Did You Get It?


Matthew 13:51-52
51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.”
52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Due to some mild dyslexia I struggled mightily in school with math. When my mind thought the number 36, I would inevitably write 63; or 84 rather that 48; or 12 rather than 21. You get the idea. That meant that each year I fell further and further behind in math. By the time I was in late elementary school I believed I was dumber than a post because I just couldn’t pull a good grade in math. Actually, I usually knew the correct answer, but couldn’t get it out on the paper. But, if the teacher asked the class if we understood the concept, I would dutifully shake my head in the affirmative just like everyone else. Whenever I read the interchange between Jesus and the Disciples after His parable teaching in Matthew 13 that we examine for today, I am reminded of those days. “Did you understand all of this?” “Yes,” they replied.

Did they truly get it? I don’t think so. In fact they were completely mystified most of the time. Jesus is often seen shaking His head over their ignorance. But they reply in the affirmative and in time (after the Ascension and the arrival of the Holy Spirit) they do get it with clarity and power. All of Jesus’ Words come rushing back for them and they are able to pull together their knowledge of the Old Testament and the teaching that Jesus did for them during their 3 years together. We stand in a truly blessed place in the history of the Church. We are able to see into both the Old and New Testaments and examine for ourselves the remarkable story that is found in the person of Jesus Christ. We are able to see clearly how He fulfills every single one of the numerous prophecies that are spoken of Him in the Old Testament as He walked this earth in the New. Because we stand in that enviable position of being able to bring together the Old with the New, we are charged to speak out those truths that we have been taught. It is our privilege to live out the startling truths we have been given with the wisdom of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. And you don’t have to have the “gift of teaching” to do that. All you have to do is live your faith in such a way as to allow others to see it. When that happens the kingdom is shared and you have been a blessing!

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