Matthew 13:13

Matthew 13:13

Christ here touches upon a common fact of our human nature spiritual insensibility; that state in which spiritual things pass before a man, and instead of being beautiful and blessed realities they are meaningless to him. Nor is there anything strange or fanciful in this representation. Men come in contact with nature, art, charity, and yet are insensible to them; and, similarly, they may come, and often do come, in contact with that which is infinitely more important, the truth as it is in Jesus, and yet fail to discern its significance and reality. Now, what are some of the steps by which this gross, callous, insensitive state is reached?

I. It is induced by all kinds of depravity. This is one of the penalties of wrongdoing, that the moral nature is deteriorated and made unresponsive to spiritual things. Sin does not merely plunge a man into an external darkness; it fills his inward being with darkness. It does not merely shut him out of an external heaven; it deprives him of the capacity to perceive and enjoy the heavenly.

II. Insensibility to spiritual things frequently grows in a man through the mastery of worldly pursuits. Diligence in all lawful, heaven-appointed callings is a part of every man's Christian duty. But it is possible to be enslaved even of that which is lawful and God-ordained. These duties may so engross a man's thought and energies that, in the course of time, he becomes indifferent to everything else. The many worlds which lie outside of his own little world are as though they did not exist.

III. The habit of cherishing doubt is another circumstance which tends to weaken spiritual vision and understanding. While the man hesitates, full of timidity and unfaith, there is a secret, silent deterioration of spiritual capacity going on. He is receding further and further into darkness. The powers of the world to come are gradually becoming mere shadows and images, flitting before his vision. This is one of the inevitable penalties of indecision. In this way, in many instances, that state is reached in which men seeing do not see; hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand.

T. Hammond, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xiv., p. 163.

Reference: Matthew 13:14; Matthew 13:15. G. Huntington, Sermons for Holy Seasons,p. 187.