Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

It is often thought, Jesus spoke in parables so everyone would understand. We are going to learn the exact opposite is true. Jesus spoke in parables so everyone would not understand the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

Transcript

Welcome the World Events and the Bible, I’m Brandon T. Ward.

Why did Jesus speak in parables?

Have you ever asked yourself that?

Some people teach that Jesus spoke in parables because it was meant for everyone to understand. We are going to find out the exact opposite is true.

Christ spoke in parables because it was not meant for everyone to understand.

So make sure anytime you’re given a Scriptural truth that you verify it in the Word for yourself. Then it becomes a truth that no one can take away.

The Purpose Of Parables

All right we are going turn to Matthew chapter 13 and pick it up with verse 10.

While you turn there, I’m going to explain the first nine verses to you.

We have Christ, and the Disciples are there with Him. There’s this great multitude around, and Christ begins speaking to them in parables.

So the Disciples get a little bit curious, and that’s where we are going to pick up with verse 10.

Matthew 13:10
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

They are saying, why are you talking to them like this?

Just speak plainly, tell them what it is that you want them to understand.

Matthew 13:11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Christ is saying to them, the Disciples, and what are the Disciples?

They are students, they are students of Christ just like you are. So this verse applies to you as well.

How do we understand these mysteries of the kingdom of heaven?

We have to do like 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 15 says, ‘we have to diligently study the Scriptures’ if we want to understand them.

So as Christ said, it’s given to you to know the mysteries of Heaven, those who are going to diligently seek out the Scriptures.

The Parable Of The Talent

Matthew 13:12
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

This is just like the parable of the talent in Matthew chapter 25 verses 14 through
30.

Just to give you a brief overview of that parable, there’s a master of the household and he gives five talents, which is a currency, to one of his servants.

To another, he gives two talents, and finally to the last servant he gives one talent.

So the master goes into a far country, and he’s gone for a long time. When he comes back, the first servant he gave the five talents to, he increased it by five more, for a total of ten talents.

The second servant that had two, he increased it as well to four.

They both doubled it.

The last guy, the servant that had the one talent, all he did was dig a hole in the earth and hid it, so no one would steal it.

So he gives it back to the master.

The master is extremely upset with them.

This echoes what we are told about our candle.

We’re not supposed to take our candle and hide it under a bushel or hide it under a mattress or something like that.

We’re supposed to let everybody see it so they see our good works, and they will know that it’s Christ, that is why we have those good works.

We’re supposed to bring people to Him, we are supposed to give increase, and that’s why we want to diligently seek out the Scriptures.

That is the purpose of the parable of the talent for monetary gain. The monetary gain in the spiritual sense is the wisdom that we learn from the Bible, and how we share it with other individuals.

Jesus Spoke In Parables So They Do Not Understand

Matthew 13:13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Christ is telling the Disciples, I speak to these guys in parables, basically, it’s code.

You only have the key to unlock that code if you have diligently sought out the Scriptures. We reach out to God for that.

This key is the key of David, you can read about in Revelation chapter 3 verse 7.

Matthew 13:14
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,

Which is Isaiah.

Which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.

Christ is actually quoting Isaiah chapter 6 verse 9 here, and that’s going to continue with this fifteenth verse.

I want to make it clear, Christ is not saying that blind people, and deaf people can’t understand or they are not going to hear the Word.

We are talking about spiritual sight, spiritual hearing.

Anyone who can read, and can see, and can hear, can understand the words of Scripture, but do they actually understand them?

There’s a big difference there.

Let’s continue on with this 15th verse,

Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart is waxed gross,

They are cold hearted.

And their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time

Christ is saying, but at any time,

they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

He’s saying, any time they open their spiritual eyes, and their spiritual ears, and they can hear and perceive the truth of His Word, then Christ will heal them.

But they have to ask for that wisdom of hearing in order to obtain the healing.

Blessed Are Those Who Understand Jesus’ Parables

Matthew 13:16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

This goes for us today.

Christ is talking to the disciples which were students of Jesus Christ. You are a student of Jesus Christ.

If you have eyes to see, and ears to hear, then blessed are you as Christ said.

Matthew 13:17
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

I mean, think about all the people before the time of Christ, everyone wanted to be in the Disciple’s shoes to see Jesus Christ.

The same applies, these same words in verse 17 apply to us as well.

The Disciples wanted to see what the end of this age was going to look like.

What did they ask Christ in Matthew chapter 24?

They said what are going to be the signs of your return?

You know, so the same thing applies to us here.

So how do we obtain this understanding, to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven?

These parables that we read about here…

How do we obtain this spiritual sight?

We Need God’s Wisdom To Understand Parables

Let’s turn our Bibles to Proverbs chapter 4 verse 7.

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Wisdom and understanding.

That is what we are supposed to obtain here.

These are very important things.

How do we obtain wisdom?

Proverbs chapter 2 verse 6 has the answer for us.

Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He gives the wisdom.

He gives the understanding.

God is who we ask for it.

Matthew chapter 7 verse 7 and 8 tell us that’s exactly what we need to do.

We need to ask, so we need to go to God in prayer, and ask Him what it is that we want to understand.

Whether it’s a parable or anything else in His Word.

Then we have to seek it out just like we learned in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 15.

We have to diligently seek out the Scriptures, we have to put in the work is the point. Just as we briefly went over with the parable of the talent.

Then we will find, then God will reveal it to us, but we have to put in the work first.

That is why Jesus spoke in parables, because it was not meant for everyone to understand.

Only those students of Jesus Christ who are going to diligently put in the work.

Those who diligently put in the time to understand His Word.