in case you were wondering...

When asked by the disciples why He spoke in parables, Christ said,

This is why I speak to them in parables: though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matt. 13-13-17)

In quoting Isaiah 6:9-10, Jesus claims that the prophesy has been fulfilled through the spiritually blind in their age. In Isaiah's time, the prophet was given this message to deliver to unfaithful Israel until the exile. In both instances, God has promised that these spiritual truths will be understood by a minority: the remnant of Israel that would serve Him faithfully in holiness.

I believe that we are living in another such age. Just as God previously called out remnants in a culture of tradition, idolatry, and what can best be described as spiritual prostitution, He is doing the same today. I have come to realize that those who see themselves as rich, healthy, and satisfied in their sin will not hear truth unless they acknowledge their blindness. Rather than further callous their hearts, I would prefer to speak to those willing to hear through narratives, word pictures, and yes, even some parables.