Let us no longer live a Christianity that aims to ban the use of intelligence because this would delay us in our walk as believers.
Matthew 15:15-19
15 Peter answered and said to him, Explain this parable to us. 16 And Jesus said: Are you also still without understanding?
Jesus often spoke in parables, it is a style of expression that is unique to him and which made it possible to transmit a message through pictorial stories and symbols. There are several parables in the New Testament, some are more famous than others. For example, there is the parable of the Good Samaritan (perhaps the best known), that of the workers of the last hour, or even that of the talents. When these parables were shared, there followed a difficult exercise of interpretation to which the audience, as well as the disciples, were subjected. Understanding the hidden message behind these parables requires some knowledge of Jewish culture, the environment in which Jesus lived, as well as the Holy Scriptures and prophecies from which the Lord was inspired.
In the verses that precede the text we cited above, the Lord explains that it is not what ‘enters’ through the mouth that defiles man, but rather what comes out. Peter, not having understood the meaning of this parable, asks for an explanation. This is how Jesus asks an interesting question: ‘Are you still without understanding?’ He is surprised to see that the disciples did not understand the meaning of the parable and he deduces that this is due to their lack of intelligence or their lack of clairvoyance. Jesus is even more amazed because the disciples were with him the whole time and they heard him repeatedly teaching and sharing parables with the Pharisees, scribes and the people. The disciples were therefore supposed to be accustomed to his language, his way of teaching and especially the symbols he used.
For my part, I had always considered that God spoke in pictures and that to understand the hidden meaning of divine mysteries, this was done only through prayer. But here, a principle is established: to understand the divine mystery, one must also have developed intelligence.
Brothers and sisters, lack of intelligence is a hindrance to understanding the parables and mysteries of God. We need to develop our intellect to understand how God speaks and to understand the hidden meaning of his messages. It is important to realize that God has a language of his own and until we have developed our intellect sufficiently to acquire the necessary knowledge, we create a barrier between God and us. We can also note that when we attach ourselves to the Lord, He will give us a superior, supernatural intelligence, which will allow us to be in contact with Him and to decipher His language. Thus, contrary to popular belief, intelligence is not opposed to the knowledge of God, but rather complementary.
For example, in the context of biblical texts, it is necessary to be able to know the social and historical context, as well as the other texts linked to them in order to understand their meaning. This appeals to the intellect. Subsequently we pray and ask for the revelation of the texts, the understanding of the hidden meaning. This is how the Spirit of the Lord enlightens our minds and we can come to a clear understanding of what God wants to tell us.
To conclude, I would like to insist on this question from the Lord: ‘Are you still without understanding?’ Let us no longer live a Christianity that aims to ban the use of intelligence because this would delay us in our walk as believers.
