Why Parables?

Q: Why did Jesus (who was obviously “different” – doing miracles and healing) speak in parables (and then had to explain to the disciples)? Did he not want the “masses” to understand his message?

A: This is a great question – because it is one that the disciples, themselves, asked Jesus in Matthew 13:10. Jesus answered them by saying, “You are permitted to understand the secrets [mysteries] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have...
...an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.” (Matt. 13:11-13 NLT)
One important thing to realize is the timeframe in which so many of Jesus’ parables were told. Because many of the established leaders of ‘religion’ at that time were turning against Him, Jesus was forced to move His ministry from the synagogue to the seashore. In doing so, He was speaking out in the open where everyone could come and listen – not just those who wanted to hear his teachings and grow closer to Him – but also those who were His adversaries and wanted to find condemning evidence to use against him.
It’s not like Jesus is hiding the truth from some people, but not from others. He’s not intentionally trying to pull one over on the “masses”. What He is telling us in the above verses is that some people can understand spiritual truth and some people cannot. Many of the people that were listening to his teachings were not, in fact, hearing him. Their hearts were hardened; they were prideful; their spiritual condition was poor. On them, the parable was lost. These adversaries heard a great story, nothing more.
Yet there were many others listening to him, who were hearing. They were humble; they were anxious to hear what Jesus was teaching; to them, the teachings were made clear.
In his commentary on the book of Matthew, Michael Green says, “It may seem unfair, but that is life. If you do not use your muscles you eventually lose the use of them. If you do use them, they increase in size and strength. It is the same at the spiritual level. The parables bring light for those who look for it, and for those who do not the darkness intensifies.”
In addition, Jesus used parables because it is a fantastic storytelling technique. Per Webster’s – a parable is a “short, simple story teaching a moral lesson.” These simple, short stories hold our attention and are very easy to remember. They are also easy to relate to and cause us to spend some time reflecting.I do want to make it clear, that Jesus DID want the masses to understand His teachings. Even those with hardened hearts and closed minds can come around full circle to the promise in Luke 11:9: “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” His desire is that everyone would turn to Him and pursue an understanding of the truths found in His Word.