“Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’” (Ezekiel 20:49 NKJV)

Ezekiel was frustrated by Israel’s elders who belittled his message, accusing him of speaking in “parables,” rather than speaking plainly. He expressed his feeling to the Lord, repeating their whispered words back to God. The Lord responded to Ezekiel, whom He called, “Son of Man,” by giving him a more plain word of prophecy (Ezekiel 21). When Jesus came preaching, He often referred to Himself with the same title, “Son of Man,” and often preached in “parables” (Matt.13:13). Then, afterwards He would privately explain the parables to His disciples. The key to understanding the Word of God is believing the Son of God and receiving the Spirit of God that makes things clear. As the apostle Paul explained, those without the Spirit can’t understand the truths of God (1 Cor. 2:14), for they are “foolishness” to them. Yet, those who have the Spirit, also have the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), and are able to understand God’s Word. It is Christ and His Spirit that gives us “ears to hear.”