Matthew 13:10-17 Mark 4:10-12 Luke 8:9-10

http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/The_First_Large_Group_of_Parables_to_the_Crowds_by_the_Sea_of_Galilee.htm

Why did Jesus teach in parables?  This is the question that Jesus answers in today’s text.  There were many different people who heard Jesus speak.  Not all the people who were in the crowds that followed Jesus truly interested in learning from Him.  Some people were curious and simply wanted to see the miracles He performed.  They were following Jesus in order to be part of the crowd and be entertained.  Other people were out to entrap Him.  They were just waiting for Him to do or say something wrong so they could try to discredit Him.  Finally, there were His disciples that truly wanted to hear and understand His teachings.  It was this final group that Jesus was most interested in teaching.  It was this group that asked Jesus about His teaching methods.  The answer Jesus gives is instructive and should help us evaluate what kind of students we are.  There are basically two reasons Jesus gave for teaching in Parables.

TO CONCEAL TRUTH: The curious people and the conniving people really had no interest in understanding what Jesus was teaching.  Jesus was also not interested in teaching them because of the hardness of their hearts.  They were either too lazy to listen or too indifferent because they could not use these “stories” against Him.  Scripture had predicted that the Messiah would teach a deaf and blind audience.  Their lack of motivation and dedication to understand Jesus left them in the state of condemnation before God.  These self-centered and self-righteous people were not interested in a message of repentance and transformation.  They were blind to their own lost state and deaf to the truth of God’s Word.  Many people continue to be exposed to the teachings of Jesus in the same way.  They are interested in God’s Word as an academic pursuit in order to satisfy their curiosity.  Others endure church services because they feel obligated to attend a service in hopes of impressing other people or easing their own conscience.  They don’t see a need for transformation or repentance.  The truth is that this attitude can easily sprout up in our hearts.  We can just start going through the motions of going to church or reading our Bibles without truly engaging our hearts and minds.

TO REVEAL TRUTH: The disciples were anxious to learn from Jesus which is why they were asking questions and striving to understand.  They recognized their own need and believed that Jesus was able to meet that need.  The parables would stimulate their thinking, capture their attention and facilitate their memories.  But Jesus was not motivated to teach in parables as an exercise in effective communication.  His motivation was one of transformation.  When God’s Word is heard, understood and applied to our lives, it will convict us of sin and change our lives.  This is the goal of God’s Word and was the goal of Christ’s ministry.  Every time we hear a message or open the Scriptures we need to concentrate with our minds fully engaged.  We also need to open our heats so the light of Scripture can shine on our lives and show us where we are wrong and then be committed to making the necessary changes in our lives.  Attentiveness and humility are vital prerequisites to the understanding of God’s Word.


APPLICATION: Protect our hearts from the laziness and pride that will make God’s Word be ineffective in our lives.  Pay close attention every time we are exposed to the Word of God.  Recognize our spiritual need for transformation and humbly ask God to change our lives as we hear and read the Bible. 

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