“When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret^[a] of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; ¹² in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”

¹³ And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?” Mark 4:10-13

The Prophet Jeremiah (Jer 6:9 – 10) is called by God to be a prophet who will proclaim to the people, “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; Keep looking, but do not understand.” G-d then tells Jeremiah that he is to make the mind of the people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes so that they may not comprehend. Jeremiah asks, “How long, O Lord?” And G-d tells Jeremiah, “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant…and the land is utterly desolate.” Not the way that a prophet wants to begin his or her career – preaching to people whom G-d ordains will not listen, and will not comprehend until it is too late. Jesus adopts this text from Jeremiah when he says that he tells parables for the same reason – that the people who do not have the “secret of the Kingdom of G-d” will not understand.

Harsh words from the Gospel of Mark – yet many might say that our society is too far gone to try to save from their own destruction – that our society has too many people who will not accept the “secret of the Kingdom of G-d”. But, as the prophet Jeremiah was called to preach to people who would not listen, we also are called to a people who seem to have their ears shut and eyes closed. How long?  Until the end comes, or our end comes – but we can’t give up – because Jesus would never give up.

Pastor Dave