Luke 8:10 – [Jesus] said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'" (ESV)

Recently, I have been up a ladder making adjustments to my satellite dish, to see if I could get a better signal from the receiver for the television. The signal needs to be strong enough for the receiver to receive it and the quality good enough for the digital information to be deciphered into a picture.

As the satellite transmitter is hundreds of miles above the earth, very small amounts of adjustment of the dish up and down or side to side make a big difference. Reception can go from no picture at all to a full picture in a matter of only a degree or two of dish movement.

This made me think about how Jesus declared the kingdom of God, spreading His message to all who were able to receive it, understand it, and see the big picture. Many did not receive it because their focus was elsewhere. They wanted a king and messiah to deliver them and to reign on earth. They were a degree or two out, so they did not receive the kingdom of the suffering servant Messiah.

After Pentecost, there was no longer trouble with reception or decoding the message. The disciples were changed, tuned in to the will of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus continued the work of conveying the kingdom and its grace, peace, and love through their lives.

So it continues today: Jesus is still transmitting the message of the kingdom. It is just a matter of whether we are getting the picture, or whether we are willing to tune in to receive it.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for not giving up on us. You continue to connect with those of us who are willing to receive the message of hope and salvation that You died and rose again to bring us. We ask that we may hear Your Word to us today, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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