt and light were used to illustrate how His followers were to flavor the earth and to shine the light of His righteousness by being godly examples to the rest of the world.

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The four Gospel accounts are full of examples of this kind of practical teaching method that we, too, can employ in our teaching of spiritual things by using ordinary objects that depict in some way spiritual concepts and principles. Jesus is the perfect example of all that a good teacher should be and there is so much that we can draw upon from His Word and we can use the very illustrations that He had recorded for us in our efforts to teach others.

Another method that Jesus employed along with metaphors and similes to explain spiritual truths, was the use of parables. Parables are stories with a lesson and Jesus made use of them often to get and to hold the people's attention, but at the same time had profound principles and lessons contained within them. All people, including children, love stories that can grab their attention and as they begin to listen, they naturally want to know the conclusion and how the story all worked out. Usually stories contain a moral or show certain consequences of behaving a certain way that is the result of either wise or unwise decisions on the part of the characters.

The parables that Jesus taught provoked curiosity and interest and at the same time they taught those who had ears to hear a deep profound truth to those to whom it was given to understand them.

At one point Jesus stepped into a boat when the crowds came to hear Him speak and He spoke to them in a whole series of parables; stories about sowing seeds and gathering wheat, leavening in bread, finding treasure and pearls, etc. that were not that easy for them to understand.

Matthew 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,

At that time it became evident to the disciples that now Jesus was teaching in parables that could not be readily understood, so they came to Him and asked Him why He was speaking in parables and not speaking in plain language, since they obviously noticed the change.

Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Jesus' answer to His disciples may seem quite astonishing after all that was said about how His teaching style made things easier for the people to understand; but He basically told them that the teachings regarding things pertaining to the Kingdom of God have been granted to them (the disciples) to know, but to others (who are not called yet) it has not been granted.

Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

And then He elaborated even further:

Matthew 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

We are probably all familiar with the phrase "ears to hear" in the New Testament. Jesus used it on at least three occasions in the Gospels and seven times in Revelation. Where did this phrase come from, why did Jesus use it, and what relevance does it have for us today?

His answer to His disciples may have seemed hard for them to believe for He basically told them that the teachings regarding things pertaining to the Kingdom of God were understandable to them, but the others (those whose eyes were closed) could not understand those things.

Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

In other words, the parables are meant to differentiate and separate out those that are being called from those that are not being called.  Those that are not being called would reject the message even if they could understand what is being taught. While this may seem as if Jesus was discriminating by denying some people from coming to understand His teachings, "he who has ears to hear" shows that the difference between those who can rightly understand and those who cannot understand is not because of any complexity of the message; but in the response [the hearing] to that message.

The parables themselves present clear enough narratives of everyday events and analogies that many in the crowd could readily identify with. Jesus did not use secret codes in His teachings to prevent some of the gathered people from understanding, the principle it contained could probably be quite easily understood by means of the simple imagery of the parables. Most of those in the crowd (just like in our day) could comprehend the certain aspects of the stories which were related to ordinary events that take place in everyone's lives.

Jesus teachings in His day (just as they do in our day), divide the listeners and/or readers of His Word, into two groups based on their "hearing" and willingness to heed what they hear.

The miracles that Jesus performed brought Him much attention and began to draw huge crowds. Many of these people had been amazed by His earlier teaching and by the miracles, but just as the parable of the story of the seed falling on various types of ground revealed the true nature of their motives and heart, the teachings could only be understood if they were really serious about taking them into their minds and hearts and then making a commitment to follow those teachings. Those committed to truly repenting and turning their lives around to seek the Kingdom of God would desire to find further understanding, but those who came to just hear because of initial curiosity and because wanting perhaps to witness a miracle would not be able to understand.

If the hearers did not want to commit and they rejected the idea of obeying and becoming a devoted follower, they would view the teaching as unintelligible just as most of the world does in our day.

John 6:2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

John 6:36 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

1st Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

And so it is still the same today, we have Bibles and teachers and all the many "Christian" religions and different Groups that think that they know the Bible and yet they do not do as it says and they cannot understand the plain Truths of God and of His Plan for humanity.

Jesus said, told His disciples  "I speak in parables so that they will not understand." But why would He do that? Scripture repeats Jesus statement about not having ears to hear on a number of occasions showing that only those to whom it is granted could understand and it is because: "MANY are called, but FEW are chosen."  (Matt 22:14)

Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" John 15:16

Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

Mark 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

John 10:6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Many people and even so-called "Christians" believe that Jesus taught in parables to make His messages clearer, but that contradicts what Jesus Himself said.  

