By Elsy Mathew (elsymathew23@gmail.com)

Jesus disciples came to him with the question, "why do you speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven, but not these people. For the one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see; they hear, but they do not listen or understand. "In them the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive. "For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not to see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them.

For the heart of this people has grown dull. The best way to get to people is to penetrate where it counts most--the heart. The heart is where Jesus' words can effectively transform us and make us better persons.

Sadly, many of us have refused to open our hearts. We have locked its beating and have consequently made it dull.

CS Lewis warns us about this danger when he wrote: "if you want to make sure of keeping your heart intact you must give it to no one--wrap it carefully; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, and irredeemable.

Key words: Heart dull, parables, kingdom of heaven, refusal to open our hearts, selfishness.