Mark 4:11 ~
"And He said to them, 'To you it has been given to know the mystery of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables."
It has been given - the mystery was already granted - and there is no understanding of mystery apart from the giving. It is a story we can not read and a tale we are yet, too weak to tell - it was all entirely gifted.
Blind eyes open ~ Gift. Deaf ears hear ~ Gift. Minds unclouded ~ Gift. Spirits awakened ~ Gift. Sins forgiven ~ Gift. Savior born ~ Gift. Savior dies ~ Gift. Savior lives again, victoriously ~ surely GIFT.
And yet ~
" . . . but to those who are outside . . . "
This "outside " is a telling tale - the "inside" and the "outside" is not as we know being "in" or being "out" - the "in" and the "out" of mankind is yet only a self serving caste, used to satisfy the greed of man's propensity to promote self, and only self. But, Jesus spoke of an "outside" that entails nothing of the values that we so foolishly esteem; nothing of race or religion, certainly not of wealth, power or prestige (for the One who defines "inside" and "outside" was brought forth in a manager), it is not yet of dress or charm, further more nothing to do with degrees on the door or the size of the office, whom you deem "friends" is of no consequence and the number of your followers or likes matters not.
The "in" and the "out" are certainly a matter of the heart.
A heart fully surrendered is "in" and one divided is "out". For man can not serve two masters.
One can live in complete poverty, never having the opportunity to be of this "learned age", the letters on this page may hold no value to him beyond a muddled mess, a garbled lot - and yet, his heart is "in" and Master Teacher teaches him of marvelous mystery! And man of poverty is esteemed by the heavens as genius untold.
And to us here in the oh, so modern marvel of the 21st century ~ the "information age" ~ with knowledge laying at our fingertips, and yet, so we are so dull in the mind and dark about the eyes of understanding, that we can not grasp at the genius of the Gospel.
Because for all of our knowledge, technology and modern advances, we live a new dark ages, and the light is dimming. Fading is our window of opportunity to grasp genius of Gospel.
And the size of the sanctuary, nor the few dollars sent abroad to those "heathen nations" determines not whether you sit "inside" or "outside." It is a matter of the surrendered heart and no amount of theological degrees determines a man's desire to surrender and your position "on staff" in that burgeoning ministry, certainly does not mean you have mastered your proud and sinful heart.
The Mystery of the Ages was given into a manager and the Giver gifted the eyes to see and the ears to hear, but out light of day is setting, and our time to see is rapidly diminishing.
There are many "outside" who hear the parable, sit under the teaching and yet never truly know the Mystery; for this road is narrow.
The difference of the hearing of the parables and the knowing the Mystery will differentiate throughout all of eternity.
"And He said to them, 'To you it has been given to know the mystery of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables."
It has been given - the mystery was already granted - and there is no understanding of mystery apart from the giving. It is a story we can not read and a tale we are yet, too weak to tell - it was all entirely gifted.
Blind eyes open ~ Gift. Deaf ears hear ~ Gift. Minds unclouded ~ Gift. Spirits awakened ~ Gift. Sins forgiven ~ Gift. Savior born ~ Gift. Savior dies ~ Gift. Savior lives again, victoriously ~ surely GIFT.
And yet ~
" . . . but to those who are outside . . . "
This "outside " is a telling tale - the "inside" and the "outside" is not as we know being "in" or being "out" - the "in" and the "out" of mankind is yet only a self serving caste, used to satisfy the greed of man's propensity to promote self, and only self. But, Jesus spoke of an "outside" that entails nothing of the values that we so foolishly esteem; nothing of race or religion, certainly not of wealth, power or prestige (for the One who defines "inside" and "outside" was brought forth in a manager), it is not yet of dress or charm, further more nothing to do with degrees on the door or the size of the office, whom you deem "friends" is of no consequence and the number of your followers or likes matters not.
The "in" and the "out" are certainly a matter of the heart.
A heart fully surrendered is "in" and one divided is "out". For man can not serve two masters.
One can live in complete poverty, never having the opportunity to be of this "learned age", the letters on this page may hold no value to him beyond a muddled mess, a garbled lot - and yet, his heart is "in" and Master Teacher teaches him of marvelous mystery! And man of poverty is esteemed by the heavens as genius untold.
And to us here in the oh, so modern marvel of the 21st century ~ the "information age" ~ with knowledge laying at our fingertips, and yet, so we are so dull in the mind and dark about the eyes of understanding, that we can not grasp at the genius of the Gospel.
Because for all of our knowledge, technology and modern advances, we live a new dark ages, and the light is dimming. Fading is our window of opportunity to grasp genius of Gospel.
And the size of the sanctuary, nor the few dollars sent abroad to those "heathen nations" determines not whether you sit "inside" or "outside." It is a matter of the surrendered heart and no amount of theological degrees determines a man's desire to surrender and your position "on staff" in that burgeoning ministry, certainly does not mean you have mastered your proud and sinful heart.
The Mystery of the Ages was given into a manager and the Giver gifted the eyes to see and the ears to hear, but out light of day is setting, and our time to see is rapidly diminishing.
There are many "outside" who hear the parable, sit under the teaching and yet never truly know the Mystery; for this road is narrow.
The difference of the hearing of the parables and the knowing the Mystery will differentiate throughout all of eternity.
