Story Telling or Teachable Moments
The Purpose of the Parables…
S - Scripture
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ~matthew 13:10-17~
O - Observation
let’s first begin by learning why Jesus taught in parables:
from DesiringGod.org:
Jesus’s statement that He teaches in parables alludes to psalm 78:2 (which Matthew cites explicitly in matthew 13:35), but the sensory malfunction language (ears that do not hear, eyes that do not see, hearts and minds that are dull) anticipates the quote from isaiah 6:9–10.
simply put, Jesus teaches in parables to demonstrate the need for divine revelation to understand the mysteries of the kingdom and to reveal the spiritual condition of his listeners.
from BibleProject.com
the parables of Jesus operate within a well-known paradox in artistic expression. you can water down the creativity of an artistic message so that it becomes comprehensible for a wide audience, but there’s a catch. the more watered down the message, the weaker it becomes for those who have “ears to hear.”
this explains why Jesus often preferred to communicate truths about God’s Kingdom in parables. the people who already have the message, who are already accepting of it—they’ll get even more (matthew 13:12). for those who won’t accept Jesus’ message, the parables will only further confound them. His message, like Isaiah’s, had a paradoxical effect on his listeners. the power of stories—even cryptic, metaphorical ones—will penetrate the hearts of some while hardening the hearts of others.
so, was the use of parable simply to confuse people…. no, though it may seem that way for those who didn’t “get it” when it was told or even afterwards.
simple summary and points:
during His ministry, Jesus spoke in parables and only explained their meaning to His disciples, not to those who rejected His message. He made a clear distinction between people who were open to the truth and those who were spiritually blind. the disciples, because they accepted Jesus’ teaching, were given spiritual understanding—and the same is true today for believers guided by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus knew that not everyone would receive the truth. He used parables because they helped sincere seekers understand deep spiritual truths in a memorable way. for those willing to listen, parables were a blessing. but for those who were spiritually closed off, parables also served as both a form of judgment and mercy.
Jesus spoke in parables to teach deep spiritual truths.
He only explained parables to His disciples, not to those who rejected His message.
People who rejected His teachings remained spiritually blind and couldn't understand His meaning.
Jesus made a clear distinction between:
Those who listened with open hearts and received spiritual understanding.
Those who rejected the truth, always hearing but never truly understanding (like in 2 Timothy 3:7).
The disciples were given the ability to understand spiritual truths because they accepted Jesus’ message.
Believers today also have the Holy Spirit to guide them into truth (John 16:13).
Jesus knew that not everyone would accept or be interested in deep spiritual truths.
He used parables because:
For those who were hungry for God, parables were a powerful and memorable way to teach.
Parables contained rich, simple truths that were easy to remember.
They were a blessing to those with open hearts, but for others, they also served as a form of judgment and mercy.
A - Application
while i do pray and ask The Holy Spirit for understanding and clarity, i’m not immune to not understanding what i read or hear at times when it comes to scripture. sometimes i have to re-read or listen to it again and again, just to better understand it or try to learn of its meaning. fortunately there are many tools at our disposal to help provide clarity - Bible app, rightnow media, and more. what i believe is necessary to gain more insight and discernment is our willingness to trust what Jesus taught was for our benefit, development, and growth. that in and through Him, we are able to “know the truth” and that truth shall/will set us free. never stop learning, never stop seeking, never stop believing. taking time each day to get into The Word, asking God to teach us from what we read or listened to, and for the transformative love of Jesus to work in us.
P - PRayer
dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word. while i may not always fully grasp what i am reading or hearing, give me and my family a heart that seeks after you and help me/us to understand what it is that you are teaching me through your Word. help my family and i not to be “blind” and “deaf” to your teaching, your parables. in Jesus’ beautiful name i pray, amen!