Responsibility for our response....

Matthew 13:10-15 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:“Though seeing, they do not see;though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused;they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes,hear with their ears,understand with their heartsand turn, and I would heal them.’ Jesus' close disciples noticed a big change that day. He began to teach the people mostly in parables. Why? Because even though more people were coming to hear more often, they were not listening; they were becoming calloused in their response; they were merely being entertained. The disciples were the exception: they were willing to follow, always asking questions, accepting the challenges. How about us?