And this was in spite of the fact that these evidential miracles were those foretold in the Old Testament

identifying Him as Israel's Messiah and King (Isaiah 35:5,6). The Lord goes so far as to say that even Sodom would

have repented if they had witnessed such tremendous works (verse 23). How true it is that much light inevitably

brings much responsibility (compare Amos 3:2). It is impossible for it to be otherwise.

The Lord Jesus then presents Himself as the One greater than the Temple with its priesthood (12:6), greater than

the prophet Jonah (verse 39), and greater than king Solomon (verse 42) and in each of these capacities, Prophet,

Priest, and King He was rejected by the nation. The most favoured generation since the fall of man deliberately

turns away from Him Who is `King of kings, and Lord of lords' and in so doing was rejected by the Lord Himself. It

is important to note Christ's insistence on the culpability of `this generation'. They were `evil', `adulterous',

`faithless and perverse' (12:39; 16:4; 17:17). No wonder He said the kingdom would be taken from them and given

to another nation (see Matt. 21:43). Here we must take care and not assume that this must mean a Gentile nation, for

the word is used of Israel in John 11:51 and Acts 24:17. We have seen previously that the clear testimony of the

Word of God is that God's covenants and promises to Israel are irrevocable as Jeremiah 33:24-26, Romans 9:3-5;

11:25-29 and other Scriptures clearly show.

The fulfilment of these divine promises may be interrupted through the nation's failure, but they can never be

altered or abrogated. Hosea revealed that through Israel's apostasy, they would be laid aside in unbelief temporarily

and become lo-ammi - `not My people'. Yet there would be restoration and they would become `My people' again

(Hosea 1:9,10; 2:23). The final restoring of Israel will produce the nation that finally believes, is saved and re-

commissioned by God as our Old Testament studies revealed. The difference between these two `nations' is moral

and spiritual, not racial.

The rejection of the Lord by the nation of Israel clearly recorded in Matthew 11 and 12 is followed by a change

in His ministry. For the first time the Lord Jesus introduces parables into His teaching as the query by the disciples

in Matthew 13:10 makes evident. Furthermore, a study of the Lord's reply as to why He spoke in parables gives us a

very different conception of parables from the popular view of them. Too often parabolic teaching has been

construed as an easy way of teaching children and beginners by giving them simple stories as illustrations. But this

idea is demolished by what the Lord actually said:

`And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said

unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries (secrets) of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it

is not given ... Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not,

neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall

hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people's heart is waxed

gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with

their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should

heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear' (Matt. 13:10-16).

Surely it is evident from these words that parables veil truth, rather than making truth simpler and easier of

understanding. The leaders and the people had deliberately closed their eyes and deafened their ears to the Lord's

ministry so that, instead of divine understanding, darkness and misunderstanding inevitably followed. The Lord's

quotation from Isaiah 6, one of three solemn occurrences in the New Testament, showed clearly the cause of their

rejection of Him and His regal claim. Each of these quotations occurs at a time of great crisis for Israel (Matt.

13:14,15; John 12:37-40; Acts 28:17, 23-28) and are of supreme importance in the outworking of the purpose of the

ages which relates to the kingdom on earth.

Not only do we have the first occurrence of parables in Matthew 13, but also of the word `mystery'. It is

important to realize that this word in the original does not signify something puzzling or mysterious, but rather that

which is secret and cannot be known unless it is revealed. By rejecting their Messiah, Israel had blinded their own

eyes and in consequence the Lord Jesus now veils the truth from them in presenting it in parabolic form and speaks

of secrets (mysteries) in connection with the kingdom of heaven. Failure is usually in the background of this word

There are eight not seven parables of the kingdom of heaven recorded in Matthew 13, and they are grouped as

shown on the next page.