God bless!

Jeremiah was an Israelite priest who was born around 650 BC and lived and in Jerusalem during the final decades of the southern kingdom of Judah. He was called to prophesy around the 13th year of King Josiah who had introduced many reforms during his reign. However, after Josiah’s death during the battle of Megiddo in 609 BC, idolatry returned. Israel broke the covenant with God and adopted the worship of Canaanite gods. As with other prophets, the Israelites eyes could not see, their ears could not hear and their hearts were hardened to what was being told to them. With the result that whatever they had was taken from them, through Assyria and Babylon.

Why did Jesus speak in parables? Isn’t it so much simpler to be given something that is cut and dried? But Jesus wanted the people and us today, to ponder and think. Read between the lines. Open our eyes and look carefully, hear the Word of God and let it sink in the soil of our hearts. So that the more it sinks, more insight will be given. But to the hardened heart, even what there is will be taken away.