The following passage raises a few issues...
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the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with
their eyes and hear with
their ears,
Lest they should understand with
their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
16 But blessed
are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous
men desired to see what you see, and did not see
it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear
it.
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So, Jesus is saying that His message of Truth is purposely obscured so the lost who have become hard of heart will not be able to understand it.
So my first question is whether or not this is still the case.
Does this then explain resistance to the Gospel?
Does this mean that if we are not directed by God in our evangelism we can expend energy needlessly?
Does this suggest predestination?
Lastly this would seem to clash with...
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Comments greatly appreciated...