WITHOUT A PARABLE
Mark 4:33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
It seems that suddenly our Lord begins the exclusive use of parables for his public teaching. The word “parables” doesn’t show up in our bibles until Matthew 13:3. And do you realize just how much public teaching he has already done by that time without their use? The great and precious “Sermon on the Mount” in chapters five, six and seven of Matthew are without a single parable! So just what has caused the seemingly abrupt beginning of their usage? Let us see what we can find out.
Mark 3:20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. 22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. In this passage we see that when the vast multitudes began to amass around him, there was a work of the Satanic spirit raised up against him. For Satan, as the strong man, now reacts to the stronger man, come to bind him, and spoil him of the souls of men that he was taking captive at his will. And we see that even Jesus’ family, (here designated as “his friends”), ashamed of him and his actions, proclaimed that he was “beside himself,” implying that he must be possessed! And THAT, dear Reader is the reason for the teaching in parables!
Listen how he warns them of this seemingly common occurrence in his world, even among his family: Mark 3:27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. He severely warns them all against the greatest unforgivable sin; that of identifying the Holy Spirit, fully indwelling him, as the Devil! That blasphemy shall never be forgiven!
And notice in this succession of verses in Mark’s record that even his natural family was at risk of eternal damnation, except they find themselves among those born of the Spirit into his spiritual family! Mark 3:31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Then let us notice again, recorded in the very next verses, that this is when the parables begin! Mark 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
The use of parables will be the answer to Judas’ question recorded in John 14:22: Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? He answers this to the disciples privately. Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. Everyone, without exception is healed physically. All you needed in order to be healed by the Lord Jesus was to be sick! But not everyone was healed spiritually! For those who did not receive him as God the Son, were not given saving understanding of his word!
Dear Reader, THAT is antichrist! For antichrist is not some spooky, horned monster concocted by Hollywood! But antichrists are just everyday people who do not give the honor and glory to Jesus Christ as being the Eternal Son of God after hearing the gospel! 1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. And one of their characteristics is that they cannot hear to their soul’s benefit, the preaching of the gospel! And that is how the satanic spirit of error is detected in even seemingly good ‘moral’ persons! 1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
And we are virtually surrounded by these religious, but unsaved people – these antichrists – in our nation! 1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. For to deny the Person of the Word (John 1:1,2,14), is to seal one’s self off from the benefit of the printed word! John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. There are many thousands in our nation who believe that it is their relationship with the scriptures that provides them with eternal life! But Satan even quoted the scriptures to the Lord in his temptation, and I really don’t think he is a saved believer, do you?!?
But listen to the glorious record of the Son praying to the Father in the Spirit. The entirety of the Trinity is in agreement here. John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. In this prayer it is clearly seen that the first priority of the Trinity is the glory of God! (v.1). The second priority is the absolute Lordship of the Son! (v.2). And the third priority is the salvation of those given the Son by the Father. (v.3). And this last is to be accomplished by their coming to know Him, personally! For here is clearly set forth to all, that life eternal is only to be had by knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ! Therefore one cannot know the spirituality of the scriptures without a received revelation of the Person of the Living Word – Jesus Christ! For failing to know him is a failure of having life eternal!
They call him Lord, in order to fulfill religion’s demands, but will not have him as the Person of Lord ruling over their person! Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
The gospel is but a heavenly report of that which the Lord Jesus did and taught in his earthly ministry! Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Luke here clearly tells his friend, Theophilus that the writing we know as the Gospel of Luke only contained that which Jesus did and taught! And here is an example from that writing: Luke 8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And again in the last chapter: Luke 24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
He instructs us that if we do not believe his words, we should believe him for his very works sake. John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. For no other individual who ever lived upon the face of this earth ever did those things which he accomplished. John 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. Dear Soul, Jesus Christ is either the very Son of God, or he is the biggest fraud ever to set foot on earth! It is either one or the other!
And all those who do receive him as the Eternal Son of God are given a spiritual understanding of the scriptures. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
But those who do not receive the Person of Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son of God and bow to his Lordship shall not be given the understanding to discern the spiritual meaning of the Holy Writ! Listen again as he instructs his disciples of this. Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. For here in verse eleven, he not only instructs that any farther revelation of the mysteries of the kingdom is not given to those who receive him not. But he also adds to this in verse twelve, that those who have not the Son of God as Savior shall even have that which they previously understood taken away from them! It is only those who have Him that shall have additional understanding of the kingdom added to them!
And when we consider the three soils (Mark 4:1ff), in which the sower spread the seed of the word, we find that for the way side, the stony ground, and the thorny ground hearers there was no fruit brought forth unto perfection. For even though the seed germinated on both the rocky and thorny ground, there was no continuation of growth for fruit bearing. And how many thousands of souls have, at first, gotten excited about religion only to lose interest in it due to the world’s distractions? So even that which they had was indeed, taken away! There are so many of these that religious orders have had to invent “the carnal christian” theory in order to account for them. But there can no more be a “carnal christian,” than there can be a “heavenly devil!” For God saves his people FROM their sins, not IN them! (Matt. 1:21). These just never came to embrace the Person of Jesus Christ. They became illuminated, but not regenerated. They were counterfeited, but not converted.
These then become physically living, but spiritually dead men! 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Now they are seen to be but dogs and sows. And you cannot turn a dog or a pig into a sheep!
Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Those enlightened once by the gospel, but reject the Lord Christ, having been given a “taste” of that “good word,” are now impossible to bring back to a ‘clean slate’ to have opportunity to repent as before they heard.
For now they are in a wholly different category of being “lost” then ever before. For as soon as the gospel minister has set forth Christ before them, and they refuse to bow, they “immediately” (Mark 4:15), have to deal with Satan’s blinding them from ever seeing clearly again! 2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
There are those who freely use the word “Lord,” but have no intention of yielding obedience to him. Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? But those who bow in obedience to his sovereign Lordship have a spiritual understanding of Christ’s doctrine. John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Pastor Gene Breed.
