Why Jesus spoke in parables

Why parables? Why wouldn't Jesus have given straight forward answers to His teachings? It has been said that the reason Jesus spoke in parables, was that it helped better understand His message. This is incorrect, since even His disciples couldn't understand most of them at first. Theses parables illustrate mercy and teach Christians to go above and beyond what is expected. The parables that Jesus taught left His listeners amazed and speechless because of the profound Divine meaning they were able to take away from them. Sometimes though, people were truly baffled. Jesus' parables were earthly stories with Divine meanings, but this doesn't make them any easier to understand. Jesus even explained to His disciples that these Divine truths wasn't given to all to understand, but only revealed to those who have a desire to learn them.

Matthew 13:15-17 In the beginning of the chapter, Jesus sits by the sea side. A great crowd gathers around Him listening to Him speak. Jesus then went onto a ship to speak to the crowd gathered on the bank. The disciples came to Jesus after the crowd had left and asked Him why He spoke this way. Jesus responds by saying, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given." Jesus explains the parable to His disciples when they are alone, Matthew 13:34-36.

***To those with "dull hearts and ears", parables are both judgement and mercy. Judgement because it keeps them in darkness which they want, and mercy because they had already rejected the truth, so anymore exposure to it would only increase their condemnation.

Ephesians 3:3-4 Paul admits to "mysteries" revealed to him. He says, now the Gentiles stand on equal ground, as the Jewish people, in the eyes of the Lord.

2 Timothy 3:7 "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Those with "dull hearts" and no desire will never fully understand truth in scripture. "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus' parables open our eyes to a deeper insight to God and His Kingdom and giving us a better glimpse into the spiritual realm. Jesus spoke in parables to teach the truth to those willing to hear and to conceal the truth from those who have no desire for it. "he that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him," Proverbs 18:13. A principal that will not fail in keeping Christians in ignorance is---condemnation before investigation.

Beautifully written. I'd say that when we feel that we properly understand these parables, this in itself becomes a sort of proof regarding our status with the Lord. We must be enabled to know and understand the Word of God.

1 Timothy 1:12-13 KJV - "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief."

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

It seems as if Jesus spoke in parables for then only the spiritually hungry would be able to understand, and those who did not have that much of a desire would not be able to understand for if it were that simple to understand then even those who were not really that interested could understand and be converted and saved.

Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Only those who really care will be able to understand and they will beat the door with their fists until they are bloody to enter the kingdom of heaven.

We are told precisely why we have parables.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Mt 13:13)

So that seeing the unbelievers would not see, and that hearing, the unbelievers would not understand. Because they chose to be wilfully blind. Everything would be hidden from those without the Spirit. This was a form of judicial blindness for those who opposed Christ and refused to accept Him as Lord and Savior. But Christ did explain His parables to His disciples.

God only reveals the deep things of God to those who have His Spirit. And they have His Spirit because they come to Him as little children in need of salvation.

Exactly. And all of the healings that Christ performed, are a forward reflection of Purifying the Heart. The way that Christ causes a person to see, hear, and understand, is by Spiritually Circumcising that person's Heart.

Colossians 2:11, 13 KJV - "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: ... 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses . . ."

This is precisely what Moses and his Holy Veil represented. When the Veil was raised, Israel could not see the Glory of God nor understand Him and His ways. But when the Veil was lowered, Israel could see the Glory of God . . . and understood. The Veil is directly related to the Doctrine of Circumcised Hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:12-16 NKJV - "Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech-- 13 unlike Moses, [who] put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the [veil] is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

What an unbelievable Bible we have. To begin to see these things is just mind-boggling. There is no way humans could come up with this stuff on their own.