To understand the Bible’s parables is critical to understanding the Bible. The fact that parables exist in the Bible, and that Jesus spoke with parables to the people (not some of the time, but all of the time) is actually a parable. When you understand why parables are employed in the Bible, you will have discovered the key to understanding the whole Bible for yourself.

When Jesus spoke to the people with parables, He knew most of them would not understand. In fact, His disciples didn’t understand the parables either. That form of teaching seems to us to be counter-intuitive. Our teaching plan would be to deliver our message as clearly and directly as possible so our students would understand. Jesus explains His rationale to the disciples when they asked Him the meaning of the parable of the sower.

 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 

11  Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [which are revealed by the Holy Spirit], but to them it has not been granted.

12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while  seeing [with physical eyes] they do not see [with spiritual eyes], and while hearing [with physical ears] they do not hear [with spiritual ears], nor do they understand.

14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing [physically], but will not understand [spiritually]; you will keep on seeing [physically], but will not perceive [spiritually, because they have not repented and received the Holy Spirit];

15 For the heart [our spiritual center] of this people has become dull, with their [spiritual] ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their [spiritual] eyes, otherwise they would see with their [spiritual] eyes, hear with their [spiritual] ears, and understand with their heart [we understand with our heart] and return [repent], and I would heal them.’

16 “But blessed are your [spiritual] eyes, because they see; and your [spiritual] ears, because they hear.

17 “For truly I say to you that  many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:10-17)

Then Jesus said, “Hear then the parable of the sower.” (Matthew 13:18) He then went on to explain the parable tot the disciples.

There is a parable in Jesus’ explaining the parable to the disciples. He is showing us how His disciples will come to understand the all parables of the Bible. When Jesus explained this and the rest of the parables to the disciples He did so in the role of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus explained the parables to the disciples, the Holy Spirit explains the meaning of the Bible parables to His disciples today. Understanding the parables of the Bible is to understand the Bible for yourself as it is revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

Thus we see that Jesus spoke to the people in parables, not so they would not understand, but because understanding is spiritual and only those who were in a right spiritual place could understand. Most of the people did not understand because their hearts were bound in the ways of the world and also by manmade religion.  Since we are born with a physical, fleshly nature, it is necessary, therefore, that we change the attitude of our heart by repenting and becoming born again so we will receive the Holy Spirit and our spiritual eyes and ears will be opened and meaning of the Bible’s parables will be explained to us. This is why parables are critical to every believer’s growth and development to spiritual maturity.