"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." (Matthew 13:13); "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 3:9)
Christ used physical realities to explain spiritual truths, through speaking parables, performing miracles, and in how he treated the "least of these". The religious leaders during that time, namely Sadducees and Pharisees, were so steeped in centuries of tradition and custom and laws, that they couldn't accept the simplicity of receiving salvation from God, the way that Christ taught.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14) Education doesn't make us smart, it just means we know a lot. Wisdom is knowing how to apply all the things we know, in a way that not only benefits our lives but also brings glory to God. Salvation is not received through performing "religious" acts. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
Consider listening to Pastor Erwin Lutzer teaching series "You Can't Redo Life" - lesson 1 of 10, "Getting Conversion Right":
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/running-to-win/listen/#You+Can%e2%80%99t+Redo+Life
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