His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” Matthew 13:10 NLT
In a homespun, simply human wisdom sort of way, Mark Twain spoke in parables. Rather than traditional religious stories, he constructed narrative allegories to expose the hypocrisy, greed, and foolishness of human nature. He used animals, caricatures of people, and relational commonalities to make truth hard to deny. In a similar communication form, Jesus powerfully used parables, stories from everyday life to reveal spiritual reality, expose the heart, and invite people to respond to God's Kingdom. This was quite different from the ordinary rabbi. Was it simply more entertaining? The disciples asked Him about it.
Most basically, Jesus often taught through parables because He wasn't merely trying to transfer information – He was helping people see reality as God sees it. There are several reasons the parables have been so effective through the centuries:
Jesus used parables to reveal that the Kingdom of God is often different than it appears. Jesus told stories about seeds, farmers, pearls, vineyards, weddings, and lost sons. He used these to illustrate that God works differently than we expect. God's Kingdom often grows quietly and undramatically. What looks small, weak, or insignificant can be the very thing God is using. The mustard seed is tiny, yet it grows to be a large plant. God often works beneath the surface before we see any evidence visibly.
Jesus used parables to invite self-discovery and understanding rather than forcing a conclusion. Instead of saying, “This is how you are. You are so wrong!” Jesus told stories and allowed His listeners to identify themselves in the story. For instance, His most famous story, the parable of the prodigal son or the lost boy, causes us to ask, “Am I the younger brother who needs forgiveness? Am I the judgmental older brother? Do I have the father’s heart to forgive and welcome?” The story lowers the listener’s defenses and allows a self-admission that might never happen with a direct accusation.
Jesus used parables to reveal the state of the listener's heart. He explained to His disciples that some people would listen to the parable and understand God and His Kingdom in a new way. Others would hear the same story, and it would go right over their heads. The issue was never IQ. The issue was openness. You can’t see and receive truth unless you genuinely want to receive it. That’s the heart of the parable of the soil.
• Jesus, as I read the stories You told, may my heart be open to hear, receive, and understand.