Parables: More than Stories

Although Jesus lived among a story-telling people, His approach to instruction was still unusual. His stories were memorable, but they were not transparent. People heard them but did not necessarily understand them. They are clearer to us because of the apostle Paul’s writings, but few of the first hearers of the parables understood them. Even though “with many such parables He spoke the word” (4:33), at one point the disciples asked in frustration, “Why do You speak to [the people] in parables?” (Matt. 13:10). The disciples did not grasp the stories any better than the rest of the crowd.

Jesus’ answer to the disciples reveals much about the purpose of His teaching. He quoted Isaiah 6:9, 10 to demonstrate that those with physical sight and hearing may still not be able to perceive the truths presented to them. For Isaiah, the “dullness” or hardness of the human heart directly affects spiritual insight and understanding. People need to soften their hearts, humble themselves before God, and honestly seek the truth in order to find it.

Jesus’ stories are like wrapped gifts. The packaging of the story can either distract or captivate. But unless the package is opened, the gift itself remains unseen. Likewise unless one seeks the core of the parable—its truth and application—the lessons will remain hidden. Yet when discovered, these lessons prove extremely valuable. The testimony of millions of changed lives over two thousand years attests to this fact.

When unwrapped, Jesus’ stories include powerful multiple applications. The same parable can strike people in different ways. For example, the parable of the Soils (Mark 4:1–20) may be “heard” by at least four distinct people depending on their identification with one of the soils. The parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11–32) will affect a father in quite a different way than it does a rebellious younger son or a jealous older brother.

When Jesus taught in Jerusalem during His last week, His parables focused on the acceptance or rejection of Him. This time even the priests and the Pharisees “perceived that He was speaking of them” (Matt. 21:45). They were stung by Jesus’ parables, and they despised Him and His message. But they were unwilling to give up their pride, learn at Jesus’ feet, and seek the forgiveness they so desperately needed. They sensed they would not appreciate what they found if they unwrapped the parables, so they refused to seek the truth any further. In doing this, they perfectly conformed to Isaiah’s description of a people with dull hearts, the hardness of hearing, and closed eyes. These religious leaders who should have been leading the people into the truth were the very ones who were the blindest to it.

Taken from NKJV Study Bible