The Sower - Part I: Why Speak in Parables?

The Disciples asked Jesus this question. He said: "To you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it has not been granted ... I speak to them in parables because while seeing they do not see, while hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand ... But blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear ..." The disciples' question was occasioned, no doubt by the way Jesus finished his parable ... "He that has ears, let him hear." It was apparent to them from that ending, that Jesus was telling the people something they should be listening to. The story about a sower, therefore, obviously had to be something more than just a nice story.

Jesus lays down three things he sought to accomplish by speaking in parables: to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; to shut the mouths of those who did not believe; to show the truth to those who did.

1. It all begins with understanding what parables are. They are revelations of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. That means each parable shows us a little bit about the kingdom of heaven. The sower tells us how it grows, the tares and wheat tells about the present state of the kingdom, the mustard seed and the leaven show the effect of the kingdom on the world. Each picture is designed to show an aspect of the kingdom so we can see a little of what "many prophets and righteous men desired to see ... and hear, but did not ..."

2. The reprobate - and even those who are temporarily members of the Church - are denied the full significance of what they hear for two reasons:
a) They were foretold to hear and see and not understand (Jesus quotes Isaiah the Prophet to explain this point.
b) They deliberately close their eyes and scarcely hear anything because of their hearts which had become dull so that they can avoid the consequences of using their organs fully.
Consequently the parables which reveal truths about the kingdom of heaven mean nothing to them. They are looking for a different kind of kingdom and can't see how the information in the parable relates to that.

3. The blessing which comes to the disciples, and the the truly born again, is that the parables give us pictures which help us understand things which we would not otherwise be able to know. These are mysteries of the kingdom. As such we need to remember:
a) that no one parable can explain all there is to know about the kingdom (or Jesus would not have told as many as he did). This means that no parable should be pushed past the point which Jesus is making in it. The story about the rich man and Lazarus tells us that outward prosperity in this life does not mean we will infallibly be blessed in heaven. Whether we can see what is happening in Heaven from Hell, for example, may or may not be true so we should not be dogmatic about it.
b) that each parable - being a picture - gives a glimpse of the reality, nothing more. This means that where we find a conflict between the teaching of one parable and another (without pushing interpretation past its legitimate meaning) we should remember the reality is greater than either picture.

That Jesus taught in parables has a general lesson for us all to learn. There are some things which we need to know that are straightforward. As one old lady once said to her minister: "It's not the things I don't understand in the Bible that worry me, it's the things I do know and don't do." The parables fit into the second level of things which are spiritual interpretations of the world and Church - both of which are now under the Lordship of Jesus the Christ.

The rule for interpretation is the same as for any other part of the Bible. Begin with what is plainly taught, especially where there is a clear explanation of that teaching. This we can be sure about. Then go to the less clear where the deduced teaching is clear and can be verified from other clearer passages in Scripture. These we can be fairly certain about. Finally, we can look at the more obscure teachings of the Bible, where there are less clear passages than we would like. These we have a responsibility to interpret for our own edification and may gain benefit from listening to others more versed in Scripture than we are. But, in any case, we should not be adamant that our teaching is right - we may only be glimpsing a part of the whole reality.