“His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” Luke 8:9-10

Questioning is key. Perhaps you have heard someone state, “I know this is a dumb question but …” There is no such thing as a dumb question in that anyone willing to ask has a desire to know and learn.

A large crowd assembled to listen to Jesus as He told the parable of the seed and soil (Luke 8:4-8), but we are told that only His disciples questioned and desired to know more. As such, they were blessed to be “granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” Sincere seeking and questioning is the key that unlocks the important mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Discipleship involves inquiry. Genuine followers of Jesus don’t just listen; they ask. They want to understand and apply His teaching. It is also significant that Jesus says “to you it has been given.” Spiritual insight, while it must be sincerely sought, is in reality a gift given by our Rabbi, Jesus.

It is not that truth is unknowable in that it is a “mystery;” it is something once hidden but now revealed. How the kingdom grows, operates, and transforms is being revealed to those who truly follow Christ.

Jesus’ parables both reveal and conceal. Truth is revealed to the responsive, but to those resistant truth is obscured. The revelation of truth is exactly based on the soil/heart conditions that the parable is about. Those resistant to the profound kingdom truth found in Jesus’ simple parables are doomed to repeat Isaiah’s prophecy. Theirs will be an unprofitable pursuit: seeking to see but never gaining insight, seeking to hear but never truly perceiving.

Some important take-aways are that revelation is relational. Understanding the kingdom comes through closeness to Christ. Also, parables test the heart. They invite us to engage, reflect, and respond. The receptive gain light; the indifferent remain in darkness. Insight is granted (“it has been given”), yet we are accountable for how we hear and respond.

James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Insight into Jesus’ parables, and the truth of scripture at large, is conditional based upon our simple child-like inquiry. How much do we not understand because we have not simply asked our Teacher to reveal what He is greatly willing to reveal to us?

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