The popular belief is that Jesus spoke in parables as stories so that it would be easy for laymen to understand.
But the truth is otherwise.
Answer
The disciples also asked the same question to Jesus:
“Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Mat 13:10).
Jesus gives the answer:
“I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see,
and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (verse
13).
Explanation
The answer may seem to be shocking. But there is a reason for the above condition.
Jesus Himself says:
“Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin.
But now you say, We see; therefore, your sin remains” (John 9:41).
Two Kinds of Wrongs
In the Scripture, there are 2 kinds of errors or sin:
Those committed unknowingly; and
Those committed intentionally.
Jesus Himself distinguishes between the two:
“The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does
not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy
whipping. But the servant who does not know what his master wants,
and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be
punished with a light whipping” (Luke 12:47-48).
The same principle is clearly visible in the Old Testament, especially in the Pentateuch.
“Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death. But if it
was an accident and he did not mean to kill him, he can escape to
a place which I will choose for you, and there he will be safe. But
when someone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is
to be put to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety” (Exo
21:12-14).
Thus we see that there are sins of “ignorance” and “intentional” sins. Ignorant or intentional, a sin is a sin. But God says He will treat these in 2 different ways.
This is what the Scripture teaches:
“For as many as sinned without Law (ignorant) will also perish
(die) without Law. And as many as sinned within Law (intentional)
will be judged through Law” (Rom 2:12).
This is why the Scripture says:
“For God has shut up all in unbelief (so that their sins do not
remain – Jn 9:41), so that He might show mercy to all” (Rom
11:32).
The best example for this is Apostle Paul himself.
“the one who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor and insolent.
But I obtained mercy, because being ignorant, I did it in
unbelief” (1 Tim 1:13).
Though this is hard to believe and is against the conventional interpretation, the Scripture teaches that it is God Himself who has locked up everyone in unbelief!
“But their thoughts were hardened, for until the present time the
same veil remains on the reading of the Old Covenant, not being
unveiled… But until today, when Moses is being read, a veil lies on
their heart” (2 Cor 3:14,15).
“What then? What Israel seeks, this it did not obtain, but the
election (the select) obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
even as it has been written, "God gave to them a spirit of
slumber, eyes not seeing and ears not hearing" until this day (Rom
11:7-8).
This is exactly why Satan and his followers find it easy to deceive the whole world.
“And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent being called
devil, and, Satan; he deceiving the whole habitable world” (Rev 12:9).
“And it deceives those dwelling on the earth” (Rev 13:14).
- Jesus taught many important things like the Beatitudes in direct language. So, why does Matthew say that the Lord did not speak to the multitude without a parable?
Yes, Jesus taught many things like the Beatitudes in direct language but used only parables when He taught about the Kingdom of God.
“And He said to them, To you it has been given to know the mystery
of the kingdom of God. But to these, those outside, all things are
being given in parables, that seeing they may see and not perceive…”
(Mar 4:11-12; Mat 13:11; Luk 8:10).
- Does he want to say that Jesus revealed the things 'kept secret from the world's foundation', to a select few, maintaining the secrecy?
Yes, the select few in this Age (and the entire humanity in the coming Age).
“And answering, He said to them, Because it has been given to you
to know…” (Mat 13:11).
“But He did not speak to them without a parable. And He explained
all things to His disciples privately” (Mar 4:34).
“So then, also in the present time a remnant according to
election of grace has come into being” (Rom 11:5).
“so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the
praise of his glory” (Eph 1:12).
These select remnant is called the “little flock” by Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 12:32).
Conclusion
Jesus spoke in parables to seal the meaning from “them” but He explained the parables in plain language to His disciples, the select ones, privately.
