Why Parables?
Matthew 13:10-17
By Spiros Zodhiates

Editor’s Note: We continue Dr. Zodhiates’ exposition of Matthew’s Gospel.

 [10] The Greek word parabole ([3850], “parable”) comes from the compound verb parabállo ([3846], to closely compare; from pará [3844], a preposition indicating close proximity, and bállo [906], to put). Jesus put things close together to illustrate spiritual truth, to make abstract things clear. Parables help us understand conceptual truths through ordinary experiences. However, they cannot exactly represent reality because not every material reality has a spiritual analogue.

[11] Jesus answered His disciples’ questions by telling them He had given them something special. The word “given” translates the Greek verb dédotai, the perfect passive indicative of dídomi ([1325], to give freely). The perfect tense implies that it had already been given so they might now experientially “know (gnonai, from ginosko [1097], to experientially know) the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.”

Biblical mysteries (musteria [3466]) are propositions we cannot fully understand but which we should accept and believe as truths. For example, God becoming flesh is one of the great mysteries of the new covenant (John 1:1, 14). Christ came to tell us about the kingdom of heaven that rules over the kingdoms of earth (Matt. 4:17). Formerly, these things were hidden from us (Matt. 11:25), but God reveals them to us when we receive Christ, like children, by faith.

God gives believers knowledge to understand the mysteries of the kingdom, but He does not give such knowledge to unbelievers. Here, the word “not” here is the absolute negative ou (3756), implying complete exclusion. The Lord offers to all the opportunity to believe, but many do not (John 1:9, 11).

[12] God enhances the gifts He gives to believers, “For whoever has, to him shall be given (dothesetai, the future passive indicative of dídomi [1325]), and he shall have more abundance (perisseuthesetai, the future passive indicative of perisseúo [4052], to have left over, abound): but whoever has not, from (apó [575]) him shall be taken away [arthesetai, the future passive of aíro [142]) even what he has” (a.t.).

Persons must have new hearts to receive God’s gifts (Ezek. 18:31; 36:26). He will not force them on unregenerate hearts. God promises to add more knowledge, little by little, to new believers, the babes in Christ, so they will mature.

God also gives believers more than sufficient resources so they have enough left over to share with others. This is shown in the phrase, “more abundance.” God adds the same overflowing measure to His special gifts that He does to general gifts, such as the excess food He created to feed the multitudes (Matt. 14:13–21; 15:32–39).

Apó compares with ek (1537), which means “out of from within.” This solves the apparent paradox: “The one who does not have (i.e., within, e.g., faith), even what he has (i.e., without, e.g., worldly knowledge, power, and possessions) shall be taken away” (a.t.).

[13] Jesus explained that He used parables to demonstrate that unbelievers have faculties they will not use. “They seeing see (blépousin, the present tense of blépo [991]) not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (sunioúsi, the present tense of suníemi [4920], to put together).”

In the mystery of lawlessness, seeing and hearing produce neither the will nor the reason to accept revelation. If people refuse revelation long enough, God will take it away, along with the will and mind to receive it.

[14] Jesus then recounted a similar condition in the days of the prophet Isaiah, who lived hundreds of years before, and informed His disciples of a new fulfillment (anapleroútai, the present passive of anapleróo [378], to fulfill again) of Isaiah 6:9, 10: “By hearing (akoe [189]) you shall hear (akoúsete, the future tense of akoúo [191]), but you shall not perceive” (a.t.). In Greek, the absolute negative particle ou is followed by the relative negative particle me (3361), a double negative (e.g., “no never!”) to emphasize the refusal to understand. Their minds are closed.

The word translated “perceive” (sunete, the aorist subjunctive of suníemi) is the same word translated “understand” in verse 13. This ingressive aorist highlights a point action with continuing results. Each instance of hearing is accompanied with a corresponding rejection point of truth and a progressively hardening heart. The same principle applies to the eyes, though the verb eído ([1492], to perceive), is given as a synonym of suníemi.

In summary, God has given humankind a physical world that reveals enough of the spiritual world to leave them without excuse (Rom. 1:20). But Jesus Christ became man to give us revelation beyond the senses of seeing and hearing that we may know the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 4:17). If we reject this revelation, we are lost.

