Matthew 13:10-13

Jesus Explains Why He Speaks In Parables (13:10-13a).

The disciples who had had the secrets of the Kingly Rule of Heaven revealed to them in the Sermon on the Mount and subsequently, could not understand why Jesus did not speak so plainly to the crowds. Why did He only tell the crowds stories which left the listeners still unsure of what was meant, when He had made it so clear to them? (Like all of us they did not realise how little they actually knew themselves). Jesus replies that it is because the crowds are in no condition to receive the truth as stated plainly. It would actually be too much for them and therefore harmful to them. Those whose hearts were open must be brought along gradually until they repented. Let them ponder on what they were given. Then they could know more.

The advantage of the parables was that each man could interpret them as he would on different levels. Each received the truth at the level at which they appreciated it, and would go away to think and talk it over. And as a result none became ‘hardened' as a result of the repetition of the message. Some would understand by His words one thing, and some would understand another. Some would go away with but a single lesson learned, others would interpret it in more detail. They would discuss it together. But all would learn something if they wanted to. And an explanation was always available. It was, however, only those who had begun to accept that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was here, and that Jesus was the Coming One, and who appreciated that that was what He was talking about, who would gather their full meaning. But all should have known that, for repent for the Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand' had been His constant message (Matthew 4:17).

We do not know at what stage this incident took place, Matthew while chronological in his major outline, tends to deal within the outline with themes which build up, not with chronology, as we can see from his patterns. Thus this is no guide as to what point in time Jesus began to preach in parables. When we think about it recognise that we actually know very little about what Jesus preached to the crowds before this (only ‘repent for the Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand' (Matthew 4:17), and that John also had preached ‘parabolically'. But we do know that even His teaching to the disciples included much ‘parabolic' material, i.e. many illustrations. So it may well have taken the disciples some time before they recognised that He constantly differentiated in His ministry in this way, sufficiently for them to ask about it, probably in fact only when they became puzzled themselves when what they heard was not clear to them and they suddenly realised that there had been no explanation. Indeed this may actually be seen as the point where he moved from simple parable to allegory.

We should note in this regard what a ‘parable' is. Certainly it is sometimes an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, but that is only one type of ‘parable'. It can also be a pithy saying, an illustration, a cryptic one-liner, a figure of speech, and so on. And as we have seen above, it could be a more detailed allegory (although we should not seek interpretations of every point as the later church began to do). It is both enlightening and enigmatic at the same time, depending on the listener and his receptiveness, as the parable of the sowing of the seed makes clear.

Analysis of Matthew 13:10 a.

a And the disciples came, and said to Him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10).

b And He answered and said to them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingly rule of heaven, but to them it is not given” (Matthew 13:11).

b “For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever has not, from him will be taken away even what he has” (Matthew 13:12).

a “Therefore I speak to them in parables” (Matthew 13:13 a).

Note that in ‘a' the question is as to why He speaks in parables and in the parallel He has explained why. In ‘b' and its parallel we have two parallel statements.