Mark 4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And even His disciples did not not understand the meaning of the parables at the time Jesus spoke them. Repeatedly, they asked Jesus to explain them to them. It just was not time yet for them to understand the meanings.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? ["Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand and grasp the meaning of all the parables?]

These verses tell us that Jesus did not want the multitudes to understand and He did not want to convert them and He did not want to save them at that particular time. Why would Jesus not want them to understand? Jesus gives the answer Himself:

Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why do you speak unto them in parables?  11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is NOT given." 

". . . but unto them it is NOT given."  Jesus spoke in parables so that the majority of the people could NOT understand!

Even Jesus' own disciples had to have these parables explained to them.  But He often expounded on them by telling them another parable.

Because God's plan involves calling MANY, but choosing only a FEW; (at least in this dispensation) the majority cannot truly understand Jesus' sayings. For a simple and plain example of this:

If all those that say they are followers of Christ would just read and then understand what John 14:15 states: "IF YE LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS"; but how many of the readers of the Bible understand that to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to keep all of His commandments including the forth commandment that says that we are to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy? and then commit to obey what Jesus so clearly says? Just seven simple words and yet hardly anyone understands what Jesus clearly said, if we love Him we will keep His commandments. There is nothing difficult in this saying and yet the meaning is hidden to those who do not have eyes to see or ears to hear.

So the amazing truth is that Jesus hid the meaning of His teachings from the masses and still does to this day.

Greek word for "parable" is parabole (Strong's #3850) and means: comparison, figure, parable, proverb. From paraballo; a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolic) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral truth), apothegm or adage -- comparison, figure, parable, proverb. (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance)

When the disciples were with Jesus during those years even they often could not understand.  And then Jesus would have to teach His own disciples in private.

Mark 4:10 And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable. 

John 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs...

So by Jesus' own admission, He didn't teach or speak to even His own disciples "plainly"  sometimes. But He promised that the time would come when He would no longer speak in proverbs (parables) but would speak plainly.

Continuing in John 16:25 " but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

The people did not understand Jesus' parables; the Scribes and Pharisees did not understand Jesus' parables, except on one occasion they "perceived" He was speaking of them and most of the time even the disciples could not understood Jesus' parables.

And when Jesus explained the parables to the disciples at their request, He often explained them with more parables. Over and over, the disciples did not understand.

Mark 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Mark 8:21 And He (Jesus) said unto them (His disciples), How is it that ye do NOT understand? 

Jesus said unto His disciples:

Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

John 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, (after His resurrection)then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

Jesus taught His disciples for three and one half years. They heard Him preach and teach hundreds of times, yet they did not understand until it was given to them to understand after Jesus' resurrection.

Luke 18:31 Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, 32 Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and ALL THINGS that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. . . and they understood NONE of these things: and this saying was HID from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 

The disciples understood nothing concerning the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus while they were being taught about these things during those three and one half years of being with Jesus. It was because they had not yet been given the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Why did Jesus finally open the eyes and minds of the disciples so they could understand? 

Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, WHY do you speak unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (but not at that specific time, but eventually; after His resurrection) but to them it is NOT given.

Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

There could be no more precise description of most of the people that read and study the words, who have access to all of Jesus' teachings down through the ages and even to these end times! And we see this in the COG's, those who say that they have the whole truth of God and teach the whole Gospel of God and yet they hold on to the traditions of men rather than look into the Bible and let the Bible determine what they believe and how to obey God in all things. For instance the Sabbath commandment clearly tells us that we are not to partake in making others work on the Sabbath and yet we go to restaurants on the Sabbath and High Days and pay others to do work we consider unlawful for us to do. (See Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15 )

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain [in futility]they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

But to the chosen FEW, Jesus said:

Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men [even the prophets and the Patriarchs of the Old Testament] have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

After Jesus' death and resurrection, and particularly after Pentecost, when the disciples received the Holy Spirit allowing them to understand Spiritual things, the disciples and New Testament writers understood that the patriarchs of old, including the prophets themselves, often did not understand their own prophesies.

After being given visions by God, Daniel was told:

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. . ." 

Daniel 12: 9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

But all these prophecies are being revealed to those who now, in the time of the end, are learning to KNOW God and are WILLING to diligently search the Scriptures. But only those that have an open mind and who are aware that what we have been taught may not be correct after all and are willing to seek those things that have been lost or changed by religious leaders who looked to other men to determine what is true or not.

1st Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1st Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

This is why theologians, pastors, and Bible scholars, and Bible translators virtually never understand the Scriptures.  This why even the leaders of the COG's are "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."   This is Jesus said, "They draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

One can understand the Scriptures ONLY when one stays close to God and has gotten to know Him on a deep personal level through daily, diligent, Bible study and prayer and obedience to His every Word and usually after one has been through enough trouble in their life that they have come to recognize their absolute need for God to manage all of their affairs.   It is then that God opens the mind and heart so one can understand the teachings of Jesus and His Spiritual truth and continues to do so as one keeps seeking and knocking for the things of God.

