"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable./And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?"
Parables are meant to separate those who are born of the flesh from those who are born of the Spirit. Jesus asking his disciples as mentioned in the key text reveals his disciples were of the same league as that of Nicodemus. But one thing which was crucial for being born of the the Spirit was in favour of St Peter. When many disciples turned away from him Simon Peter believed. " Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life./And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."( John 6:88-69). This was before the outpouring of the Spirit and his lifeline was alone the word of God as the voice and the sign before him. This is what the Spirit means of having the seed in itself.' Israel made light of it so Jesus castigated them, as blind guides. "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up./Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matt.15:13-14) Here we have the Spirit giving a reason why Jesus spoke to them in parables. "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,/This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me./But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Their heart was far from God. Tell this to the pastors who preach 'prosperity'. In our very midst we have such specimens, Pharisaical in garb of TV preachers. Heaven help us!
Jesus knew beforehand who are they as he knew Judas what he would do. But as the Word become flesh his Spirit to give a chance to redeem himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him."
"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable./And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?"
Parables are meant to separate those who are born of the flesh from those who are born of the Spirit. Jesus asking his disciples as mentioned in the key text reveals his disciples were of the same league as that of Nicodemus. But one thing which was crucial for being born of the the Spirit was in favour of St Peter. When many disciples turned away from him Simon Peter believed. " Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life./And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."( John 6:88-69). This was before the outpouring of the Spirit and his lifeline was alone the word of God as the voice and the sign before him. This is what the Spirit means of having the seed in itself.' Israel made light of it so Jesus castigated them, as blind guides. "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up./Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matt.15:13-14) Here we have the Spirit giving a reason why Jesus spoke to them in parables. "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,/This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me./But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Their heart was far from God. Tell this to the pastors who preach 'prosperity'. In our very midst we have such specimens, Pharisaical in garb of TV preachers. Heaven help us!
Jesus knew beforehand who are they as he knew Judas what he would do. But as the Word become flesh his Spirit to give a chance to redeem himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him."
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