Matthew 13:10
Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The disciples' question, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" isn't just confusion about teaching methods; it reveals their understanding that parables are intentionally obscuring, a way to veil truth rather than reveal it. They're essentially asking Jesus why He's making the message harder to grasp, not realizing this method has a purpose beyond simple communication.
After Jesus finishes speaking a parable to the large crowd gathered by the sea, his disciples approach him, seeking clarity. They question why he speaks to the masses in such a veiled, allegorical way instead of plainly explaining the truths of the kingdom.
Jesus didn't just tell stories; He used parables as a deliberate teaching tool. Why did this specific method initially puzzle His closest followers?
The disciples' question, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" reveals their surprise. They were accustomed to Jesus' direct teachings. However, parables weren't just simple stories; they were carefully crafted illustrations designed to reveal deeper spiritual truths. For those with open hearts and minds ready to receive, parables illuminated the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." But for those with hardened hearts or unwilling to truly engage, the parables acted as a veil, obscuring the truth and highlighting their resistance to understanding.
Jesus’ response to His disciples points to a profound reality: not everyone receives divine truth in the same way. What does this say about God's interaction with humanity?
Jesus explains that the ability to truly grasp the "mysteries of the kingdom" is a gift. He contrasts "you" (the disciples) with "them" (the crowds). This isn't about favoritism, but about the condition of the heart. For those who have been given the capacity to hear and understand (the disciples), more understanding is granted. For those who have not, even what little they might grasp is taken away. This highlights a principle: responsive hearts receive more, while resistant hearts become further hardened. It's a powerful, albeit challenging, picture of how God interacts with those who are open versus those who are closed off to His truth.
Understand the original words
mathētēs · Greek Noun
Those who follow Jesus, characterized by a willingness to learn, ask questions, and submit to His teaching. They are distinguished by their desire to know the hidden truths of the kingdom that are veiled to the casual observer.
parabolē · Greek Noun
An earthly story with a heavenly meaning; a teaching device used by Jesus to reveal truth to those seeking God while simultaneously veiling it from those with hardened or rebellious hearts.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. His message of the Kingdom of God attracts large crowds.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Teaching from a Boat
Jesus, facing a large crowd gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, gets into a boat to teach them, using parables.
c. 30 AD
Disciples Ask About Parables
After Jesus finishes speaking to the crowds, his disciples, seeking to understand his method, ask him why he uses parables.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Explains His Use of Parables
Jesus responds to his disciples, explaining that parables are used to reveal spiritual truths to those with receptive hearts while concealing them from those who are resistant.
This passage provides a parallel account where the disciples also ask Jesus about His parables when they are alone, highlighting their confusion and desire for deeper understanding beyond the crowds.
Luke 8:9Similar to Matthew, Luke records the disciples asking Jesus for the meaning of the parable, emphasizing their personal need to grasp the 'mystery' of the kingdom, not just to observe its presentation to others.
Isaiah 6:9-10Jesus quotes this passage to explain His use of parables, showing that this method of speaking was not arbitrary but a fulfillment of prophecy regarding people’s hardened hearts and refusal to understand.
Matthew 13:11-12This immediate continuation of the text directly answers the disciples' question, explaining that parables serve to reveal spiritual truths to those who are receptive, while concealing them from those who are not, based on a divine principle of giving more to those who use what they have.
1 Corinthians 1:23This verse offers a thematic parallel by discussing how the message of Christ is a 'stumbling block' to some and 'foolishness' to others, underscoring the idea that understanding spiritual truths often goes against worldly wisdom and expectations, much like the perceived obscurity of Jesus' parables.
barnesMatthew 13:10: "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?"
Christ, in these verses, gives a "reason" why he used this manner of instruction. See also Mark 4:10-12 ; Luke 8:9-10 .
bensonMatthew 13:10: "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?"
Matthew 13:10-12 . The disciples — Mark says, οι περι αυτον συν τοις δωδεκα , those that were about him, with the twelve, that is, not only the apostles, but such other well-disposed persons as generally attended on Christ’s ministry, and were desirous of learning of him; came to him, namely, when the assembly was broke up, and Christ had delivered many other parables afterward mentioned; for th…
The disciples' question, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" isn't just confusion about teaching methods; it reveals their understanding that parables are intentionally obscuring, a way to veil truth rather than reveal it. They're essentially asking Jesus why He's making the message harder to grasp, not realizing this method has a purpose beyond simple communication.
After Jesus finishes speaking a parable to the large crowd gathered by the sea, his disciples approach him, seeking clarity. They question why he speaks to the masses in such a veiled, allegorical way instead of plainly explaining the truths of the kingdom.
After Jesus finishes speaking a parable to the large crowd gathered by the sea, his disciples approach him, seeking clarity. They question why he speaks to the masses in such a veiled, allegorical way instead of plainly explaining the truths of the kingdom.
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"Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”" — The disciples' question, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" isn't just confusion about teaching methods; it reveals their understanding that parables are intentionally obscuring, a way to veil…
