Matthew 13:51-58
The first thing which we ought to notice in these verses is the striking question with which our Lord winds up the seven wonderful parables of this chapter: He said, “Have ye understood all these things?”
Personal application has been called the “soul” of preaching. A sermon without application is like a letter posted without a direction: it may be well written, rightly dated and duly signed; but it is useless, because it never reaches its destination. Our Lord’s inquiry is an admirable example of real heart-searching application: “Have ye understood?”