Why Jesus Taught in Parables – by Desmond Ford

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Apr 2, 2015 1856

When the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons. – Matthew 12:24

It was after that accusation had been levelled at Christ that some of the most piercing teachings of our Lord were delivered in story form.

Now they were out to get him. It’s not much good going to the police and saying that this guy told a story and you ought to put him in jail. The stories were told so that those who had good soil for the heart would embrace it and receive it, understand it, and bring forth fruit. But those whose hearts were as hard as a an aiport tarmac, those whose hearts were mainly rocky, were just a superficial religious soil that would hold no depth; those whose hearts were preoccupied, would not understand the story. The stories were told to reveal and to conceal.

And, of course, they attracted attention. They aroused interest and they taught us something else: that earth is a reflection of heaven. It seems difficult for us, for by nature we are all worldly minded, to think much about spiritual things. But Christ lived in the constant presence of God because he saw the things of heaven reflected in everything about him – a father and a mother, a marriage, a king, a wedding, men going out to work, a woman making bread, a sower sowing seed.

Jesus saw the truths of heaven reflected in all the ordinary things around him. He lived in the constant presence of God and the parables are a challenge to you and to me to do the same, to realize that earth is a reflection of heaven. Every seed that is sown and buried should remind us of Christ who is the word, who is the seed that was buried to bring forth fruit. Every tree we see should remind us of the tree of Calvary; every road we walk should remind us of him who said, “I am the way … ”

When the sun rises for us in the morning we should think of him who is the sun of righteousness. When the stars come out we should remember that we are called to be the stars of this dark earth. When we add salt to our food we should think of the church as the salt of the world. We were meant to see in all the ordinary transactions of life, in all the relationships of life – father and mother, husband and wife, brother and sister, son and daughter, employer and employee – all of them are mirrors of truths that belong to eternity.

– Des Ford. Rom 8:27–32 (Adapted from “Why the Gospel Isn’t Rushed”)