Jesus was a Master of the parable, and he used this device often in his teaching and to great effect. There is somewhat more behind the reasons for using parables, however, than just that they are a good way to teach and he was good at telling them. In this lesson we look at the reason why Jesus often turned to parables to get accross his teaching.

To Give His Enemies No Ground

The enemies of Jesus were always waiting for him to say something on account of which they might accuse and persecute him (Lke 11:53-54). By speaking in parables, Jesus was making it very hard for them to use his words against him. He could hardly be arrested for telling homely stories!

The parables were evocative not provocative. By couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to true-hearted people than even plain language could have made them. At the same time, he was speaking indirectly and figuratively so that lawyers had nothing concrete with which to make a case against him. At times when it would have been counterproductive to speak plainly in public, Jesus spoke in parables --a prudent teaching strategy.

The parable of the ten virgins (Mtt 25:1-13) is a simple story about people's behaviour at a wedding. Clearly, as the bridegroom in the story, Jesus is representing himself as God with the power to open and shut the doors of heaven (Rev 3:7). Yet how could his enemies prove he was saying that?

To Enlighten the True Hearted

Jesus was able to take advantage of the occasions when multitudes flocked to hear him speak. Through the parables he could enlighten those whose hearts were sincere and receptive and who were hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Mtt 5:6).

The word heart (by coincidence) starts with the word hear. The good heart hears God's word and understands it. People of that character longed to know more about what the kingdom of heaven is like. They were seekers for the knowledge of God's will. In the parables they could find what they were looking for.

The parable of the sower illustrates this very matter. There are good hearts in which the seed of God's word grows and bears fruit. When he had told this parable, Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mtt 13:1-9). Some people tune their ears to the word of God, and they understand the truth.

To Make People Think

Jesus knew, of course, that his parables would not be understood by everybody, for not everybody would give proper thought to them. There are people, as we noted above, who tune their hearts and incline their ears to God's word. On the other hand, there are people who deliberately block their ears and go deaf to God's voice.

Between these two groups, however, there are multitudes who neither incline their ears nor block them, and who need to be challenged.

The parable of the two roads (Mtt 7:13-14) illustrates that people need to think about where their souls are going, and to make the decision to "enter by the narrow gate". Otherwise they will, by default, be swept with the crowd down the broad way to destruction.

To Divide Into Two

After telling the parable of the sower (mentioned above), Jesus was asked by his disciples the question from which our present lesson takes its title. They asked, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (Mtt 13:10).

Jesus answered the question by quoting Isaiah, concerning people who have eyes but do not see, and have ears but do not hear (Mtt 13:11-17, Isa 6:8-10). In telling the parables, Jesus was bringing pressure to bear upon his listeners, to either open their spiritual eyes and ears and be enlightened, or to shut their eyes and ears tighter and be condemned.

The parables not only make people think, they also make people choose. They bring people out of the grey area into the clearly black or white. The parables were a winnowing fork for Jesus, by which he was able to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The parable of the sheep and the goats has this intention (Mtt 25:31-46). Anyone who hears this story is forced to think about whether they will be among the sheep or the goats, and having thought about it to be accountable, and to make a decision

To Fulfil Prophecy

We complete this lesson by noting that Jesus was guided in his ministry by the scriptures of the prophets. In those scriptures he found his wisdom and authority to speak in parables.

"Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and he was not speaking to them without a parable, so that what was spoken by through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 'I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world'" (Mtt 13:34-35, Psa 78:1-4).

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