Why Jesus Spoke in Parables

The doctrine of election should humble us like no other doctrine. It is evident from the following two passages that Jesus imparted life only to those to whom the Kingdom is given, as only those would have ears to hear to understand the meaning of the parables.

If all the multitude would be saved, Jesus would have either given all the multitude understanding or He would have explained the meanings of the parables to them. But He only gave His disciples understanding and continued to speak to the multitude in parables that they “would hear and not understand” (v. 14-15):

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. – Matthew 13:10-11

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. – Matthew 13:34

We can now more easily understand what Jesus meant in Matthew 11:27:

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Jesus spoke in parables so that only God’s elect would know the mysteries of the kingdom, because only the elect have ears to understand. Contrast verse Matthew 13:13 with Matthew 13:16-17:

v. 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.

v. 16-17: 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.

Don’t question God as to why He gives some understanding and not others; rather, be humbled that He gave you understanding and rejoice with joy everlasting that He has conveyed you from the power of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

None of us deserve to understand and none of us can understand, so God alone is glorified when He alone causes any to understand.

That’s why it’s called grace, amazing grace.