Jesus said,

 “I Speak in Parables So They WON’T Understand.”

 Why Would Jesus Do that?

“All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; and without a parable spoke He not unto them.”  Matt 13:34

“But without a PARABLE spoke He not unto them…” Mark 4:34

“This PARABLE spoke Jesus unto them; but they understood not what things they were which He spoke unto them.”  John 10:6

Many Christians believe that Jesus taught in parables to make His message clear, but that is not biblical.  Even His disciples were in the dark and did not understand.  Repeatedly, they asked Jesus to explain the parables to them.

“And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable.  And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.

“That seeing they may see, and not perceived: and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them.  And He said unto them, Know ye not this parable? And how then will you know all parables?”  Mark 4:10-13

This passage tells us that Jesus didn’t want them to understand and He didn’t want to convert them and He didn’t want to save them.

Again, why would Jesus do that?

Jesus gives the answer Himself:

“And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why do you speak unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is NOT given.”  Matt 13:10-11

“. . . but unto them it is NOT given.”  Jesus spoke in parables the majority of the people could NOT understand!

Even Jesus’ own disciples had to have these parables explained to them.  But He often did that by telling them – – another Parable!  Why would Jesus do that?

Because God’s plan involves calling MANY, but choosing only a FEW – at least in this age.

“(The) MANY (meaning – ALL) are called, but FEW are chosen.”  Matt 22:14

Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.”  John 15:16

The shocking truth is that Jesus hid the meaning of His teachings from the masses.  The word Parable (Parabole in Greek: #3850 in Strong’s Concordance)

means a similitude or (symbolically) fictitious narrative that conveyed a moral truth.  The word Proverb (Paroimia in Greek: #3942 in Strong’s Concordance) means essentially the same thing – a fictitious illustration.

But even the disciples often did not understand.  Jesus taught His own disciples in private and told them:

“These things have I spoken unto you in PROVERBS: but the time comes  when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you PLAINLY of the Father.”  John 16:25

By Jesus’ own admission, He didn’t teach or speak to even His own apostles “plainly.”  But He promised that the time would come when He would no longer speak in proverbs but would speak plainly.

“And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable.”  Mark 4:10

The people did not understand Jesus’ parables; the Scribes and Pharisees did not understand Jesus’ parables – except on one occasion they “perceived” He was speaking of them – and not even the Apostles understood Jesus ‘ parables.

And when Jesus explained the parables to the Apostles at their request, He often explained them with – – another Parable!

Over and over, the Apostles did not understand.

“And He (Jesus) said unto them (His disciples), How is it that ye do NOT understand?”  Mark 8:21

“But they understood NOT that saying, and were afraid to ask him.”  Mark 9:32

Jesus said unto His disciples:

“Let these sayings sink down into your ears. . . But they understood NOT this saying, and it was HID from them, and they perceived it NOT; and they feared to ask Him of that saying.”  Luke 9:44,45

These things understood NOT His disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified (after His resurrection) then they remembered that these things were written of Him. . .”  John 12:16

Jesus taught His disciples for three and one half years.  They heard Him preach and teach hundreds of times, yet they did not understand.

“Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and ALL THINGS that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. . . and they understood NONE of these things: and this saying was HID from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” Luke 18:31-34

The disciples understood NOTHING concerning the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus.

But at the last meeting Jesus had with His apostles after His resurrection, we read:

“And He said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you (the things they never understood) that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me (meaning the entire Old Testament Scriptures).  THEN, He opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.”  Luke 24:44-45

Why did Jesus finally open the eyes and minds of the disciples so they could understand?

“And the disciples came, and said unto Him, WHY do you speak unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (but not at that specific time, but eventually – after His resurrection) but to them it is NOT given.

“For whosoever has, to him shall be given (more), and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even what he has.  Therefore, I speak to them in parables: because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.

“And in them (and in all future generations down through the centuries, except for a very small chosen few) is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive:

“For this people’s heart (those in Isaiah’s day, those in Christ’s day, and through the generation into our day) is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should HEAL (SAVE) them.”  Matt 13:10-15

There could be no more precise description of the Organized Church of today!

“The people draw near unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips: but their Heart is FAR from Me.  But in vain (futility) they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  Matt 15:8-9

But to the chosen FEW, Jesus said:

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men (all the Patriarchs of the Old Testament) have desired to see those things which you see, and have NOT seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have NOT heard them.”  Matt 13:16-17

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, and particularly after Pentecost – when the disciples received God’s “Holy Spirit” – allowing them to understand Spiritual things – the Apostles and New Testament writers understood that the patriarchs of old, including the prophets themselves, often did not understand their own prophesies.

After being given a vision, Daniel was told:

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. . .”  Daniel 12:4

But all these prophecies are being revealed to those who now, in the time of the end, are learning to KNOW God and are willing to diligently search the Scriptures.

“Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto YOU;

Searching what, or what manner of time

the Spirit of Christ, which was in them,

did signify, when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

“Unto whom it was revealed, that NOT unto themselves, but unto US they did minister (for OUR admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come, 1 Cor 10:11)

the things, which are now reported unto YOU by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Spirit of Christ, sent down from heaven;

which things the angels desire to look into. /Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto YOU at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  1 Peter 1:10-13

Conclusion:

This is why theologians, pastors, and Bible scholars, and Bible translators often don’t understand the Scriptures.  This is why the Organized Church is ususlly “teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men.”   That is why Jesus said, “They draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”

One can understand the Scriptures ONLY when one learns to know the Lord up close and personal through daily, diligent, Bible study and prayer, often after one has been through terrible trouble in their life, which helps them to recognize their absolute need for God to run their life. It is then that God opens the mind and heart so one can understand Spiritual truth 

 “The natural man (the soulish man – one who uses only the 5 senses)receives NOT the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because Spiritual things are Spiritually discerned.”  1 Cor 2:14 

Understanding the Scriptures is not related to high intelligence, advanced religious credentials or years studying in the seminary.  One can only understand the Scriptures when his heart, eyes, and mind have been opened to truth – by Jesus Christ.

The Mount of Transfiguration

After Peter, James, and John had seen Jesus transfigured on the Mount,

“Jesus commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” Mark 9:9

 “When you grow and develop the right condition inwardly, the words Jesus spoke become so clear that you are amazed you did not grasp them before.  In fact, you were not able to understand them before because you had not yet developed the proper spiritual condition to deal with them 

“Our Lord doesn’t hide these things from us, but we’re not prepared to receive them until we are in the right condition in our spiritual life.  Jesus said 

‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.’ John 16:12