Why Jesus Taught in Parables: by Gayle Somers

In today’s Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus, “Why do You speak in parables?”  Good question!

Gospel (Read Mt 13:1-23)

Our Gospel opens with a picturesque scene of Jesus sitting “by the sea” and drawing such a large crowd that He had to get into a boat and go offshore a bit so the people could hear Him.  If we were reading Matthew’s Gospel from its beginning, we would see that the reason Jesus had such a big following was that “He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.  So His fame spread…” (Mt 4:23-24a).  We would notice, too, that the first great teaching by Jesus recorded in this Gospel is the Sermon on the Mount.  Here we find several chapters of straight talk about how men ought to live.  Noticeable is the lack of any parables.  After that, we get many more accounts of Jesus’ miracles.   Then, in chapter twelve, we find the beginning of strong opposition to Him.  He healed a man on the Sabbath, and “the Pharisees went out and took counsel against Him, how to destroy Him” (Mt 12:14). …

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