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.” (Matthew 13:10–13 ESV)
Matthew 13:1-50 contains seven parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. These include the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32), the Parable of the Leaven (13:33), the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44), the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (13:13:45-46), and the Parable of the Net (13:47-50).
What was the purpose for Jesus speaking and teaching in parables? Why did He choose to do so? His disciples wondered about this. In fact, they came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” They were curious? They requested an answer.
Jesus complied. He made three statements explaining the purpose of the parables.
First, He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Jesus invoked the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. God the Father had graciously given to the disciples an understanding of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. However, to the greater number of unsaved, God the Father had not chosen to give them insight.
“The mystery-religions of the east had all sorts of secrets and signs as secret societies do today. But those initiated knew them. So the disciples have been initiated into the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Paul will use it freely of the mystery once hidden, but now revealed, now made known in Christ (Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7, etc.). In Phil. 4:12 Paul says: “I have learned the secret or been initiated” (μεμυημαι [memuēmai]). So Jesus here explains that his parables are open to the disciples, but shut to the Pharisees with their hostile minds,” explains Greek scholar A.T. Robertson.
Second, Jesus said, “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.”
“To those who have a relationship with Jesus, parables deepen understanding and foster that relationship,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul. “To those who do not, parables increase their confusion and ignorance. Thus the function of parables is both to enlighten and to conceal.”
Jesus concluded by saying, “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.” This statement is also recorded in Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:10.
Matthew restates this perspective of parables later on in 13:34-35. He records Jesus quoting from Psalm 78:1-2. 34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:34–35 (ESV)
Jesus spoke to the masses in parables to fulfill the Old Testament Scriptures. We will continue our examination of this prophetical passage when next we meet.
Soli deo Gloria!
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