Sermon Tone Analysis

The Purpose of Parables

Depending on how you classify a parable, there are about 7-8 parables in this chapter.

Obviously I don’t have time to dig deep into each of these parables and I probably don’t need to.

Every parable has a main point and sometimes in digging deep we over-complicate things and end up missing the main point.

As they say we can miss the forest for the trees.

So today is more of a bird’s eye view: The Kingdom Parables: Their Purpose and Point of Each.

The Purpose of Parables

Why did Jesus use parables?

Why did He tell stories?

Common but Inaccurate/insufficient answer:

The most common answer is: Like every good preacher, Jesus used illustrations.

I hear it all the time: "Illustrations are easier to remember and understand.

So when you preach you must tell stories.

Thats why Jesus always told stories."

Not against the use of illustrations.

But thats not why Jesus preached in parables.

First of all when Jesus spoke in parables nobody understood what He was talking about.

Even the disciples had to ask him: "Eh what did you mean?

Explain."

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Secondly.

In the disciples actually asked him, very directly: "Why do you speak to them {the people] in parables?"

That already implies they didn't think it was effective.

Jesus' answer is not: "Oh because all good sermons need illustrations."

No. Listen to what He says in (HCSB).

The reason I preach in parables is :

The reason I preach in parables is :

"Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them."

Wait what?

Biblical answer:

Let me first give the conclusion and then elaborate: Jesus preached in parables because:

Parables reveal and conceal truths.

It has a double function.

Parables shows truths to some, yes, but it also hides truths from others.

First notice there are two groups of people.

There's "you" (the disciples) and there's "them" (the rest of the people).

This is:

because there are two kinds of people.

Notice in the passage there's "you" (the disciples) and there's "them" (the rest of the crowd).

Second thing to notice is that Jesus told the stories to everyone but he didn’t give them any explanation.

It is only when He is alone with His disciples that He explains the meaning to them (, , ).

But why?

Without the explanation the parables are meaningless.

Or worse people will draw wrong meanings from them.

So why only give the explanation to the disciples and not to everyone?

Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for [the disciples] to know but it has not been given to [the rest].

Lets continue to read .

“For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough.

But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand.”

Remember at this point the disciples did not yet have a complete picture of who Jesus is and what He came to do.

Not yet.

They still had no concept of a crucified Christ.

For them it was impossible for the Messiah to be shamefully executed as a criminal.

But they still followed Jesus everywhere.

So there’s still a little light in them: some desire, some understanding, some faith etc.

And so to those who have some, more will given to them.

They are given the meaning of the parables so that they can grow in their knowledge of the Kingdom of God.

Generally speaking the Jewish people as a whole were unrepentant.

Back in , John the Baptist preached “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near”.

But the people didn’t change.

When Jesus came, their hearts didn’t really turn to Him.

He was there but they weren’t seeing, they weren’t listening, they weren’t understanding.

In fact Jesus says that they are like the people during Isaiah’s time.

See .

Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: “You will listen and listen, yet never understand” etc.

“You will listen and listen, yet never understand” etc.

Thats a quotation from where Isaiah is sent “Here I am send me” to preach to a people who are not going to listen.

In fact, the message Isaiah is bringing to them will harden their hearts even more.

You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look and never perceive.

Now if you were Isaiah what would you do?

You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look and never perceive.

For this people’s heart has grown callous (hardened), their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back - and I would cure them.

It says this is a prophecy from Isaiah but again if includes a quotation from .

Now if you’ve ever heard a message on that passage it usually ends there.

Will you be like Isaiah?

Will you say: Here I am.

Send me!”?

They never tell you what happens next.

God tells Isaiah: Go and preach but I’m not sending you to start a revival.

Nobody is going to listen to your message.

In fact your message is going to harden their hearts.

But thats what I’m sending you to do.

is a familiar chapter to many.

Isaiah sees a glorious vision of the Lord.

The Lord speaks: “Whom shall I send?

And who will go for us?” Then Isaiah says “Here am I. Send me!”.

Now if you’ve ever heard a message on that passage it usually ends there.

Will you be like Isaiah?

Will you say: Here I am.

Send me!”?

They never tell you what happens next.

God tells Isaiah: Go and preach but I’m not sending you to start a revival.

Nobody is going to listen to your message.

In fact your message is going to harden their hearts.

But thats what I’m sending you to do.

Sometimes the people are so bad that preaching the truth actually hardens them.

I’m sure you know friends or neighbours who when you just try to explain to them: “we are sinners” they shut off.

They hate that.

Or “Jesus is the only way” they get very upset.

It makes them hate Christianity even more.