The Parables of Jesus - Introduction

Introduction

Today’s message is the introduction to a long yet but necessary series of teachings on the parables of Jesus.

In this series, we focus only on the parables of Jesus, the moments in which He intentionally taught through parables to reveal the truths of the Kingdom of God. 

Symbolic images and narrative scenes are excluded, not because they are less important, but because they are not presented in Scripture as parables themselves.

These parables are among the most precious spiritual and heavenly teachings that Jesus Himself has given to us, in order to help us understand two earthly realities: one that comes from and is ruled by the spiritual realm that is, governed by God / led by the Spirit, and the other that belongs to the physical world, ruled by our senses and emotions.

These two are certainly connected, but the first encounter with truth must be led by the Spirit, through faith in Jesus, which then leads us to live rightly within the concrete realities of the physical world.

We will go through at least 33 of them, likely until August, to gain a clearer understanding of what Jesus came to fulfill and what He taught to His disciples, the ones who would later establish His living and beloved Church.

What is a parable?

A parable is a wisdom teaching that draws the listener in and then confronts the heart. It uses familiar images or situations from everyday life to communicate a spiritual truth and to expose hidden motives. A Parable generally teaches and focuses only one basic point.

In the biblical context, a parable often takes the form of a short illustrative story. While it may include metaphorical or symbolic elements, it is not merely a proverb or a simple metaphor; it is a purposeful narrative designed to provoke understanding, response, and repentance.

An allegory, by contrast, is a story in which the elements consistently correspond to a deeper reality, preserving a recognizable symbolic structure throughout. While some parables contain allegorical features, not every parable is a full allegory.

Jesus did not invent parables. We already find them in the Old Testament. A clear example is when the prophet Nathan confronted King David by telling him the parable of the ewe lamb (2 Samuel 12:1–7). The story of the rich man who took the poor man’s only lamb led David to pronounce judgment, until Nathan declared, “You are the man”. David was then disarmed, his conscience and heart led him to repentance.

Why does Jesus speak in parables?

This traditional and biblical way of speaking is meant to simplify understanding by placing the truth of the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven, in a clear and relatable context, using concrete comparisons, meeting people where they are, and creating a genuine connection with them in everyday life.

Jesus also continued the Jewish tradition of teaching through parables showing His divine connection to King David and revealing Himself as the fulfillment of God’s redemption plan through His Anointed One, the Messiah.

As the Psalmist says: « Listen, my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will tell riddles of old, » Psalm 78:2 NASB (Slide)

In this way, those with a simple and humble heart seek to understand not through fear, suspicion, judgment, or criticism, but through a childlike and repentant heart, like King David, who had a heart according to God, or like a child running into the arms of his father or mother, with complete trust and selfless confidence, fully assured that he has found the right answer to his needs.

God has always humbly and mercifully adapted Himself to His creation in order to give people an opportunity to believe in Him, in all places, circumstances, and occasions throughout history.

And at the same time, through God’s sovereign will, the most important fact is that He gives the final choice to every human being to open his or her heart to receive these words of the Kingdom of Heaven or to reject them. God is here revealed in the name of Jesus.

Let’s read the passage of the day

“And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU SHALL KEEP ON LISTENING, BUT SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU SHALL KEEP ON LOOKING, BUT SHALL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Mt. 13:10-17 NASB (1)

An Explanation for Parables

Jesus here quotes the prophet Isaiah and also talks about « the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven ».

God commissioned the prophet Isaiah to proclaim His truth and to speak about the Kingdom of God, yet the people’s ears, hearts, and understanding were unresponsive and insensitive to that truth. Their hearts had grown dull, and they were unwilling to truly hear and perceive.

In the same way, Jesus taught and later commissioned His disciples to do likewise. Through this, He showed them that only through the work of the Spirit can people truly be touched. This reveals a divine work that operates according to the condition of the heart: the Word of truth is received only where the heart is soft, humble, and desirous to receive it.

Thus, the parables expose both God’s mercy in revealing truth and humanity’s responsibility in responding to it, demonstrating that spiritual understanding is not merely intellectual, but a matter of the heart made receptive by God.

The mystery of the kingdom of God

The mysteries of God are the promises He made to His people throughout the Old Testament, once hidden and progressively revealed by God, fulfilled in part in the Old Testament and more fully in the New Testament through the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and Redeemer of humanity.  

In Him, the prophecies concerning the Anointed One, His coming, ministry, suffering, and resurrection, find their fulfillment.

Yet these mysteries are only partially fulfilled, because the final stage of God’s redemptive plan will be completed at Christ’s return, when He will judge the earth, defeat evil fully, and establish the new heavens, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem.

From the very beginning, God revealed these mysteries through divine patterns and cycles. After the fall of Adam and Eve, God announced judgment on the serpent and promised that the offspring of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. This declaration already revealed the conflict between two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of deception. 

Throughout Scripture, this duality unfolds as good and evil develop side by side until the final judgment.

History repeatedly reflects this pattern: Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, Saul and David. Darkness opposes God’s chosen line, yet God’s promise continues through Abraham, David, and their descendants, pointing forward to the Messiah.

The prophets, by divine revelation, interpreted these patterns and announced future fulfillments. King David’s psalms, prayers, and sufferings reflect this same redemptive cycle, many of which find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Son of David. The image of the suffering servant and the slain Lamb appears repeatedly, especially in the Psalms and Isaiah.

Although the Old Testament foretold the Messiah, the exact moment of His coming remained hidden. Yet at the appointed time, God revealed His plan: Simeon awaited the consolation of Israel, John the Baptist prepared the way, and Jesus was revealed at His baptism, where the Father spoke and the Spirit descended. The Redeemer was present among His people.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin, death, and Satan, opened the way to heaven, and inaugurated the age of grace. All who believe in Him, Jew and Gentile alike, receive the promised Holy Spirit, are called to walk in the works prepared by God, and live to His glory.

At the center of all these mysteries stands Christ Himself, the promised Seed, the Son of David, the Lamb of God, the King of kings, and the One who will finally and eternally crush the serpent’s head.

We can finally say that the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven are related to God’s redemptive plan through the work of Jesus Christ for mankind, and that the gospel of salvation is entrusted to the Church to be shared with the world, just as the disciples were taught.

Conclusion

To conclude today’s introduction to our “Parables of Jesus” series, and to help us all be aligned with what is to come in the weeks ahead, I invite you to read several key passages that will open our hearts and understanding to these heavenly teachings: Psalm 78, Isaiah 6, Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8, and Luke 13.

These passages will prepare us to better grasp why Jesus spoke in parables and how God reveals the truths of His Kingdom to those whose hearts are ready to receive them. The Church plays a crucial role in the unfolding mystery of the Kingdom. As the body of Christ, the Church is tasked with proclaiming the Gospel and advancing the Kingdom on earth.