The Purpose of Parables

David Poland

Matthew: Kingdom Authority • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Matthew 13:34–35

Matthew 13:10–17

Parable

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Sermon Number 38 in a series through the book of Matthew

Notes

Transcript

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 130

Psalm 130 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Scripture Reading: Job 42:2-4

Job 42:2–4 ESV

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

Sermon

Good Morning Church! I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

So Last week we finished Chapter 12 which was the end of the narrative after the missions discourse, and so today you might be thinking awesome: now we start Chapter 13 and the parables. Its possible some of you looked ahead and read the first portion of Chapter 13 and thought: Woo Hoo! we are going to cover what is one of the most iconic, important, and beautiful parables of Jesus with the parable of the Sower.

and if you thought that, I have some bad news for you, for today we are NOT covering the parable of the Sower. That is next week. Instead we are doing something i rarely do, in fact, we are going to be doing two things which I rarely do. The first is that we will skip ahead. We will be looking at Matthew Chapter 13 actually skipping to verses 10-17. The second thing that we are going to do today that I rarely do is a SECOND passage. we are going to skip again and look at verse 34-35. So today we are skipping AND doing two passages. Why would we do this? Well our goal is that today we are looking at two passages that become in many ways the foundation of this entire parables section.

Parables, and more to the point the parables of Jesus re unique in terms of how they are spoken, they are uniquely identified with Jesus really. They are also, if we just stop and think about it, a little bit wired. Imagine for just a second that we did not know all of Scripture, we didn;t know that Jesus taught in parables, we didn't know that was a thing. In fact, in this little thought experiment we don’t even have bibles. Then we stumble across this ancient text from the near east. It is some 2000 years old. then we read the main character saying something like:

Matthew 13:3–8 ESV

And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Imagine that is the first time hearing and reading that. WE would probably think: Oh wow, This an interesting ancient agricultural writing. It is interesting that this agrarian society cared a lot about what sol they planted their seeds in. and this is just good wisdom and instructions for farmers. It is good for them to know how to properly plant seeds. If we didn’t have the passages we will be looking at today, if we didn’t have a grasp on what Scripture says we would have no access to actually be able to understand parables. Ad so before we spend the ext four weeks looking at parables, looking at particular parables that is, I would like to be able to answer a more fundamental question. It is in fact the question that the disciples ask Jesus in Matthew 13:10: Why does Jesus speak to us in parables?”

With that in mind lets read our TWO main text this morning. We will be reading Matthew 13:10-17 and then Matthew 13:34-35 this morning.

Matthew 13:10–17 ESV

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 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. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, 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.

Matthew 13:34–35 ESV

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

These are the Words of the Lord for us this Morning! Lets open With a Word of Prayer.

PRAY!

As we start talking about parables, as we start looking. our goal is to understand how to rightly understand and interpret these things that have become, for good reason, we will talk about it, but they have become the quintessential teaching of Jesus. SO my goal is to give us three thoughts that will help us understand what we should keep our eyes out for, tell us what we should be looking out for as we read any sort of parable.

The first thing that we need to know and understand about parables is that they REVEAL THE TRUTH

Parables REVEAL the truth

Parables are a way to, i stole this from one of my professors, I would love to take credit for thoughts this clever, but I am not that smart, but parables a a creaturely way to speak of the divine. They are creature language that speaks of the creator of those creatures. The first thing we have to understand is that while I opened with a little thought exercise reading the parable of the sower and stating: what a great little agricultural work, in reality these things teach us about things that we would normally have words for. So in the parables of the sower, and weeds, and treasures in subsequent weeks are not REALLY about sowers and seeds and weeds and treasures, we are talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. We are talking about God ad his work, we are talking about what he has done.

But there is a bit of a problem that we have. God is infinite, he is holy, he is perfect, he is righteous. SO strictly speaking there are no human words that could adequately come close to accuracy describe God. WE say he is holy, righteous, perfect sovereign Lord seated on the throne, but even that doesn't grasp the fullness of all that is God. The fancy way of saying this is that it is almost impossible for us to predicate things about God. I say almost because God, in his grace and kindness has chosen to reveal himself to his creatures. And one of the ways that he has chosen to use creature language is in parables! In fact, I would argue that parables are one of the most important ways!

WHY does Jesus teach in parables? Here is a start of the answer verse 11:

Matthew 13:11 (ESV)

And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven

Jesus speaks in parables because it is the best way for him to get across the truth of Who God is and HOW god works ad What God is doing. Parables become a vehicle to reveal to us these precious truths. We cannot overstate how important are in revealing to us these things. Other places in Scripture we read, like when the prophets were writing they really didn’t have a full picture of what they were talking about. When all these things were being said in the OT hey didn’t have a FULL grasp on the things that WE, who live in the interadvental time, the time after Jesus first advent and before his second coming, they don’t have the same blessed position as us. I would argue, that part of what makes this time so blessed is we live AFTER the time of Jesus giving parables. Jesus has taught us and so we can read verse 16

Matthew 13:16–17 ESV

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, 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.

The purpose of parables, the way to understand them, is to know that they are revealing to us precious, wonderful holy truths. About who God is ad what he has done. So, why does Jesu speak in parables, well to reveal the truth but also to CONCEAL THE TRUTH!

Parables CONCEAL the truth

The beautiful thing about parables is that for those that hear and understand, who have the darkened eyes of their heart opened by the empowering work of the holy Spirit, for those who will hear the call to hear and see the words of the Lord, for those who will grasp these things they revel the truth BUT!! for many parables serve to conceal the truth.