  

One can understand Spiritual truth when one has received and has the indwelling of the God's Holy Spirit.  Until that time, one reads the Bible literally or with the kind of knowledge that does not include its deep spiritual ramifications.

1st Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Understanding the teachings of Jesus is not related to high intelligence, advanced religious credentials or years of studying at a Bible College.  One can only understand the Scriptures when his or her heart, eyes, and mind have been opened to the truth by Jesus Christ.

Those who are being called have all experienced this phenomenon; that as we grow and develop more and more of a spiritual keenness, the words of Jesus become so clear that we are amazed that we were unable to grasp their meanings before.  The words have not changed and the parables are still in the same wording but after receiving God's Spirit we are now able able to understand His teachings like never before.

It is not that Jesus hides these things from us in the wording, but these things are hidden from our understanding until we are ready to receive them and when we are in the right frame of mind in our spiritual life.  Jesus told His disciples:

John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

We must first be called and then reconciled to our heavenly Father and yield our hearts to obedience to Him no matter what. Then our hearts and minds will be given God's light to be able to see certain truths that we could not see before.  We may wonder if God is indeed really calling us at the beginning of our calling.  The evidence that we are ARE being called is that His Word is becoming understandable to us on a ever more deeper level. 

God cannot reveal anything to us if we He is not drawing us to Himself and if we do not have His Spirit.  If we at any time become unyielding and hold on to head-strong opinions; that will invariably prevent God from revealing any more truth to us.  If we should ever find ourselves in that state, then we need to quickly repent and ask God to keep us committed to growing constantly in His grace and knowledge.

Matthew 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Christ's teachings are in multiple layers and only as one becomes more and more converted are the deeper layers revealed. They are revealed to those who put forth the effort to live righteously according to all the ways of God in their lives and study to learn more and more of God truths. The principle of sowing and reaping comes into play as a result.

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And the more we keep learning and growing the more God will give to us. It is that simple.

Matthew 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Proverbs 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

And one of those rewards for those who sow righteousness by working at and digging for more understanding of God's truth will be rewarded with even deeper spiritual understanding of the things that Jesus teaches us.

As teachers called to teach God's truth to others it is imperative that we know and understand this concept of the parables and why they can only be understood by those who are truly following after our Lord and Savior.

If we are rightly teaching God's Word and doing the best job possible, it will only resonate with those that God is calling. It is sometimes hard to remember for the truth comes so easily to us and we can get somewhat frustrated and perhaps even discouraged when others just cannot seem to "get it" even though the teacher is making the truth so simple that a little child could understand.

Today we are learning to be good teachers in a world that cannot understand the spiritual things of God. This may seem vexatious but we should focus on the fact that teaching the Word today is a witness to humanity and at the same time we should be learning teaching skills.

Then when the Kingdom comes and God's spirit is poured out on all flesh; the people will be ready to hear and learn, and trained teachers will be ready to teach them.

God's called out people are those who value the wisdom of God and know that one way we gain wisdom is to go digging for it, to seek it out, and to seek out wise godly teachers that will instruct us properly and will explain to us the truth of God based on what God has to say in Scripture.

A gifted teacher will understand the value of God's Word and that knowing it and understanding it is the most valuable thing a person can seek after. A teacher that faithfully teaches others the truths of the Bible is giving the most valuable gift that they could possibly give, in the way of conveying the knowledge of that truth to others, the truth that sets one free; the knowledge that leads us to everlasting life with God in His Kingdom if we zealously heed God's words of wisdom and all of His teachings

Next week we will continue into more of the ways that we can emulate Jesus in His teaching methods. We will look at how Jesus used questions as a teaching method. The four Gospels show that Jesus asked many different questions during the three and one half years of teaching His disciples, and working with the crowds. The questions were always related to the lesson, and brilliantly appropriate for the particular person that He was dealing with. Both the question and the answer were consistently built into the very fabric of the lesson that He happen to be teaching. His responses were not merely, "yes, or no, or that's right", but He took the time to patiently answer everyone that came to Him and lovingly directed them to the "way that they should go" and how to understand the spiritual implications to what they wanted to know. Sometimes He would answer a question with a question to make the person think about what he was asking. We will do a whole article on this aspect of teaching next week.

To review the study on the gift of teaching that we gave a couple of months ago in conjunction with our subject on the office of teaching, here is the link to that Newsletter article The Gift of Teaching