Some time ago, I wrote a series on the parables found in Matthew 13. That chapter contains the first parables in the New Testament — a series of eight. However, these are certainly not the only parables in the Gospels; dozens more follow. This makes it an important subject that deserves our attention. Therefore, I intend to continue discussing these illustrative stories from time to time.
Why parables?
Matthew 13 contains foundational teaching, as the Lord explains why He speaks in parables—an explanation not repeated elsewhere. With every parable we read, we must keep His explanation regarding the purpose of parables clearly in mind.
Matthew 13
10 And the disciples came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
After Jesus has delivered the parable of the sower, His disciples approach Him and ask why He spoke in parables. It was not clear to them. The Greek word for “parable” is parabolē, which means something like “something placed alongside” and, by extension, a “comparison” or “likeness.”
Misunderstood
The fact that the disciples ask this question tells us that many common explanations are incorrect. Speaking in parables was not the custom of the time, as is often claimed. It is also frequently said that parables are intended to clarify something, but that cannot be the case here; otherwise, why would they need to be explained? The disciples’ question highlights the very problem: “Why do You speak to them in parables?” After all, as things stand, the people do not understand.
11 And He answered and said to them: To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given.
(…)
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, so that seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord appears as the promised Messiah who was to establish a Messianic world kingdom through Israel, as promised by the Hebrew prophets (Dan. 2:44, 7:27). He and His forerunner, John the Baptist, issue the call: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near” (Matt. 3:2; 4:17).
secret and hidden
This Kingdom was proclaimed openly to Israel. But when it becomes apparent that Israel does not believe in its Messiah, the Kingdom does not become public, but hidden. Jesus begins to speak to the crowd in secrets — or, to put it another way, hidden truths. I use these words interchangeably because both serve as translations for the Greek musterion, and each captures an aspect of the meaning that is difficult to convey with a single Dutch word.
The Greek word musterion is composed of elements meaning “to close” and “to keep”; depending on the translation, it is rendered as “secret” or “hidden truth.” The secrets of the Kingdom speak of the period during which the Kingdom would not be public, but hidden. For those who did not believe in the Messiah, matters concerning the future course of the Kingdom remained hidden. After all, they rejected the King and, with Him, the Kingdom. Why, then, should they be told anything further about that Kingdom? disbelief
Because of Israel’s rejection and disbelief, Jesus hid Himself — sometimes literally (John 8:59; 12:36). From a certain point on, He also concealed His message, speaking to the crowds only in parables; thus, while they heard Him speak, they did not understand. The parables were explained only to believers, such as the disciples.
which period?
The period during which the Kingdom would remain hidden begins the moment the Lord started speaking in parables and lasts until the seventh trumpet, when “the mystery of God is finished” (Rev. 10:7) and the Kingdom of the Messiah is established worldwide (Rev. 11:15).
various parables
Parables come in all shapes and sizes. Some span only a single verse (Matt. 24:32), while others form a complete narrative. Examples of the latter include the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Sometimes the text explicitly states that a story is a parable, though this is by no means always the case. However, it is noted that at one point, Jesus spoke to the crowd exclusively in parables (Matt. 13:34).
My aim in writing these blogs is not to discuss every parable, nor necessarily to cover them in the order in which they appear. For some, I will have to choose which Gospel account to use, as they are described in multiple records. I will continue the discussion with parables found in the Gospel of Matthew.