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Kingdom Mystery

"To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven..."1

This word for know means I come to know, learn, realize (ginṓskō – properly, to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance)). This realization is an experiential knowing, as there is substance and evidence. Mary said to the angel, "How will this be since I do not know." How will I know such, I have no experience, I am a virgin. Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Now, we see two different words and two different ways to know; Zechariahs' know was different, it is gnōsomai, it is not a faith based question seeking to understand, it is like Sarah's laugh about the birth of Isaac.2 
 
Lord, help me to understand, to know, help my unbelief. This type of understanding or knowing, first-hand acquaintance, is the basis of faith. The opposite type of knowing, Jesus accused the Pharisees and scribes of, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God." When we are taught by others what to believe, then we too accept this type of understanding, as only Jesus can give us understanding. "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted." Does not God desire all men to come to know Him? 

Jesus said He spoke in parables to the people because they did not understand, they did not know the scriptures. Of course they had knowledge of the scriptures, but they did not have heavenly understanding. The people sought Jesus because they understood the kingdom of heaven in a small way, an earthly manner, their bellies had been filled, they wanted to take Jesus and make Him an earthly king, they wanted liberty from the Romans, sound familiar? The Israelites were in bondage first in Egypt, then the Babylonians, now here in their own land, to the Romans. This dependence on earthly understanding will not give them liberty, what they needed was to set their eyes on the spiritual, bread from heaven. Giving, sacrifice, rewards, obedience, etc... these are principles of God, but they can't author faith nor perfect it.

Jesus, the object of our faith, gives this understanding. Jesus is the Author of Salvation. The only way we can come to Jesus is by faith, and it is He who is the Author of Faith, it is by Faith we are saved. Nothing less, nothing more. This understanding comes from Jesus, faith comes by hearing His words, but more than earthly hearing. He is the Bread from Heaven so we must Eat this bread, and Jesus said, it is laboring into the spiritual instead of the physical. How do I work for this bread? how do I understand? how do I believe? I am the bread, Jesus said, there is a "buying" of the bread. This to know means I come to know, learn, and realize. I come to this realization by no other means but by Faith. What is faith you say? and here we are, faith, you need to come to this realization, this understanding given by Jesus, only you and Him can.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."10 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Some have described faith like a chair that we learn to trust, to sit in. Trust is important we must trust to believe something is trustworthy, but faith is unseen, the chair would have to be invisible. Faith we have no understanding of, nor realization of, until it happens, it is a contradiction to our earthly senses. Faith must be realized. Faith has been described as the conduit to God, but Jesus said His words were Spirit and Truth, the Gospel is heard but the Spirit of God draws men to God, so is not the conduit the Spirit? we must have both, Spirit and Truth. Jesus is the Door, is it not through Faith we are saved through? only through the Gate or Door can you get into the Kingdom.

Jesus said He gives this understanding but we must labor into it. "Work not for the food perishing, but for the food enduring unto eternal life which the Son of Man will give..." This verse says it all, Jesus will give you this Faith, it is the work of God, our part is to work into this believing in Him.11 This word for believing is pisteúō (from pístis, "faith, trust" derived from peíthō "persuade, be persuaded of what is trustworthy.") It is a buying, a realization, of the Words of Jesus, and it is based upon Trust. So it is hearing the truth, this brings human reasoning (is this true, can I trust it...) this is our laboring and then comes God's work, a divine persuasion and understanding (knowing.) The Hebrew word for truth, qoshet, actually means balance; equity (as evenly weighed), i.e. reality. 

This reality or understanding is given by Jesus, and to those who have it, more will be given... "The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”14 They can not understand until they have it, so Jesus speaks to them in parables, "For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed," Parables help to the understanding, so hopefully they will see, hear, and understand... Blessed are those who understand. 

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Yes, the people of Abraham are of this understanding as it was hidden in the Father in the beginning, spoken to Abraham. Moses wrote about it, and lifted this up for people to see, some did and some did not. "But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear."15 By Faith we are the sons of Abraham.

When someone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it... it is received in the heart but the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is sad but it is truth, the Word was sown in his heart. Now we see that the "buying" in is more than a heart issue, it is one of understanding also. Jesus is the fertile soil we grow our roots deep in.12 And He is the giver of understanding of the mysteries of the Kingdom. So we see this principle of Faith, it is sown in the heart, fertile soil, through the understanding given by Jesus. 

"To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?" It is like finding treasure and giving up all to possess it, it is asking persistently knowing you shall receive, and it is without timidity knocking for the door to be opened. "Indeed, everyone asking receives and the one seeking finds, and the one knocking it will be opened."15 Give me this understanding!

This understanding to the mysteries of the kingdom, is the same as that which Moses wrote about, the same bread from heaven they ate, the rock they drank from, the one that would follow, Christ.16 This key to understanding is Faith, the gospel was preached to Abraham and by this understanding Abraham believed, had faith. By Grace through Faith we are saved. This understanding or faith is the key to the kingdom.16 Very few men understand such a thing.

If Jesus is the Word of God and Author of Faith and Author of Salvation then Faith=Word=Jesus=Salvation. Jesus "gives" this understanding, Like he did to the early apostles this understanding, reality, persuasion, he gives and it is called Faith. Faith authors Salvation by Faith which is authored in us by the Word, whose name is Jesus, Author of Salvation. In no other name will men be saved, knowing Him is a first-hand acquaintance to the mysteries of the Kingdom.

 Jesus gives understanding, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, knowing is faith; faith is given and when we have it, we are given more, Faith is authored and being perfected by Jesus. 




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