6/22/26

Mark 4:12 NASB95 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

The disciples ask Jesus why He speaks in parables. Our text is His explanation. In the previous verse He says, Mark 4:11 NASB95 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,

Those who have believed by faith, the Kingdom of God has been revealed so that we can understand it. This is because we who received God's grace of salvation by faith are then given the Holy Spirit to reveal and give understanding to us. However, to those who are on the outside (of the Kingdom of God) because they refuse to come in faith and receive His grace, will see but not perceive it.

They will see the glory of the invisible attributes of God and not perceive or make sense of what they are seeing. Jesus continues in our text saying, WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND. Once again, the same meaning, but using the sense of hearing. If they are unbelievers because they refuse to receive God's grace by faith, then although they will hear, they will not understand.

You see what Jesus is saying is, if I showed the Kingdom of God to them allowing them to perceive it, and I explained it so as to allow them to understand, then they would accept based on knowledge. As the end of the verse says, "OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.” Jesus is saying, because God requires us to come by faith I speak in parables, this way the unbeliever is still required to come by faith to receive God's grace.

God never changes his word. He requires faith to receive His grace. Everything is revealed behind a veil so as to require faith from the believer. Once we receive grace by faith we can see more clearly, hear more plainly, the veil is removed and we can have knowledge of what we believe.

The world wants to see it before they will believe it. God wants you to believe it before He will reveal it to you clearly.

May you see and hear by faith so that for eternity your faith will become sight and your hearing without distortion.

Praying for your faith to receive grace.

Praying for your faith to receive sight.

Praying for your faith to hear clearly.

Love Bro. Scott