Jesus could have explained theology very directly all the time, yet He frequently taught through stories, images, and parables that people had to reflect on.
Why do you think that style of teaching was so important?
One reason that is emphasized in the Gospel of Mark, @ellenvera, is that Jesus cannot come right out and claim that he is the Messiah, fully-God and fully-man, because he remains the hidden Messiah in order to have three years to teach his disciples, who had a different agenda from his. Mark especially emphasizes his followers’ unbelief.
Also, he didn’t want the people to grab him and make him king. His way was the cross and the empty tomb so that many more people like us could be rescued.
1 Like
Because the Disciples were dumb? Judas Iscariot was the only educated disciple. The rest of them were mostly fisherman. So when people talk over your had it helps to understand it by paraphrasing it or working it into a parable. That’s what I think.
The disciples asked the same question of Jesus in Matt 13**10 **The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
**11 **He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. **12 **Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. **13 **This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
Read the chapter for his explanation.
3 Likes
Humans learn throught stories
2 Likes
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. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 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. 14Indeed, in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’"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. Matthew 13:10-17
Jesus was quoting this.
And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Isaiah 6:9**
Interestingly, according to this, God is the one who blinded their eyes and closed their ears.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
And he said, "Go, and say to this people:
'Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’Make the heart of these people dull,
and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed." Isaiah 6:8-10
The disciples, and now we, through His Word, are the ones Jesus said this about.
“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.”
We should never forget who we are as children of God.
Peter
Both explanations are valid, that using parable, allegory, metaphor, etc., that the people were well familiar with, like agriculture, made it easier for the people to understand, like the sower parable. But Lord Jesus gave some parables that understanding the explanation one must be blessed with spiritual eyes to see, and ears to hear, like the parable of the tares of the field in Matt.13.
1 Like
Yes, as @Josiah said, humans are wired to learn through stories. Stories stick with us like plain dogma or theology often don’t. The Christian faith is so compelling because it is a story. So many of our books, films, and other media still follow the narrative arc of the Bible. It is deep in our bones.
I also heard somewhere that stories are like a back door to our hearts and minds and they’re a way for the truth to get a hold on us when sometimes we can’t hear and accept it another way.