From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Disciples Are Taught By Christ – Part 2

“The they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”     (Matthew 16:12)

Most people who heard Jesus’ teachings had no desire for the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:11b). The truths He declared that made so much sense to the apostles were lost on the crowds, as He noted: “While seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand . . . 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.”
                                     (Matthew 13:13, 15)

But Christ assured the disciples, “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear” (vs. 16). What made the difference is that the apostles were willing to learn from Jesus, which had nothing to do with their innate ability or intelligence. Just like the unbelieving masses, they were originally spiritually blind, but through faith, by the Spirit, our Lord enabled them to see and become disciples.

As Christians study the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to interpret it and apply it to their lives, the Father enables them to understand the most profound things of His kingdom. As with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, their hearts should burn with wonder and glory as Jesus Christ makes His truth come alive to them (Luke 24:32).

Ask Yourself:
How do you keep your heart willing to learn from God’s Word? During those seasons of time when this is harder than others, what have you discovered from persevering in Bible study, pushing past your desires for other pursuits to keep your devotion for Scripture alive?