Bible Truth #391 - Matthew 13:10-15

Matthew 13:10-15

10  And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11  Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

12  “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

13  “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14  “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

15  FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

There may be some who claim that the people were closing their own eyes as Jesus said in v15. But are there things going on beyond what they appear? Yes.

I would like first to point out that if you consider a lost man “opening his eyes to the Gospel and spiritual truths” as pleasing to God, then it contradicts Romans 8:8 where Paul tells us a lost man cannot please God. If you consider a lost man “opening his eyes to the Gospel and spiritual truths” as NOT pleasing to God (i.e. sin), why would God then quicken that lost man’s spirit - saving him, and grant him belief, repentance, and understanding?

If a lost man alone is responsible for closing his own eyes, he did it because that is the only thing he is able to do. Man in his natural state is Totally Depraved. He will not seek God (Romans 3:10-12), nor will he understand anything from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The second point I want you to consider is that Jesus was quoting the Prophet Isaiah where it is written:

Isaiah 6:9-10

9  He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’

10  “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

These people, of whom Jesus was telling His disciples, are even worse off because it was God Himself that was ordering their steps and making them close their eyes (Proverbs 16:9). Not only do these lost people hate the Lord (John 3:20) and will never come to Him, God is working in them just as He works in the enemies of Israel to make them hate His chosen people (Psalm 105:25).

God rendered them blind and God closed their eyes. These people didn’t close their eyes of their own volition. See Bible Truth #386 for more discussion on those two verses.

Either way you look at it, we become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13).