Going back to verse 11

Matthew 13:11 ESV

And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

If the question was Jesus why do you speak to US in parables, well then the answer is clearly so we can know and understand the truth, but if we pay closer attention that is NOT the question the disciples ask. It is not why do you speak to US but why o you speak to THEM in parables.

The THEM here is most rightly understood as the crowds, and I mean that in Matthean terminology right, the people who are around Jesus but refuse to follow him. It is the pharisees, those people who want their miracle and to move on with their life. Why do you speak to THEM in parables? Well verse 11, at the end: TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. It has not been given to them to know the secrets of heaven. So if Jesus came and spoke in perfectly plain language it would not serve his purpose here. For his sheep will hear and know his voice, but to these it has not been given to know the secrets of heaven, and why cast pearls before swine. And so parables.

To Continue:

Matthew 13:12–13 (ESV)

For to the one who has, more will be given,

AS we have our eyes opened and understand, as the revealing power of the HS works in us we GAIN more, this is the process of sanctification, that will continue till… continuing:

and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is speaking in very Romans 1 sort of language. Because these people have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, even what little hope they had will be taken away. They will be given over to a debased mid, they will continue even more in their sinfulness. verse 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.

And we should note: Isaiah said this would happen. Isaiah saw this coming! And if we think back, this is why it is good for us to spend time in the OT, having gone recently through Isaiah. What was Isiah's problem? Over and over again he went to the people, YOU NEED TO TRUST GOD, you need to trust God, have you not trusted God, WHY WONT YOU TRUST GOD. He spoke over and over again to a heard hearted people that would not hear. He goes to king ahaz, he goes to kings and people, JUST TRUST GOD and they will not do it. so Isaiah knew what it was like to speak to people with hard hearts, who sure they hear the WORDS but they do not understand. And so this prophecy is then fulfilled. Why does Jesus speak in parables, because to those who will hear, they will hear the truth in these parables, but to those who refuse, why waste my time speaking plainly. Instead Jesus will speak in parables, the secret of the kingdom are hid there. Then when you find them they are joyous, wonderful, life giving, life altering truths! But these wont hear. The darkened eyes of their heart are blind. And to them it has not been given to see and know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

This is why parables are so beautiful for us as believers. As a spirit empowered follower of Chrsit there s a moment when you read a parable as you read some teaching of Jesus, where it speaks to your heart. It is as if this truth, that has always ben there, but parables have this way of opening our eyes to see this joyous truth of God. and when the truth that was once concealed has now been revealed, it changes us.

I remember when I first realized how exactly this works I was in college. My sophomore year at NMSU there were two passages of Scripture that God used to open my eyes to the power of his words. The first is Hosea, I remember in college finally being old enough to fully understand Hosea, and what God asks of him and what that means in MY life. here is your bonus this week, go read Hosea 1, and see what I am talking about. The other one, the second one, i was reading in LUKE, Luke 18 to be specific, and it was the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector

DAVID VERSION!

This parable ends with a question, jesus asks: which one of these two men do yo think walk home justified by the Lord?

I remember reading this parable and seeing clearly the truth. and it was more than just the truth of humility and we shouldn’t be prideful But it was the truth of who I was. It was the truth of my Pharisaical heart. it was the truth that in my own strength and might I have the inward bent to think I am so self righteous and better than those sinners around me. And that truth broke me. Parables are uniquely suited to speak to our hearts like this. They are emotive but also communicate reveal and conceal there truth perfectly. This is what makes them critical in the life of the believer. But even these two are not all. There is a reason I wanted to make sure I included verse 34-35. Because for Matthew there is one more critical reason that Jesus speaks in parables that we cannot miss. To read verse 34-35 again

Matthew 13:34–35 ESV

Parables REVEAL the Truth

I tried to get a little cute here, it kinda shows up here on the slide, in your handout it is a little better, that is the capital T Truth. Parables serve to reveal the one who is the way the truth and the life, Jesus Chrsit our Lord.

What Matthew is saying is this: why does Jesus teach in parables, why are they so important? well, in some real sense, in the life of Jesus parables are as important as such things as: The virgin birth, The fact that he was born in Bethlehem, the fact that Herod killed all the boys in the region trying to kill Jesus, the fact that John the Baptist prepared the way. for all of these serve the same role as parables do here, which is to fulfill what was spoken by a prophet.

These serve to show us Jesus is who he says he is. He is the Messiah. Matthew thinks about this and says wait a second. Parables are critical because the Messiah will speak to us in parables. So why does Jesus speak in parables? because that is what the messiah does! Ultimately, parables reveal to us who our savior is. Because he is the one teaching, and he is the one teaching us HIS TRUTH, he is teaching us, and I hate that phrase HIS truth, so this is what i mean by that. He, Jesus, being God, is the sole dictator of what is true, there is only ONE truth it is HIS truth for he is THE truth. and in parables he shows it to us.

Why are parables so important, they reveal to us the heart of our savior. they reveal to us the work of our savior they reveal to us the commands of our savior. they reveal to us our savior. So next week we will be spending a lot of time looking at the parable of the sower. Spoiler alert: that parable reveals to us how to respond to the savior. We will talk about in coming weeks more parables, the weeds, the mustard seed, the leaven , hidden treasures, the pearl of great price. We will read these parables, and IN THEM we must see clearly our savior.

It does us no good to open up the parables of Jesus, to open up these wonderful life giving, truth giving parables, and not see the one who is the source of all life and truth. I pray for us, in particular yes, in the ext few weeks as we look at parables, but more importantly in our lives, that our eyes are opened to see the one who is the way the truth and the life, jesus Christ our Lord. Lets pray