The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
"You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
REFLECTION
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
For those of us who read books to children, we can understand why Jesus spoke and taught in parables. A parable is a simple story drawn from ordinary life that reveals an extraordinary truth. The best children's stories are simple enough for a child to enjoy, yet profound enough to speak to adults. I so do enjoy reading books to my grandchildren and seeing their eyes grow as their imagination takes over. Children approach stories with wonder, trust, and open hearts. They are willing to imagine, ask questions, and believe.
Jesus invites us to receive His parables with that same openness—not merely to analyze them, but to allow them to transform us. The story grows with the reader. The storytelling welcomes everyone. The same story continues to reveal deeper meaning throughout one's life.
When Jesus wanted to teach about the Kingdom of God, He often chose parables instead of long lectures. Farmers sowing seed, shepherds searching for sheep, women baking bread, fishermen casting nets—these were familiar scenes that invited people to look beyond the surface and discover God's wisdom.
Jesus' parables are like the greatest children's books. They welcome everyone. A child can understand the joy of a father embracing his lost son. An adult may recognize the Father's endless mercy after years of wandering. A child understands the excitement of finding a lost coin. An adult learns that every soul is precious in God's eyes.
Books invite us to step into an imaginary world or a world filled with facts, historical or spiritual events. A parable acts as a mirror stripping away complex details, simplifying for us the question--How does this story apply to me and my relationship to God?
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