Matthew 13:13
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus uses parables not just to obscure truth, but as a consequence of people's deliberate hardness of heart. By not truly engaging with what they can see and hear, they forfeit their ability to grasp deeper spiritual realities, making the parables a necessary, albeit revealing, method of communication.
Jesus has just been teaching a crowd, but now he withdraws with his disciples because the crowds are becoming too large. He begins to teach in parables, and when the disciples ask why, Jesus explains that it's because this particular audience, despite having seen and heard him, has hardened their hearts and are unwilling to truly understand or believe.
Why did Jesus, the ultimate communicator, resort to stories that obscure as much as they reveal? It wasn't just for fun.
Jesus' use of parables was a strategic choice, not a sign of His inability to speak plainly.
The Problem:
His audience, particularly the religious leaders, had repeatedly rejected His message and even attributed His miracles to evil. They saw and heard, but their hearts were hardened, making them spiritually blind and deaf.
The Solution:
Parables served as a form of divine judgment and also as a protective measure.
This approach reflects a principle: those who intentionally turn away from truth eventually lose the capacity to understand it.
Jesus mentions a principle: 'For whoever has will be given more.' What does this mean for how we approach God's Word?
This verse touches on a profound principle of spiritual economics: the law of reception.
The Principle:
'To the one who has, more will be given, and he will be full, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.' (Matthew 13:12, paraphrased).
How it Works:
Understand the original words
parabolē · Greek Noun
A comparison or earthly story with a heavenly meaning used by Jesus to illustrate spiritual truth. It often serves to reveal truth to believers while concealing it from the spiritually hardened.
Jesus' use of parables wasn't just a teaching style; it was a strategic response to the spiritual condition of His audience, echoing prophetic pronouncements and fulfilling a divine purpose in how truth was revealed or concealed.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy
Isaiah delivers a prophecy concerning the hardened hearts of the people, stating God would speak to them in such a way that they would not understand, fulfilling a prophecy that speaks to a spiritual blindness.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins His public ministry, initially teaching plainly and performing miracles, but facing increasing rejection and malicious accusations.
c. AD 30-31— this verse
Jesus Begins Teaching in Parables
In response to the people's persistent spiritual blindness and rejection, Jesus begins to teach in parables, a method that would reveal truths to those open to Him while obscuring them from those who were hostile or indifferent.
c. AD 60-62
Gospels Written
The Gospels of Mark and Luke are written, presenting Jesus' teaching in parables, with some accounts emphasizing the divine purpose behind this method as a fulfillment of prophecy.
This passage is directly quoted by Jesus in Matthew 13:14-15, explaining that the people's inability to understand is a fulfillment of this prophecy concerning spiritual blindness.
John 12:39-40This passage in John reflects on the same prophecy from Isaiah, explaining that the people were blinded because they did not believe, even though the evidence was clear, mirroring the situation in Matthew 13.
Romans 11:7-8Paul explains that Israel, in their pursuit of righteousness through law rather than faith, became hardened, a concept that resonates with why the people in Matthew 13 were not receptive to Jesus' parables.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4This passage speaks about the gospel being hidden to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, aligning with the spiritual blindness described in Matthew 13.
Matthew 11:25Jesus thanks the Father for hiding these things from the wise and learned and revealing them to little children, highlighting the sovereign choice of God in granting understanding, which is a key aspect of why Jesus used parables.
bensonMatthew 13:13: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
Matthew 13:13-15 . Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing, see not — In pursuance of this general rule, I do not give more knowledge to this people, because they use not that which they have already: having all the means of seeing, hearing, and understanding, they use none of them; they do not effectually see, or hear, or understand any…
barnesMatthew 13:13: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
Because they seeing, see not - Mark Mar 4:12 and Luke Luk 8:10 say, "That seeing, they may not see etc.;" but there is no difference. Matthew simply states the "fact," that though they saw the "natural" meaning of the story - though they literally understood the parable - yet they did not understand its "spiritual" signification. Mark and Luke do not state…
Jesus uses parables not just to obscure truth, but as a consequence of people's deliberate hardness of heart. By not truly engaging with what they can see and hear, they forfeit their ability to grasp deeper spiritual realities, making the parables a necessary, albeit revealing, method of communication.
Jesus has just been teaching a crowd, but now he withdraws with his disciples because the crowds are becoming too large. He begins to teach in parables, and when the disciples ask why, Jesus explains that it's because this particular audience, despite having seen and heard him, has hardened their hearts and are unwilling to truly understand or believe.
Jesus has just been teaching a crowd, but now he withdraws with his disciples because the crowds are becoming too large. He begins to teach in parables, and when the disciples ask why, Jesus explains that it's because this particular audience, despite having seen and heard him, has hardened their hearts and are unwilling to truly understand or believe.
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Jesus isn't talking about earning favor, but about the natural consequence of how we respond to truth. A receptive heart opens the door for more of God's wisdom; a closed heart shuts it.
"This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." — Jesus uses parables not just to obscure truth, but as a consequence of people's deliberate hardness of heart. By not truly engaging with what they can see and hear, they forfeit their ability to gr…
