"I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:" — Psalm 78:2 (KJV)
The short answer
The Bible presents the parables of Jesus as earthly stories carrying heavenly meaning. He taught this way by design, revealing the kingdom to those who truly listen. The parables show God's seeking heart and call every hearer to understand and bear fruit — anchored in Matthew 13 and Luke 15.
A parable is a story drawn from ordinary life — farming, shepherding, a wayward son — that Jesus used to unfold the truth about God and His kingdom. He never told them merely to entertain; He told them to reveal, to convict, and to invite. Below are eight passages, quoted exactly from the King James Version, grouped around the questions the parables actually answer.
Why did Jesus teach in parables?
The Gospels tell us plainly that parables were Jesus' chosen method with the crowds. This was not a habit but a purpose — a way of teaching that separated the merely curious from the genuinely hungry.
"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:" — Matthew 13:34 (KJV)
Everything Jesus taught the multitude, He wrapped in story. The parable met people where they lived, then quietly asked more of them — not just to listen, but to lean in and wonder what it meant.
"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." — Matthew 13:10-11 (KJV)
The disciples asked the very question we ask. Jesus' answer is tender and sobering at once: the kingdom's mysteries are a gift, opened to those who come close and keep seeking. A parable rewards the heart that truly wants to hear.
Were the parables meant to be understood?
Jesus did not hide the truth to keep people out; He clothed it in story so that willing hearts could take it in, and He explained everything to those who followed.
"And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." — Mark 4:33-34 (KJV)
Notice the patience of it: Jesus taught "as they were able to hear it," never overwhelming, always inviting. And to those who stayed close, He "expounded all things." Nearness to Jesus is what turns a puzzling story into understood truth.
"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." — Matthew 13:23 (KJV)
The goal of a parable is not merely to be understood but to be lived. The good-ground hearer receives the word, understands it, and bears fruit — proof that the seed took root and the truth went to work.
What do the parables teach about the kingdom?
Again and again Jesus began, "The kingdom of heaven is like…" His parables paint the kingdom as something sown quietly and treasured above all else — small in appearance, priceless in value.
"And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;" — Matthew 13:3 (KJV)
The parable of the sower pictures the word of God scattered across many kinds of hearts. The seed is always good; what differs is the soil. It asks each of us a searching question: what kind of ground am I?
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." — Matthew 13:44 (KJV)
Here the kingdom is a treasure worth everything — and finding it brings not reluctant sacrifice but overflowing joy. The man sells all he has, yet he does it "for joy." That is what it feels like to discover what God offers.
What do the parables reveal about God's heart?
Some of Jesus' most beloved parables are windows into the Father Himself — a shepherd who searches, a father who runs. They tell us how God feels about the lost, and it is nothing like indifference.
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." — Luke 15:4-7 (KJV)
God does not wait for the lost sheep to find its own way back; He goes after it "until he find it," then carries it home rejoicing. Your return is not a burden to heaven — it is heaven's joy.
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." — Luke 15:20 (KJV)
The prodigal rehearsed a speech, but the father cut the distance first. He "saw him" while he was "yet a great way off," and he "ran." This is the picture Jesus paints of God — a Father watching the road, running toward the returning sinner with open arms.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Jesus teach in parables?
Parables were Jesus' customary way of teaching the crowds. Matthew 13:34 says that without a parable spake he not unto them (KJV). When the disciples asked why, He answered that it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given (Matthew 13:11, KJV). A parable is a familiar earthly picture that opens a heavenly truth — it rewards the listener who leans in and truly wants to hear.
How many parables did Jesus tell?
The Bible gives no exact total. The Gospels record roughly thirty to forty parables, depending on how one distinguishes a full parable from a brief comparison. What matters is not the count but the message: nearly every parable holds up a mirror to the human heart and a window into the kingdom of God, inviting an honest response rather than mere information.
"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." — Matthew 13:9 (KJV)
Take it deeper
These eight passages are only the beginning of what the parables hold. FlickerFaith is a Scripture-first study companion — open it to read each parable in full context, trace the sower and the seed across the Gospels, search related verses, and ask honest questions about the kingdom of God. It keeps you close to the Word, not away from it.
Keep reading
The parables came from the same teacher who worked wonders and issued a world-wide charge. Continue with the miracles of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Great Commission. To meet the teacher Himself, read who is Jesus Christ? You can also browse all Bible topics, explore AI Bible study, or return home.