Jesus spoke to his disciples often in parables and in his teaching to the multitudes. There were times when his disciples would ask for further clarification after the crowds had left. Jesus would explain the parables to them so that they could understand his teaching. The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables instead of speaking clearly? “And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Jesus spoke of his disciples being chosen as they had accepted his call to follow his leading.
Many of the crowds who followed Jesus did so to see signs and wonders. Others followed Jesus because he was able to multiply food and they wanted to fill their physical appetites. It takes more than our natural senses to understand the things of God. It also takes a desire to know God and a heart that is willing to search for him in order to find him. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The seeing and hearing that Jesus spoke about to his disciples related to more than the physical senses. Jesus wanted his disciples to learn to discern and see within the realms of the spirit.
We are spirit beings occupying a physical body and we came from an eternal God who is also a spirit. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Since God is a spirit and he created us in his own image and likeness, then it makes sense that we are spirit beings. We are made up of a soul, body and a spirit. It is our spirit being which becomes alive when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord. As we stay connected to God, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, we remain alive and continue to grow in God. It is our spirits that will remain after our physical bodies die. Our spirit man will live in eternity with God because our flesh cannot survive outside of this earth realm.
“We have to walk in the spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). We have to also remember that the flesh is at constant war with the spirit and it is the one that we feed the most that will win. Exercising spiritual discipline which keep us connected to Jesus Christ helps our spirits to grow. Gratifying the flesh by giving in to our desires allows the flesh to have domination. As we live in the spirit, feed our spirits with the word and remain connected through prayer, our spiritual senses will also be strengthened and renewed. We will develop a greater ability to hear in the spirit and to see within realms of the spirit what cannot be seen with natural eyes.
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:16).
A.P.-Y.
Devotional Inspirations 