Unearthly

"The mystery of the kingdom of the skies has been given for you to know, but not for them," Matthew 13:11.

That's Jesus' answer as to why he spoke in parables. Weird. Doesn't sound like the reason folks offer that he spoke in parables to make the lesson easy to remember. In fact, it sounds quite opposite - so that they would not, could not, get it. Yeah, well, here's the deal. Stuff of the sky kingdom belongs to another realm. The sky kingdom, by its unearthly nature, challenges their earthly notions. It's not part of their nature. They don't get it, naturally. If you want it, you must be trained for it. Jesus nurtures his people for it: it's been given for you (he says) to know. For you, who would be disciplined, by him, in that kingdom. And instruction for the unearthly kingdom of heaven begins with poor in spirit. You want to be trained? Your choice. It'll go against your (earthly) nature.

The sky kingdom makes beachhead on earth with his assembly, his church. Brothers and sisters, he trains us together in his spiritual poverty. And we give thanks to God for inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. No mystery to us, Christ's humility.