Why Jesus Taught in Parables

In Mark 4:10-12, Jesus explains why He speaks in parables, saying that the "mystery of the kingdom" is given to His followers, but for outsiders "everything comes in parables." At first glance, this seems unfair. If the crowds could not understand without explanation, how were they expected to believe?

To understand this, we must recognize that parables served a dual purpose: they both revealed and concealed. To those who were spiritually hungry, Jesus' parables invited deeper reflection. His followers, who stayed close to Him, often received private explanations. The key factor was not intellect, but heart condition. Those who wanted to understand had the opportunity to pursue further teaching–as the disciples did. But those indifferent or hardened would hear the same parables and walk away unchanged.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10, which Jesus quotes: people would "see but not perceive" and "hear but not understand." This was not because God arbitrarily withheld understanding, but because of their own resistance to spiritual truth. The parables acted as a sifting tool, revealing who had "ears to hear."

The parable of the soils itself illustrates this principle. The same seed (the word) is scattered to all kinds of soil (hearts), but only the good soil receives and produces fruit. Jesus did not tailor His message to force a response. He allowed people to respond freely, and the parables respected that freedom.

Importantly, those outside the circle of apostles were not excluded from understanding. Gentiles, women, Roman soldiers, and the poor all came to faith by responding to what light they were given. God's justice is seen in that everyone heard, but only those who sought deeper truth received more. In Jesus' words, "whoever has, to him more shall be given" (Mark 4:25).

Thus, Jesus' use of parables was not a barrier to faith, but a just and gracious method to draw seekers while allowing the hard-hearted to walk away without greater condemnation.