Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?

One of the most profound questions the disciples ever asked Jesus was this:

“And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’”— Matthew 13:10 NKJV

It seems simple, but it cuts to the heart of how God speaks. Why would Jesus, who came to reveal the Kingdom, so often wrap truth in stories, riddles, and mysteries? Why not just state things plainly?

Jesus answered:

“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, 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 13:13–17 NKJV

If the people who once heard God ended up closing their eyes, ears, and hearts—eventually growing dull—it shows us that dullness doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of a choice to turn away from God again and again. But if that’s true, then the opposite must also be true: when we continually choose to turn toward Him, our hearts grow sharper, our ears more attentive, and our eyes more open. This reveals something powerful—we can learn to hear God and see what He shows.

But Who Is “You” and Who Is “Them”?

Jesus made a distinction:

“Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”— Matthew 13:11 NKJV

There are two groups here. “Them” are those who walked away when His words became too hard. “You” are those who stayed because they couldn’t live without Him.

John captures a similar moment vividly to help us understand what could've happened:

“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”— John 6:60, 66–69 NKJV

It's clear from these scriptures that:

• “Them” left.

• “You” stayed.

Mysteries: God’s Filter

Mysteries are the way God often speaks. Parables, dreams, visions, metaphors—they all serve as a filter. Not everyone wants the truth. Many say they do, but their hearts remain dull, their ears closed. The mysteries of God are not meant to hide the truth from us but to reveal it to those who are desperate enough to seek Him.

This is why Jesus said:

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”— Matthew 13:12 NKJV

God never hands us the full script. He never lays everything out in one moment. Instead, there is always a pursuit, a journey, a knocking at the door.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”— Matthew 7:7–8 NKJV

Why Did “You” Stay Back?

The difference between those who left and those who stayed came down to the attitude of the heart.

• They were desperate. Are you desperate?

• They really wanted to know. Do you really want to know?

• They were humble enough to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. Are you willing to humble yourself?

It’s not about intelligence or eloquence. It’s about hunger and humility.

The Outcome of Pursuing Him

When we choose to stay, to seek, to ask, and to knock, something happens over time:

• His voice becomes clearer.

• You begin to hear God more often.

• It becomes easier to reach that place of hearing Him.

The mysteries of God are not meant to push you away but to draw you closer. The question is: Will you stay, or will you walk away?