Daily with Jesus Nov. 17
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Jesus Teaching in Parables
Jesus Teaching in Parables
Until now, as we have been looking at several passages, we learned that Jesus was teaching in synagogues, and to His disciples. At times, He was teaching people outside of the synagogues.
If we read the Gospel of Matthew until chapter 12, we will notice that there was a great opposition to Jesus’s teaching. The Pharisees, and those who basically oppose Him were creating a mess, so to say. They were even plotting to kill Jesus.
Why? Because Jesus points out to sin and tells them the truth. Jesus is TRUTH (John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ) So, this truth is hurting those people.
These religious people want to find any fault in Jesus, and that became their mission.
However, Jesus knows their hearts.
For example, let us look at Matthew 12:6-13 and see how the Pharisees reacted to Jesus ministry.
Matthew 12:9–13 (CSB)
Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue. There he saw a man who had a shriveled hand, and in order to accuse him they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He replied to them, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath.” Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored, as good as the other.
Notice what the text says in Matthew 12:14
But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might kill him.
So there is opposition for Jesus’s teaching and ministry. Some even reject Him.
And we can, again, understand that from reading chapters 11 and 12 of the Gospel of Matthew.
What is a Parable?
What is a Parable?
A comparison of two things or two subjects often expresses with imagery, often known to the people, often that tells us one great truth.
A classic definition of parable is: “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” (Pillar, 334).
In other words, and earthly story with a spiritual meaning.
Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?
Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?
Because of Him being rejected.
Because they function as an instrument of revelation, which can be noticed in Matt. 13:35
Because they were meant for people to think through. The hearers must make their own decision.
The Message of Matthew 9. The Third Discourse: The Parables of the Kingdom (13:1–58)
T. F. Torrance has some wise words of explanation: ‘Jesus deliberately concealed the Word in parable, lest men against their will should be forced to acknowledge the Kingdom, and yet he allowed them enough light to convict and convince them
One must believe in Jesus to understand His message - to understand His kingdom message.
Or as Professor C. F. D. Moule said:
The Message of Matthew 9. The Third Discourse: The Parables of the Kingdom (13:1–58)
Professor C. F. D. Moule once put it to me, ‘You can’t teach by spoon-feeding. You must let people puzzle it out for themselves.’ That is part of why Jesus taught in parables.
The Pillar Commentary on Matthew says,
The Gospel according to Matthew G. Teaching in Parables, 13:1–52
Jesus used the method apparently in order to convey his teaching vividly and to stimulate his hearers to think, with the result that those who apply themselves learn to their profit, whereas those who do not never find the truths Jesus is teaching (cf. vv. 11–15). The use of parables teaches not only the lesson of the individual parable, but also the importance of thinking about spiritual things
Matthew Chapter 13 parable starts here >>>
So we learn in chapter 13, that Jesus went out of the house, and was sitting by the sea.
This is an important shift for us to grasp. Jesus, because of the opposition and hatred towards His work and His person, is now moving into open area, to teach those who may hear Him.
Matthew 13:2 says:
Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
There was a large crowd who came to hear Jesus.
But what we notice here is that Jesus will start talking in parables. There is both private teaching and public teaching here.
So Jesus talks about the Parable of the Four Soils.
(This parable is not about the seed or the sower, but of the types of soil the seed falls in.)
The parable is giving in Matthew 13:1-8, with a call for one who has ears to listen.
Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.
What we learn here is about the four types of soil.
The sower came and sowed the seed.
some fell along the path, the birds came and devoured them.
Other fell on the rocky ground. There was not much soil, but it grew up quickly though there is not much soil or because there was not much soil. The sun came up, and it withered away because of its heat.
Other seed fell among the thorns. The thorns came up, and choked them.
Others fell on good ground and produced fruit, much fruit, and great fruit.
The first thing we must notice is that not any sower came and sowed the seed, but “the sower.” However, the focus of this parable does not remain on the “sower” but on the “soil.”
The sower is Jesus
The sed is the Word of God
The soil is the people
What is the significance in the parable?
It is something the audience already know - about farming, and also they were aware of the types of soil, and how these seed might grow. They have that understanding, because Jesus was talking about the “known” - people know about farming.
But the catch is here in v. 9.
Let anyone who has ears listen.”
Wait a minute, we know that these things may happen while sowing, but what do you mean by “let anyone who has ears listen”?
What this means it that the parable is not given for everyone. It is given for those who would listen; for those who would have the ability to hear the spiritual message.
Jesus Himself will give the purpose of speaking in parables and also it’s meaning in the following verses.
His disciples will come to Him and say “why do you speak to them in parables?”
Jesus tells them,
He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.
Because God did not give the crowd the secrets of the kingdom, but it was given to His disciples. The Kingdom of God is here, but it is not in its full power.
Matthew Jesus’ Purpose for Speaking in Parables (13:10–17)
So, on the one hand, the parables reveal to the disciples how the kingdom of God will operate in this world before its final, powerful manifestation (which Jesus will reveal in chs. 24–25). On the other hand, the truth that is revealed to the disciples is concealed from the crowd because of their spiritual unresponsiveness (see 13:12–13).
Then Jesus says in Matthew 13:13-15
That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back— and I would heal them.
What do we see in this passage?
A prophecy being fulfilled.
And the willful rejection of Jesus.
The Prophet of the old, Isaiah had already preached to Israel, who mirror the people in this parable - they have rejected God’s message because of their hard-headedness. So here we see that there are some or many who already rejected Christ.
What is this Parable talking about?
What is this Parable talking about?
Keep in mind that:
The sower is Jesus
The sed is the Word of God
The soil is the people
This parable reveals the types of people.
Hard-headed people or closed hearted people.
The superficial people - acts as if they received the message or the Word of God, but only for a moment (at once received it with joy).
The wrong priority people of worrying people who place their worry above the Kingdom
The receptive people - who received the Word, understands the gospel, and allow it to produce fruit.
The Closed-hearted people
When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.
The Superficial People
And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.
The Wrong Priority people or worrying people
Matthew 13:22 (CSB)
Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
The Receptive People - The Good people
But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”
What is the point of parable?
Jesus was teaching in parables to conceal the spiritual truth from those who are not even interested to learn, from those who are not concerned about learning what Jesus was teaching. But those who are willing to learn, willing to listen, would get the spiritual truth.
Jesus was teaching in parables because of the opposition from Pharisees, and basically all who oppose and reject Him.
The Message of Matthew Commentary says:
The Message of Matthew The Parable of the Soils (13:1–9, 18–23): What Is Your Response Now?
The parable is a mirror: it shows people where they stand. It is held up to the faces of Jesus’ hearers. It was held up to Matthew’s readers. And it is no less challenging today.
What can we learn from this?
The sower has come, sowed the seed, and the seed fell in the soil
How would the soil respond?
The life is in the seed.
Jesus is teaching here about the Kingdom of heaven. The seed is the Word of God.
Out of the four types of soil, only the one that accepts the message allowed the life-giving gospel to produce fruit. The others did not.
Just as Jesus was the Sower, and the seed is His message, given to His disciples, we too have a responsibility, as His disciples to sow the seed. However, acknowledging that we only plant the seed, but the results are in God’s hands.