Matthew 13:12 — When Jesus Opens Your Understanding and Brings Freedom

"For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance..." — Matthew 13:12

Jesus spoke these words to those who were truly listening. That kind of listening is rare.

There is a difference between hearing words and receiving what the Spirit of God is revealing. When a person pays attention to Jesus, He does not change His Word, add to His Word, or contradict His Word. Instead, He opens our understanding of what He has already spoken.

Over time, the Holy Spirit can take the written Word and make it alive in our hearts. We begin seeing connections we did not see before. We begin recognizing His truth working in real life. The "more understanding" Jesus gives is not new revelation that replaces Scripture—it is a deeper understanding of His meaning and purpose.

Matthew 13:12 became real to me because I experienced that unfolding. The more I responded to what God showed me, the more He continued to reveal.

The Parable of the Sower

In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches about a sower who scatters seed. Jesus explains that the seed is the Word of the Kingdom and that the different soils represent different conditions of the human heart.

As I have studied this passage, I have seen how every generation lives on the earth where the seed of God's Kingdom is continually being sown. Every heart is a place where that seed can either be received or resisted.

The first soil is the hardened path. The Word is heard, but the enemy comes and steals away what was sown.

The second soil is the rocky ground. The person receives the Word with joy, but because there is no deep root, trials and difficulties cause them to wither.

The third soil is the thorny ground. The Word begins to grow, but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the distractions of life choke its fruitfulness.

The fourth soil is the good soil. This is the heart that receives God's Word, yields to the Spirit of God, and produces fruit.

My Own Journey

For nearly twenty years, I recognized myself in the second and third soils.

I believed in Jesus. I had received His grace. Yet there were areas of my life where the Word was not producing the fruit I longed for. There were struggles, distractions, and things that seemed to continually hinder spiritual growth.

Then came a moment when everything changed.

WAM!

I experienced what I believe was genuine deliverance from spiritual oppression. Some of the things that had been like weeds choking the growth of God's Word in my life were removed.

After that, Scripture began opening in a different way.

The same Bible I had read for years became alive with greater clarity. My hunger for God increased. My desire to follow Christ grew stronger. I began seeing His Word confirmed in everyday life.

It was not that God gave me a different message. It was that He helped me hear the message He had already given.

Matthew 13:12 became more than a verse—it became something I experienced.

A Life Experience That Confirmed What I Was Teaching

One experience stands out vividly in my memory.

On a Saturday, our church held an outreach where we served food to people in the community. Afterward, I was teaching on the Kingdom of God, spiritual bondage, and the freedom Jesus brings. Around one hundred people were present.

During the teaching, a young man came forward seeking help. From my perspective, he was deeply tormented by demonic oppression.

As we began praying, voices began speaking through him in the room in front of everyone gathered. They declared:

"We are not leaving."

As I listened, I was reminded of Jesus' teaching about the seed and the things that prevent people from becoming fruitful. While Jesus specifically explains that the thorns represent the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, I believe spiritual oppression can also work to reinforce bondage and keep people from walking in the freedom and fruitfulness God desires.

During the encounter, the spirits claimed they had been connected with this man's family line for three generations. They claimed there were many of them and that they had worked to keep his life from being fruitful. One identified itself as the "strongman" and gave the name Belial. Another identified itself with lust. They continued saying they would not leave.

In the authority of Jesus Christ, we prayed, commanded the spirits to leave, and ministered to the young man who was being oppressed. As we continued praying in Jesus' name, the spirits departed with a loud shriek, and he fell to the floor.

The next day, he came back to our church. He received more ministry and freedom, and he was water baptized as a public declaration of his faith in Jesus Christ.

That experience confirmed something I had been teaching: Jesus still has authority over darkness, and He still brings freedom.

Faith Comes by Hearing

As I continued reflecting on these things, I believe the Lord spoke something into my heart:

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." — Romans 10:17

This became an important realization for me.

When the Word of God is taught—when people hear what Scripture says about Jesus' authority, His Kingdom, and His power to set people free—it can awaken faith in their hearts.

Many people cannot believe for freedom if they have never heard that freedom is available through Christ.

Faith comes through hearing the truth of God's Word.

When Jesus is taught as the One who forgives, restores, heals, and delivers, people begin to see what is possible through Him. The Word creates faith to respond. It gives people hope that they do not have to remain trapped in the same cycles, bondages, and struggles forever.

This is why teaching matters.

If people only hear that they must endure bondage but never hear about the authority of Jesus over darkness, they may never realize the freedom Christ offers.

The answer is not a focus on demons.

The answer is a greater revelation of Jesus.

Jesus is greater than every chain.

Jesus is greater than every oppression.

Jesus is greater than every power of darkness.

When the Word is faithfully proclaimed, faith rises. And when faith rises, people can come to Jesus believing that He is able to do what He promised.

Experience and the Authority of Scripture

There is an old saying:

"A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with only an argument."

I understand the meaning behind those words. When God has done something in your life, when you have personally witnessed His power and transformation, it cannot simply be dismissed by someone who has never encountered it.

However, Scripture remains the foundation.

Experiences must always be tested by the Word of God. We do not build our beliefs on experiences alone; we measure experiences by what God has already revealed.

The Bible tells us to test the spirits, but it also warns us not to call the work of the Holy Spirit evil.

Jesus demonstrated authority over sickness, bondage, and demonic oppression. He came to destroy the works of the devil and to bring people into freedom.

Why This Matters Today

I believe many people remain in bondage because spiritual warfare and deliverance have been marginalized or ignored in much of modern culture and, at times, within the church.

When a subject is avoided, people may continue struggling without understanding the freedom Christ offers.

Jesus did not only preach the Kingdom of God—He demonstrated it.

He healed the sick.

He freed the oppressed.

He brought people out of darkness.

At the same time, wisdom and discernment are necessary. Not every claim of spiritual activity is genuine, and believers must remain grounded in Scripture, humility, and the character of Christ.

The goal is not to chase experiences.

The goal is Jesus.

The Fruit of Freedom

The purpose of freedom is not simply that something leaves—it is that something new grows.

The seed of God's Word is meant to produce fruit.

When the things that hinder growth are removed, the heart becomes more responsive to God. The person who once struggled to grow can begin producing fruit for the Kingdom.

Jesus still opens eyes.

Jesus still frees captives.

Jesus still teaches those who listen.

And the promise of Matthew 13:12 remains true today:

Those who receive what He gives and walk in obedience will continue to receive more understanding, more freedom, and more fruit from the life He has planted within them.

Love Pastor Steve - www.dgimpact.org (Pre-Launch)