Jesus Concealment

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the boy, the disciples “were afraid to ask him about it” (Luke 9:43). Before, when Jesus would say something that they didn’t understand, they would ask Jesus about it. But in this case, the disciples stopped asking. Perhaps it was the choice of the disciples for the words of Jesus to remain hidden, not the choice of Jesus. The disciples stopped seeking. They hid from the words of Jesus, rather than Jesus hiding his words from them.

Jesus often spoke in parables, and the deeper meaning of these parables was frequently difficult to discern. In the parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-8), a seed is scattered on four types of ground. On the hard ground, the seed won’t even sprout, on the stony ground the seeds germinate, but can’t take root; on the thorny ground, the seeds grow, but are suffocated by the thorns; on the good ground, the seed produces fruit. Jesus explains the parable. The seed is the God’s Word. The hard ground is a sinner who hears but doesn’t understand. The stony ground is a man whose faith is weak and disappears when times are difficult. The thorny ground refers to one who enjoys the pleasures of the world and does not have time for God’s Word. The good ground is the one who hears the Word, receives it and allows it to change him. The lesson is that how man receives God’s word is determined by his heart and that salvation requires more than just hearing the gospel, but one must also understand it. There are two layers here – a parable that is difficult to understand and that is itself about the need to understand. The words of Jesus will remain hidden behind these parables, until the disciples open their minds and hearts in order to fully understand it.

At one point, Jesus would only explain the parables to his disciples. The disciples had been given the gift of spiritual understanding. Those who rejected Jesus’ truths were left to wonder about the meaning of the parables. The disciples, however, accepted Jesus’ truth and so were given more truths by Jesus. To those who have a real thirst for the truth of God, the parable is a very good way to deliver those truths. The parables contain many truths in few words, and they are an effective way of delivering important messages for those who want to hear.

The people were expecting a military or political leader and could not understand a leader like Jesus who would lead with love and die for them. Jesus mission was to save people, not from an external enemy, but from their sins. God wants people to put some effort into understanding and for their hearts to be open and receptive to the truth. Much of Jesus’ teaching was hidden, but just to those who refused to hear. Those who wanted to understand his words could study them until they understood or until God would reveal their meaning. Those who refused to hear them would not be forced to understand them.

The period of Jesus’ parables only lasted three years. After Jesus’ resurrection, there were no more parables and Jesus spoke in clear words to all. The more difficult to understand parables that had only been explained to the disciples were now understood by all. Once people became followers of Jesus, they could then understand the hidden meanings. Meaning were only hidden for a short time, and were always available to anyone whose heart was open to understanding. Understanding is gained not by study, but only by a genuine desire to see and understand. People must choose to seek God, and by showing their desire to seek Him through their actions, they demonstrate their desire to understand. Jesus wanted people to ask questions as a way to demonstrate their desire for understanding. The parables were tools in getting people to think and were also a way for Jesus to teach about his own mission. Jesus did not want the truth of God to be given or shown to them through miracles, but rather for the people to desire and come to an understanding of the truth of God in their hearts.

Jesus wants them to grapple with the mightiness of God, so he speaks in parables. He doesn’t want them to fully see the awesomeness of God and to just accept it. He wants them to strive and try to understand, because if they work towards trying to understand God, then they will believe in him more. If they fully understand God right away, then he won’t seem special to them. Concealment shows that God is hidden, that it is extremely difficult to fully see him. Rather, the disciples and followers should try to uncover God, and they should try their hardest to see what they can see. Jesus got the attention of the disciples by telling them: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:2-3). He told them that they should continue to believe in him, because even if they don’t fully understand everything right now, they will one day.

At the last meeting Jesus had with his disciples after his resurrection, we read: “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44-45). Truths are hidden only temporarily as a means of revelation.

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