The Narrow Path Ministries

This verse has always seemed to me a pretty straightforward defense against the Calvinist -- why did Jesus have to withhold it from them if only the regenerate could respond to the Gospel, and because it suggests those who didn't see actually wanted to and were generally righteous (and even prophets). But, it also seems to me to be one of the most challenging sections to sustaining an Arminian position in one respect re: election.

I would appreciate thoughts on this. From a simple reading, it sure sounds like Jesus had certain people in mind that He didn't want to respond to His Gospel. It's almost as if God had planted something in them to understand spiritual things in parables that the others weren't capable of understanding because they hadn't been blessed in that way.

On the other hand, if one were a prophet and righteous man and still not understand these things, then maybe it's a category error to even use this in the context of "justifying faith/belief." If it is about salvation, then it casts doubt on Christ wanting all to be saved.

What do you think?

Matthew 13 wrote: 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Darin,

To me it reads as though they did it to themselves:

“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

darinhouston wrote:This verse has always seemed to me a pretty straightforward defense against the Calvinist -- why did Jesus have to withhold it from them if only the regenerate could respond to the Gospel, and because it suggests those who didn't see actually wanted to and were generally righteous (and even prophets). But, it also seems to me to be one of the most challenging sections to sustaining an Arminian position in one respect re: election.

I'm not much into the Areminian/Calvinism debate but I don't see too much regarding either views in this passage.

What is critical to see here is that Jesus was talking about the situation of that time period. Verse 14 showed the prophecy of Isaiah as "being fulfilled" at that instance. Jesus brought fulfillment of Isaiah at least in part by His speaking in parables for that situation.
The Pharisees, as a foremost example, were dull of hearing. They were unwilling to entertain the thought of Jesus as Messiah, it was something the Pharisees refused to hear.
Interestingly we see the word "grant" here. Again we need not look further than that recorded incident to see that Jesus granted those specific disciples an explanation of some of these parables. In a sense, the only selection made for this "grant" was whether they were disciples at that time. (Any question of "election" would have come before they became disciples.)

One other aspect that should be obvious here is that the words Jesus spoke in Matt 13 didn't apply directly (first and foremost) to us today. This is exemplified today in the sense that we have no common understanding of the kingdom -- and if these words applied today, then no one (or few) would qualify to be healed (that is, healed in accord with turning toward God due to the awareness of the nature of the kingdom).

This is based on Matt 13:12

13:11 He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven,

combined with Matt 13:15

... and should turn again;
and I would heal them.

About your thought...

and because it suggests those who didn't see actually wanted to and were generally righteous (and even prophets)

Jesus appeared only to contrast the dullness of hearing at that time with the greatness of the current message, as held within these parables.
So "those who didn't see" in the past, i.e. the prophets, were not able to see the nature of the kingdom for the expressed purpose that mysteries of the kingdom hadn't been revealed yet. Certainly these men wanted to get a better glimpse as shown in 1Peter

1Pet 1:10 wrote: Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 1:11 searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them.

Note that this is to express the sort of mystery ... and not to say that the kingdom is the same as salvation.

darinhouston wrote:I would appreciate thoughts on this. From a simple reading, it sure sounds like Jesus had certain people in mind that He didn't want to respond to His Gospel. It's almost as if God had planted something in them to understand spiritual things in parables that the others weren't capable of understanding because they hadn't been blessed in that way.

Again I would say that the difference was whether they were disciples or not. Such division of people, those disciples and those not, could be due to any mechanism: cultural, spiritual dullness, circumstances, or election. So, they might understand the parables simply cause they were around Christ as His disciples. Though I would favor to say that their insight would come more due to spiritual change -- and they may not have understood until the Day of Pentecost.

On the other hand, if one were a prophet and righteous man and still not understand these things, then maybe it's a category error to even use this in the context of "justifying faith/belief." If it is about salvation, then it casts doubt on Christ wanting all to be saved.

Again, the knowledge couldn't be known until God revealed these mysteries in this instance (and similar ones, if any). So prophets weren't less of faith cause they were born before this knowledge was shared.

And even the Pharisees (and others) who were dull... We can't tell whether this was predestination. Just by this passage, either the dullness kept them from getting saved or they were elected to be dull.

Note also that their state of dullness may simply have been part of the prerequisites (or the wise steps) for God to work salvation in its broadest reach.