Many people have asked me this question over the years, often with a quiet curiosity: Why didn’t Jesus just speak plainly? It’s a sincere and thoughtful question, because on the surface, parables can feel indirect or even puzzling. Yet when we look more closely, we begin to see that Jesus was not hiding the truth—He was inviting people into it.
Jesus spoke in parables because He wanted His listeners to engage with what He was saying, not simply hear words and move on. A parable is a story drawn from ordinary life—seeds, fields, lamps, fathers and children. These familiar images gently open the heart, allowing truth to sink in slowly, in a way that pure explanation often cannot. When Jesus spoke of the sower or the lost sheep, people could see themselves in the story. The truth became personal.
There is also something deeply respectful in this way of teaching. Jesus never forced understanding upon anyone. Those who were open, humble, and searching would reflect on His words and discover their meaning. Those who were closed or proud might hear only a story. In this way, parables reveal the condition of the heart. As I often tell people, God speaks clearly—but only love can truly listen.
Most beautifully, parables show us that God’s kingdom is not distant or abstract. It is woven into everyday life. Jesus teaches us that divine truth can be found in the soil beneath our feet, in family relationships, in mercy shown to a stranger. When we take time to sit with His stories, they continue to speak—sometimes differently at different moments of our lives.
Reflection – A Closing Thought
May we never rush past the words of Jesus, but pause long enough for His stories to speak to our hearts. Lord, give us ears that truly hear and hearts ready to understand.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way.
