Regarding Parables

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(It would be helpful if, before you read the sermon that follows, you take a moment to read Matthew 13:1-17.)

Most of the time, when we gather to hear a sermon, what we receive generally falls into one of two categories. Either we receive instruction about how to make the principles of the gospel practical in our day-to-day lives, or we are given some kind of teaching designed to help us understand some of the more obscure points of doctrine or theology. On a good day we get both.

What our preachers and teachers do for us is take the tough, hard-to-swallow pieces of our religion, grind them up for us and spit them back out in little, easy-to-digest portions that we can more readily handle as our own spiritual food. (I know this doesn't sound too flattering or appealing.)

Think of a nest full of baby birds. The mother bird flies down to the earth and nabs a worm, partially digests it, and then flies back to the nest, where she regurgitates it into the throats of her children, and they receive the nourishment they need.

Don't get stalled by the analogy. The point is, when we hear a sermon, we are usually getting something that has been designed to help us understand the finer points of religion, something that has been carefully prepared to increase the understanding of all who hear.

That is not how Jesus preached.



Jesus told stories.

Those stories, called parables, were not designed to increase the understanding of all who heard them. In fact, they were especially designed to keep those outside the kingdom of God--those who had not been blessed with ears to hear--in the dark.

Here's an example of something like Jesus would say: "Church is like a nest full of baby birds, whose mother brought back into the nest food to feed them." And he would leave it at that. Then, later, when He had His chosen disciples alone with Him, He would explain the parable: "Most of the time, when we gather to hear a sermon, what we receive generally falls into one of two categories...."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. (Mark 4:33-34)

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 13:34-35)

The parable we read in our New Testament reading this morning is possibly the most famous of the parables--today we call it the Parable of the Sower. Almost everybody has heard it, and almost everybody kind of understands it, because Jesus' explanation to His disciples has been recorded for our generation to read.

But when Jesus first preached it, He didn't explain it to the people who listened. He just told the story, said "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," and sent the crowds on their way.

Later the disciples asked Him, "Why do You teach like that? Why do You speak to them in parables?"

He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive.'" (Matthew 13:11-14)

An important thing to note here is God's sovereign choosing by virtue of His grace. There was nothing special about the disciples' natural abilities that made them fit to understand Jesus' words; it was a gift from God. "It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given."

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." (Matthew 13:16-17)

Let's read on and hear the Parable of the Sower explained:

"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:1-23)

Makes sense when it's explained, doesn't it? Not so easy when the explanation wasn't attached, though, especially to those who hadn't heard it taught in Sunday School and church their whole lives long. Still, though--even though they may not have understood it all, Jesus' story caused reactions in them. Some were confused and turned away. Some were angered and said, "Who does this Man think that He is, anyway?" And a few, presumably, had been gifted by God with ears to hear, and left that place that day knowing they had heard something significant, and mulled it over in their minds and prayed for understanding, and found favor with God.

Let's read on, and see some more examples of Jesus teaching in parables:

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 13:24-35)

If, at this point, you are starting to worry that you just don't get it, understand that without Jesus' explanations, the disciples didn't get it either.

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"

They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." (Matthew13:36-52)

When Jesus asked the disciples, "Have you understood all these things," and they replied, "Yes, Lord," I think they may have been telling Him a lie. Or, to be a bit more charitable, perhaps it was wishful thinking.

Because we see just two chapters later, Peter saying to the Lord about another of His sayings, "Explain this parable to us," and Jesus replying, "Are you also still without understanding?" (Matthew 15:15-16)

And another chapter after that, we find Jesus again lamenting to the disciples, "O you of little faith, do you not yet understand? How is it you do not understand?" (Matthew 16:8-11)

The point here is this: If you still feel like you're hopelessly dense and you don't totally get what Jesus is trying to say to you ... you've got powerful friends in the disciples. Follow their example. Whatever comes your way, just stay with Jesus. Ask Him to explain your confusing circumstances to you. A total explanation may or may not ever come that will satisfy all your questions, but confused or clear, you will find yourself right where you need to be ... with Him.

"It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." Jesus said those words to His disciples even though their minds were still murky with confusion; Jesus says those same words today to those whose ears have been opened to His word in faith, by the gracious gift of the God the Father through the Holy Spirit.