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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
51
Have ye understood all these things? They say to him: Yes.
11
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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":"This message is directed towards the apostles, asking them, \\"Have you comprehended all these things?\\" The Lord desires that they, unlike others, not merely hear but truly grasp the teachings, as they are meant to be teachers themselves."},{"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":"Jesus Christ was also eager to clarify the remaining parables for His disciples. While their understanding may not have been flawless, it was nonetheless accurate."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Lord addresses not the crowds, but His disciples and those who grasp the meaning of His parables, offering them a significant affirmation. He likens them to Himself, referring to them as His students, for they have comprehended His teachings regarding the riches of both the new and the old. They recognize Him as the one who, like the scribes of knowledge, reveals the depths of both the Gospels and the Law, showing that they are part of the same valuable inheritance from the same Teacher."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Whether He intended this conclusion to signify what He referred to as the treasure hidden in the field, understood as the Holy Scriptures, encapsulated by the two Testaments, the New and the Old, or whether another Evangelist hints at a double-edged sword (Rev. 1:16) through such a conclusion; He spoke in parables. When He questioned them about their understanding, they claimed they did comprehend. Perhaps through this final analogy of a householder bringing forth from his storehouse the old and new, He aimed to illustrate that one who truly comprehends the Old Scriptures, presented in parables, while embracing the doctrines of faith from the New Testament, should be regarded as wise in the Church. Christ delivered these teachings in parables, even though He Himself represented their fulfillment, indicating that in Him, the former covenant was completed. It is as if He continued to communicate through parables until His Suffering rent the veil, leaving nothing veiled from revelation. What had been written about Him for the sake of such a great salvation was far more concealed. The Jews interpreted this literally and were resistant to being instructed in the kingdom of heaven (the Church), refusing to approach Christ, thus preventing the veil over their hearts from being removed."},{"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":"Observe how the parables deepened their understanding. Those who were otherwise considered uneducated and lacking in intelligence grasped the meaning conveyed, albeit imperfectly. Commending this insight, the Savior declared, “therefore every scribe,” and so forth. He refers to them as scribes, recognizing their knowledge of the law. However, despite their instruction in the law, they did not adhere strictly to it; rather, they grasped the essence of the kingdom, which is the revelation of Christ, and were thus equipped to explore the riches found in both the Old and New Testaments. Christ, the Teacher, embodies wealth, for within Him lie the treasures of wisdom. While introducing the new, He also offered evidence from the Old Testament. He stated, “Thou shalt also answer for an idle word” – this represents the new; then He affirmed, “By thy words thou shalt be justified and condemned” – this is the old. He is compared to the apostles, such as Paul, who proclaimed, “Be ye imitators of me, even as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 4:16)."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The core significance of these parables is evident. As the omniscient God, He undoubtedly comprehended their understanding; thus, He inquired about it in His human form."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord inquired of the disciples whether they grasped everything He had conveyed in the previous parables about the kingdom of God and humanity's response to it, and He was prepared to clarify any misunderstandings. Upon their affirmation of comprehension, He sought to motivate them to apply their insights to the mission of proclaiming the kingdom of God by imparting to them a fresh parable."},{"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":"After sharing this parable with His disciples, JESUS questioned them, “Do you comprehend all of this? If you don’t, I am willing to clarify it for you.” THEY RESPONDED, “Yes, LORD! We have grasped it all.”"},{"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":"After finishing His discourse with the disciples through parables, Jesus inquired, “Do you comprehend all this?” Once He was assured of their understanding from their response, He referred to them as scribes—though not in the sense of the Jewish scribes who allied with the Pharisees in their opposition to Him. Rather, these were scribes educated in the ways of the kingdom of heaven. The Jewish scribes possessed only an awareness of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah but lacked true comprehension. In contrast, the scribe enlightened by Christ's teachings, who understands both the old prophecies and the new revelations of the Kingdom of Heaven, will draw from both sources, like a wise steward who retrieves from his storehouse both new and old as needed. Thus, in their preaching, they will reference both the teachings of Christ and the Old Testament prophecies concerning Him.