10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
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: 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.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Matthew 13:10-17 KJV)
The Purpose of the Parables
A parable often refers to a wise, instructive saying, but here it means a continued comparison, using familiar earthly things to explain spiritual truths. This method was widely used by Jewish teachers and wise men of the East, as it was both enjoyable and effective. Our Savior used it to accommodate people’s understanding, speaking to them in their own manner. God had long used similitudes through His prophets, and now He does so through His Son. Surely they will respect Him who speaks from heaven, even if He speaks in earthly terms.
We have here the general reason why Christ taught in parables. The disciples were surprised, for up until then, He had not used them much. They asked, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” because they wanted the people to understand. They did not ask, “Why do You speak to us in parables?” because they knew how to get them explained. We ought to be concerned for the edification of others as well as our own.
Christ answers that He used parables to make divine truths clearer to those willing to learn while concealing them from those who were willfully ignorant. Thus, the gospel would be a savor of life to some and of death to others. Like the pillar of cloud and fire, a parable reveals light to believers but darkness to the unfaithful.
He explains further: “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” That is, the disciples had knowledge while the people did not. The disciples, inclined to learn, would search the parables and gain deeper insight, but the uninterested hearers would remain ignorant, justly suffering for their neglect. A parable is like a shell that holds good fruit for the diligent but keeps it from the lazy.
There are mysteries in the kingdom of heaven. Christ’s incarnation, sacrifice, intercession, our justification and sanctification, and the entire work of redemption are mysteries that only divine revelation could unveil. Yet, the mysterious nature of the gospel should not discourage us but rather urge us to seek understanding.
Knowledge is a gift from God, given to those who seek it. The closer we draw to Christ, the more we will understand. True believers, who have an experiential knowledge of these mysteries, are blessed. However, some do not receive this knowledge, for no one can obtain it unless given from above. God is debtor to no one; He gives or withholds as He pleases.
God bestows His gifts on those who use them but takes them from those who neglect them. Those who have grace and use it will receive more, while those who do not will lose what they seem to have. The means of grace, if unused, will be taken away.
Some were willfully ignorant, merely hearing without understanding. They had shut their eyes against Christ’s clearer teachings, so they were left in the dark. Seeing His miracles and hearing His preaching, they remained unaffected. It is just for God to take away light from those who reject it.
This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “Hearing, you shall hear and not understand.” The greatest judgment is to sit under the gospel with an untouched heart. If sinners perish, it is due to their own hardness of heart, not God’s unwillingness to save them.
Others, however, were effectually called to be Christ’s disciples and eagerly sought His teaching. To them, the parables made divine truths clearer, more relatable, and easier to remember. Christ said, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” They saw the glory of God in Christ’s person and heard His doctrine with understanding. Their desire to see and hear more prepared them for greater instruction.
This was a blessing—one they owed to God’s grace. In the days of the Messiah, “the eyes of those who see shall not be dim.” The least believer who knows Christ’s grace is more blessed than the greatest philosopher who does not know God. True blessedness comes from understanding and applying the mysteries of the kingdom. The hearing ear and seeing eye are God’s work, and they are a blessed work. Those who now see dimly will one day see face to face.