Why is Jesus Confusing?

[URA]

"Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” --Matthew 13​

All throughout the Gospels, Jesus has an odd, sometimes cryptic way of speaking. Trying to consider why He would do this, I'll share some of my thoughts, and I'd also like to hear yours.

Why is does Jesus speak mysteriously? Perhaps He wants us to put in effort to be able to fully understand Him. It seems as if He wants us to put in time, effort, and discussion if we want to get to know Him. He reaches out to us, and we need to invest time & effort & teamwork into completing the relationship.

An implication of this is something I thought of while reading this Sunday's readings; as Jesus sounds odd, and wants us to put in effort to understand Him, it should remind us that we need to treat everyone else the same way. Having been in Teaching positions, and sometimes around prisoners, I know how much people can seem like they're just a jerk, just lazy, but with effort & prayer, I can reach through to them, or at least see more of who they are than what I originally thought.

Thoughts

May God continue to bless us all, and may we see the face of God in everyone we meet!

 

[grasping the after wind]

Jesus answers the question.

Matt 13:
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 For truly I tell 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.

 

[Steve97]

Rabbis teach through stories and illustrations.

 

[zippy2006]

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:

‘You shall indeed hear but never understand,
and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are heavy of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should perceive with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.’

-Matthew 13​

I tend to think it is because Jesus understands the relation between morality and rationality, so to speak. Understanding involves the whole being. The wicked are prevented from understanding not because their ears don't work, but rather because their heart doesn't work.

 

[pasifika]

"Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” --Matthew 13​

All throughout the Gospels, Jesus has an odd, sometimes cryptic way of speaking. Trying to consider why He would do this, I'll share some of my thoughts, and I'd also like to hear yours.

Why is does Jesus speak mysteriously? Perhaps He wants us to put in effort to be able to fully understand Him. It seems as if He wants us to put in time, effort, and discussion if we want to get to know Him. He reaches out to us, and we need to invest time & effort & teamwork into completing the relationship.

An implication of this is something I thought of while reading this Sunday's readings; as Jesus sounds odd, and wants us to put in effort to understand Him, it should remind us that we need to treat everyone else the same way. Having been in Teaching positions, and sometimes around prisoners, I know how much people can seem like they're just a jerk, just lazy, but with effort & prayer, I can reach through to them, or at least see more of who they are than what I originally thought.

Thoughts

May God continue to bless us all, and may we see the face of God in everyone we meet!

Hello, the message here in Matthew 13 is about "knowledge" (knowledge of Christ )...this is Not the knowledge of this world But that from God...

Verse, 11-13...Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke to the people in parables...
First...those who has given this knowledge will be able to see and understand the message given in the parables... as a result they turn from their evil ways

Those who don't have this knowledge won't be able to understand it and to turn their lives around to Him...so He can heal them.

 

[Greengardener]

In addition to the scriptures used in explanation and the good conjectures offered, I find it interesting that the priests and religious leaders could have or should have understood the scriptures and implications Jesus spoke. They could have come closer to ask questions. But they were convinced they had checked off all the items on their "Now I'm OK" list, so they didn't have an interest in being further challenged to eye-opening realization that they had so totally missed the mark, turned to Him, and found healing. God still resists the proud, and it's such a temptation. Those religious leaders had so totally missed the mark that they were making their proselytes twice the child of hell that they themselves were, Jesus said. When the way back to God is blocked by the very people charged with holding the light, keeping the standard and holding the door open, something has to give.