\\n\\nThe Jews anticipated the Messiah as a powerful ruler destined to dominate the world and reign eternally. However, the genuine Messiah, Christ the Son of God, arrived and proclaimed His message. Yet the Pharisees, scribes, chief priests, and Jewish leaders chose to reject this message, willfully shutting their eyes to the miraculous works of Jesus. They were unwilling to acknowledge the truths that contradicted their teachings or recognized the divinity of the Messiah, whose kingdom was not of this earthly realm; their hearts remained hardened by their obsessive fixation on a triumphant victor. \\n\\nThe Apostle Paul proclaimed the risen Christ at the Areopagus in Athens, but when he mentioned the Resurrection, some listeners scoffed while others responded, “We will hear you about this at another time” (Acts 17:32). Their refusal to engage stemmed from a similar obstinacy rooted in disbelief regarding the resurrection of the dead. This pattern persists today; many among the intellectual community—though not all—who lack familiarity with Jesus Christ or His Gospel, dismiss the simple faith they once held in their schooling in favor of a fashionable atheism, mistakenly believing it signifies intellectual advancement. They reject any discourse surrounding Christ the God-man, the Son of God. Influenced by thinkers like Büchner, Renan, Strauss, and Heckel, these intellectuals become entranced by erroneous ideologies, making it exceedingly challenging to awaken them from this intellectual stupor. \\n\\nOne skeptical student, grappling with a sense of purposelessness in life, expressed a deep yearning to discover its meaning. I suggested he explore the Gospel and the life of Jesus Christ to find clarity, to which he responded that entrenched doubts prevented him from even engaging with the Gospel text. Another instance involves a doctor I knew in Nice, an older man who also pondered the reason for our existence. He delved into reading the Gospel but found that his long-held skepticism obstructed his ability to study it with an open mind. Ultimately, he conveyed to me his envy of people with faith, lamenting his own inability to accept accounts from nearly two thousand years ago, claiming that there was no definitive evidence or criterion to support them.\\n\\nThe insights granted to individuals vary by divine providence, as God imparts understanding of the mysteries of His Kingdom to some while withholding it from others. However, it is incorrect to ascribe such disparities to God regarding the distribution of His profound gifts—the comprehension of these divine mysteries. God created humanity in His image, enabling every person to grasp the truths revealed by Christ. These revelations do not hinge on complex intellectual understanding; rather, they are simple and can be easily received, if not through the intellect, then through the heart. It is essential to have faith in Him who has unveiled these mysteries (John 6:28-29). One must either believe or become convinced that Christ is indeed the Son of God, thus affirming that every utterance from Him is truth. The capacity to either believe or be persuaded of Christ's divine nature lies within individuals themselves. \\n\\nShould someone approach the study of the Gospel with an open heart, liberated from the intellectual slumber induced by Büchner and his contemporaries, they provide themselves the chance to grasp the mysteries revealed by Christ. Conversely, if they remain impervious to awakening, entrapped in doubt, the truths unveiled by Christ will remain beyond their reach. In every instance of failure, the first inquiry ought to be whether we are responsible for our lack of success—that is, we should first question whether our own actions hinder our progress. Often, upon sincere reflection, one discovers that self is the true source of their setbacks. Thus, it seems fitting to interpret the Lord's declaration—that “it is given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them”—in this light: you, the Apostles, who renounced all worldly attachments, including property, family, and friendship, to follow Me, have accordingly gained the opportunity to understand the truths I have revealed. In contrast, those whose hearts have become hardened through selfishness and whose minds have been darkened by the erroneous teachings of the scribes and Pharisees find themselves unable to grasp these divine mysteries. Thus, the environment we cultivate for ourselves either fosters or obstructs our understanding of these profound truths. Those who create conditions ripe for knowledge will be granted insight, and such understanding will continue to grow; while those who place themselves in circumstances detrimental to discernment endanger their own capacity to attain it, alienating themselves from the innate human longing for God and the understanding of His nature."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"At the end of their discussion, the Lord sought to ensure clarity for the disciples by asking, “Do you understand all these things?” He shared a concise parable, illustrating that they ought to apply the knowledge they had gained about the Kingdom of God, much like a householder who utilizes both new and old items as needed. In this way, a scribe who comprehends the Kingdom of Heaven resembles a homemaker who draws from both new and old treasures. By grasping the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, the Apostles became scribes in a renewed and superior sense when compared to the Jewish scribes, enabling them to convey the teachings of Christ. As Blessed Theophylact explains, they worked to interconnect the old with the new law; by affirming the old with the new and elucidating the old, they were tasked with steering everything towards a singular purpose—the advancement and establishment of Christ's gracious Kingdom on earth."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Here is the Lord's initial teaching on the mysteries of the kingdom of God, which reveals the essence of His private guidance to His apostles through parables. Upon its conclusion, the Lord asked them once more if they had comprehended everything. When they affirmed this, He illustrated with a new parable that, having gained knowledge of the hidden truths of the kingdom of heaven, they had become like scribes—not simply scribes familiar with the old teachings, but scribes in a renewed sense, acquainted with the new revelations of God. Just as a prudent master who possesses offerings from both the previous year and the current one is never at a loss in meeting the obligations of the law, so too should they fulfill their ministry by timely revealing to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God that they have learned, drawing from both the old and the new teachings. By engaging with the old, which the audience already understands, they can connect with their mindset; through the new, which is unfamiliar, they can expand their knowledge. They can apply fundamental principles of spiritual growth to new scenarios, a new ministry, and a new kingdom of God; from the old, new insights can be formed, utilizing everything for the glory of God's kingdom."}]}
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