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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
10
And his disciples came and said to him: Why speakest thou to them in parables?
7
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"One might wonder how His followers approached Him while He was on the vessel. However, it can be inferred from these words that they had already disembarked with Him and, standing nearby, sought clarification regarding the parable."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"It is truly remarkable that the disciples, despite their strong yearning to understand the reason behind Jesus Christ’s use of parables, take the initiative to ask Him this question. They do so privately, as indicated by Matthew’s account, stating that they approached Him. Furthermore, to emphasize my point and dispel any doubt, Mark clarifies that the disciples came to Him when He was isolated (Mark 4:10). This was the appropriate action for His family to take: not to summon Him from the house nor to draw attention to themselves. Observe also the profound love the disciples displayed, prioritizing the well-being of others before their own. They asked, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” They did not inquire, \\"Why do you speak to us in parables?\\" In several instances, they demonstrate their compassion for all, as seen when they ask, “Let the people go” (Luke 9:12) and question, “Do you weigh this because you are tempted?” (Matthew 15:12)."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Recognizing the uncertainty surrounding Christ's teachings, the disciples, acting as the primary stewards of the community, approached the Lord with an inquiry."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The teachings delivered through parables, like that of the sower, were unfamiliar to those who heard Jesus Christ. Consequently, when the multitude had departed and He found Himself alone, the disciples questioned Him, saying, ‘WHY DO YOU SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES? Until now, You have communicated so clearly, yet now You are speaking in obscure, metaphorical terms.’ St. John Chrysostom notes with wonder that despite their eagerness to understand why Jesus employs parables, the disciples chose this particular moment to voice their inquiry. It also highlights their deep love for others, emphasizing how they prioritized the welfare of the crowd above their own. They did not ask, ‘Why do You teach us in parables?’ and have shown their concern for all on other occasions, such as when they stated, ‘Let the people go (Luke 9:12)’ and when they inquired, ‘Do You know ... that ... have been tempted? (Matthew 15:12).’"},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Once Jesus concluded His parables, His disciples approached Him with a question: \\"Why do you communicate in parables?\\" Christ responded, \\"I use parables because while they see, they do not truly see; and although they hear, they do not comprehend. They are not blind or deaf in a literal sense, but they have been deceived by their misleading teachers—the scribes and Pharisees—diminishing their capacity to grasp the signs they have witnessed and the teachings they have received. The words of Isaiah are realized in them, which declare: ‘You shall hear by hearing, and not understand; and you shall look with your eyes, and not see; for the heart of this people is dull, and they can barely hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes; so that they should not see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, that I may heal them’ (Matthew 13:14-15; Isaiah 6:9-10). The moral decay of many leads them to intentionally become deaf to the truth and shut their eyes to the evident miracles, as if they are afraid that doing so might cause them to turn to God and receive salvation. However, Christ does not turn them away; rather, He continues to impart His teachings about the kingdom of heaven, albeit in a symbolic manner, allowing them to seek out the hidden meanings within the parables if they so desire. Those who genuinely wish to comprehend the parables and the teachings of Christ will be granted understanding, which will deepen over time; conversely, those lacking this desire will remain unresponsive to Christ's teachings, regardless of their presentation. The awareness of God that exists in all individuals, irrespective of their spiritual progression, will fade away from them, as it becomes useless in their hearts. Yet, for the Apostles who forsook worldly matters to follow Christ, their faith and earnest desire to adhere to His teachings enabled them to grasp what eludes others who lack faith and willingness. To them was revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.\\""},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Despite its remarkable simplicity and clarity, even the disciples struggled to grasp its significance. Upon the Savior’s return to the home of the apostle Peter in Capernaum, they eagerly sought its interpretation. This inquiry revealed that the parable had greatly impacted them and stirred a longing for understanding. The Savior willingly provided a thorough explanation of the parable to the apostles, who were to be His future successors. When questioned about why He taught the crowds in parables, He clarified that this method was the only effective way to convey His teachings to those who, “seeing see not, and hearing hear not, nor understand.” Drawing on the words of the prophet Isaiah, He noted that “the heart of these people is hardened, and they hear with their ears, and shut their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts.” The Savior intended that these vivid images would remain in the hearts of men so that, when they were more receptive, these symbols might lead them toward a deeper comprehension that was not yet accessible to them. The hidden truths of the kingdom of heaven were revealed only to the chosen disciples, to whom the Savior could also elucidate the external symbols of the parable as messengers of these profound mysteries."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After the Lord had sent away the crowds and went into the house with His disciples, those gathered around Him, along with the twelve apostles, approached Him with a question: “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He replied, “The reason is that it has been granted to you to grasp the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to them it has not been granted. For those on the outside, everything comes in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear or understand.” This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which states, “By hearing you will hear and not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.” (Is. 6:9-10). This prophecy, as cited by the Evangelist Matthew from the Septuagint, originally addressed the audience of the prophet Isaiah. The contemporaries of the Savior were not more enlightened than their forebears; in fact, their resistance was even greater, remaining deaf and blind to the proclamations and miracles of their Messiah. In contrast, the Lord’s disciples did not share this spiritual blindness; their eyes and ears had been opened to recognize the words of eternal life (John 6:68), and they were honored with special acknowledgment compared to the righteous of the Old Testament. “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, yet did not see it, and to hear what you hear, yet did not hear it.” St. John Chrysostom elaborates that this relates to the manifestation of Christ in the flesh, His miracles, and His teachings."}]}
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