For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
The teachings of Jesus are in some way hidden when we first encounter them. From the interpretation of a specific parable, all the way up to the truth of his identity, nothing about him is obvious in a superficial way. There is nothing about him that so overwhelms us that we can't deny or ignore him. But if all of this is at first hidden, it is only so that it may be revealed. The more we pay humble attention to the parables the more their meaning becomes evident. The more we allow Jesus to reveal himself to us the more we become convinced that he is the Christ, the Son of God. Thus the more we have the more we are given.
One reason the teachings of Jesus are not overwhelming obvious is that he wants us to respond to him in freedom, not from compulsion. Yes, it is genuine rock solid truth we discover. But he does not bludgeon us into compliance with undeniable demonstrative proofs. We only come to know the truth if we open ourselves to it. This cooperation with the truth is part of why knowing it has the power to set us free, since our wills are implicated in how we come to know it. Yet it is important to recognize that although we first encounter the truth in a hidden form it is not meant to remain hidden. It is not meant to remain an obscure secret that provides an advantage only to those in the know. It is a truth that has its full effect when it is known. It is light that is meant to illuminate. We might go so far as to say that the truth is already hidden enough in its nature without any help on our part, and that we ought, therefore, to do all that we can to make it known, that the light of Christ may shine.
Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
Knowing the truth isn't automatic. Everyone has ears, but not all use them to truly hear what Jesus wants to tell us. Five different people might have five different levels of understanding based on whether or the degree to which they take care what they hear. But can't we somehow sense that the truth Jesus longs to impart is somehow different from any other, that it is uniquely worthy of our attention, that, in fact, no one ever spoke as he does (see John 7:46)? There are other secrets and conspiracies in the world that purport to contain hidden truths. But only the truth that Jesus offers has the power to set us free. Only his teaching shines with the inner luminous intelligibility that comes only from being spoken by the voice of Truth himself. This means, at least, that when we struggle with his teachings, and his hiddenness in our world, we should not be scandalized, but should instead take on a posture of receptive listening, ready at any moment for his light to break through.
Dan Schutte - Like Cedars They Shall Stand
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