Post 51 / The Next Language

A Muted Gospel?

I was thinking about the Isaiah 6 passage and connected it with some New Testament parables.

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. (Isa 6:9 KJV)

What kind of a message would that be? Maybe we have a clue when Christ started telling the disciples why He taught in parables.

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 of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 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. (Matt. 13:10-15 KJV)

Was Jesus indicating something about how we should be communicating the Gospel?  Or was Jesus managing His own ministry in such a way as to accomplish His own death and resurrection?

I am inclined to think that Jesus was doing the latter. At the peak of his popularity there were thousands that wanted to establish Him in a political way to confront Rome. Even after the triumphal entry He was more interested in cleansing the temple than confronting Pilate. He knew that both the Jewish leadership and Rome had to be involved to accomplish the details of His death on the cross. The evidence indicates that Pilate was reluctant but the Jews took the bulk of the blame, calling for Jesus’ “innocent” blood to be on them and threatening Pilate with blackmail if he didn’t kill this “king of the Jews.” Paul later claims that if the powers of hell had known the death of Jesus was their own ruination- they would not have done it.

Today, we have no such tightrope to walk. I don’t think we can err too far on the side of making the message simple, clear and direct. Here is what Paul said to the Corinthians on two occasions.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1Co 4:5 KJV)
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (2Co 4:2 KJV)

Let us “manifest the truth.”

God Bless,

Larry DeVilbiss | Executive Director

Global Recordings Network USA

 

Previous “The Next Language” posts
Dedication Service for Marcos – Post 50
Two Weeks, Two Months, Two Years – Post 49
What Will You Give to Jesus – Post 48
Special Assignment – Post 47
The Good and the Best – Post 46
How Many Languages Are There? – Post 45
Verifying Speech Varieties – Post 44
Those God Things – Post 43
Meet Notch, the Desert Cottontail – Post 42
The Lost Languages – Post 41
The Rest of the Yoke – Post 40
What About Those Last Languages – Post 39
A Yoke That Fits – Post 38
The Other Side – Post 37
It Is Finished – Post 36
On the Ground in Culiacan – Post 35
I Will Go With Thee – Post 34
Unseen Warfare – Post 33
God of the Gaps – Post 32
The Father of Faith Missions – Post 31
WAIT – Post 30
Our Ultimate Weapon – Post 29
What Are You Doing Here – Post 28
Recordist Training Course Update – Post 27
Still Shameful – Post 26
Numbers Update – Post 25
The Gospel and Idolatry – Post 24
Could Ye Not Pray – Post 23
John the Baptist and the New Normal – Post 22
Genesis of a Script – Post 21
Embena Experiences – Post 20
An Easter Like No Other – Post 19
Go Or Stay Home – Post 18
The Next Language – Post 17
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