Why Does Jesus Speak in Parables?

Last Sunday, we looked at Mark 4. We did not really talk about the purpose why Jesus used parables. He gives the answer for us in verse 10-12. Let’s listen to his own words:

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

We are introduced to Jesus’ first parable by Mark in Chapter 4: the parable of the soils. He shares this parable to the crowd, but he does not explain it to them. He saves the explanation for the disciples only. Why is this? Maybe you’ve heard a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. While it was common for rabbis and teachers to speak like this for illustration purposes, Jesus withheld its meaning. He does unpack its meaning for the disciples, however, because they have given the secret of the kingdom of God.

First, what Jesus means by “secret” of the kingdom is this: the greatest and most powerful kingdom had been established in Jesus’ coming, his death, and resurrection. This kingdom is everlasting and can never be overthrown. But why was this a “secret?” Because it is not a kingdom established by ways we are used to: mobilizing an army, conquering territories, and things of the like. Jesus came to conquer the evil that is inside of us—namely, sin, and an enemy that has dominance over us, namely, Satan. His death frees us from Satan’s grasp and satisfies God’s wrath against sin. It’s not a kingdom you can see, yet. That’s part of the secret. Right now, we do not see Jesus’ kingdom fully. The closest thing you get to seeing Jesus’ kingdom is Sunday morning—God’s people changed, ruled by his Word, praising him King. But you look around at the world and you still see a world in havoc. But it won’t always be that way. Jesus has come to earth the first time to atone for our sins as a suffering servant and he will come a second time with power and vengeance and great glory as the sovereign king. So, the secret is this: Is the kingdom here? Yes. Is the kingdom fully here? No. That’s the mystery we live in now—the kingdom is already and the kingdom is not yet.

Now, note everyone gets this secret. If you haven’t been granted eyes to see this, you see problems—you see the racism, the violence, the poverty, the manipulation, and the corruption. You see all of that. But you don’t see what’s behind all of it. You don’t see the root of it all. You see the symptoms of an unbelieving heart, but you think better policies, better technologies, better laws, and better people are going to make things right. But you’re trying to stop a gunshot wound with a Band-Aid. Those are problems, yes. But it’s not the root problem. The why behind all of these evils is our rebellion against God—our refusal to trust him and obey him. The violence and racism—that’s fruit—symptoms. That’s not the cause—the root. Jesus names what destroys our ability to see the kingdom: our hardened hearts. He picks up Isaiah’s prophecy picking up in v. 14: “When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear...” Isaiah’s ministry was speaking God’s Word to a people who didn’t want God—their hearts wanted nothing to do with what God was saying.

Jesus links the inability to hear and see to the heart. That’s the issue. And so the reason Jesus chooses to speak in parables is to hide the truth from those with hardened hearts. Their lack of understanding shows their standing before God. His choosing to speak in parables is judgement against their unbelief. Speaking in parables is a test for the hearers. Those who are proud and self-focused and self-righteous brush it off and say, “I’m not going to inquire any further. A great picture but nothing that I’m going to let change me.” But to those hungry for God, they do inquire further. Their humility leads to dig a little more, to examine their hearts, to think on Jesus’ words, and to respond. Jesus speaks in parables, therefore, to bring separate the humble and the hard-heartened.