[15] Isaiah’s prophecy continues with an explanation of why people endowed with God-given senses fail to understand. Their hearts, we are told, “were made fat” (epachúnthe, the aorist passive indicative of pachúno [3975], to make fat). Most commentators take the passive tense to mean that this is a judgment of God, a hardening of sinful (unresponsive) hearts as in the case of Pharaoh (Rom. 9:18). However, the verb in the subsequent expression, “Their eyes they have closed,” is in the active tense. It is interesting that the word “heart” (kardía [2588]) here is singular, implying that, as in the days of Isaiah, the people of Israel had degenerated to a common depravity. This depravity, like accumulated fat in the arteries, was now hardened against the very “bread of life” (John 6:35). From both medical science and revelation respectively, we know that accumulations of fat lead to death.

As a result of misuse, hearing deteriorates: “Their ears heard (ekousan, the aorist tense of akoúo [191]) with difficulty” (a.t.). The word “difficulty” is translated from baréos ([917], heavy or weighed down; from báros [922]). This refers to a burden voluntarily carried.

A mental disorder illustrates this difficulty. Some people hear sounds but cannot understand words. The injuries are not in the ears but in the brain, making them incapable of comprehending the meaning of sounds. So it is with those who are spiritually deaf. They can hear the words of the gospel, but they cannot comprehend because their minds and hearts are spiritually dead.

A further result of misuse is deteriorated vision: “Their eyes they have closed (ekámmusan, the aorist active indicative of kammúo [2576], to shut)” refers, again, to a voluntary shutting of the eyes to revelation that would otherwise lead them to the perception of spiritual realities like the kingdom of heaven. Romans 1:19–22 elaborates on this closed mind and heart attitude with verse 21 speaking of “their foolish (asúnetos [801], unintelligent; the same word used in our present context for ‘intelligence’ but with the alpha privative prefix) heart.”

The conjunction “lest at any time” (mepote [3379] from me [3361], the relative not; and poté [4218], any time) leads to the explanation of what happens when eyes and ears are closed. “They should see” (ídosin [from 1492] from horáo [3708]) means “they should perceive,” that is, realize, and therefore “heed” (see Matt. 11:15; 13:9).

The explanation is this: If people’s physical seeing and hearing are not accompanied by receptive understanding, truth cannot enter their hearts. Those who have worked with children know that unless they are willing to listen and understand, it is almost impossible for them to learn.

The only remedy for heavy ears and closed eyes is a cleansed heart. When our hearts are cleansed, we can comprehend and receive the things of God. Remember that the “heart,” according to the Bible, includes our human volitional and intellectual functions (Mark 6:52; Luke 24:25; John 12:40; Rom. 1:21; 2 Pet. 1:19).

When God regenerates our hearts, we act as we should. The verb “be converted” sounds passive, but it is actually the aorist active subjunctive of epistrépho ([1994], to return). We willingly turned from God; upon regeneration, we willingly return to our Creator who gave us life and breath.

The response to God’s call is repentance (metánoia [3341]) and belief (pístis [4102]) from the heart. In the Old Testament, God’s Word promises that the new covenant will include the regeneration of the heart and the implant of a new spirit: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). When the heart is regenerated, the believer is a qualitatively “new (kaine [2537]) creature” who can look forward to full transformation and conformity to Christ.

“And I shall heal (iásomai [LXX, MT, UBS, and Nestle’s) them” is the future middle deponent indicative of iáomai (2390). The future tense implies not only the certainty but also an indefinite time of the healing, while the middle voice points to some reflexive action—perhaps that God is doing this for His own glory as well as for the benefit of His people. Frequently, this verb is employed with respect to moral diseases, in which case it is almost synonymous with saving from sin.

 [16] Jesus then told His disciples how specially “blessed” (makárioi [3107]) they were already because of their belief, since they possessed eyes that could see and ears that could hear.

[17] “For” (gár [1063], because, for the reason that) assigned not so much a cause as an exemplification of the blessing of the disciples’ eyes and ears. They were blessed “for” they had seen and heard truths that were not revealed in former ages.

“For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired (epethúmesan, the aorist tense of epithuméo [1937] from epí [1909], upon; and thuméo [n.f.], to emote, from thumós [2372], passion, emotion; to set one’s heart upon, to desire or long for) to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

The disciples could not only see naturally (blépousin), but they could also perceive (ideín). They heard physically and understood and heeded (akoúo) Christ’s message. The prophets and righteous people of Old Testament days did not have the privilege we have today of Jesus Christ’s teachings. However, according to Peter, they did zealously examine the Scriptures to determine the significance of the prophecies concerning Christ’s sufferings and glory.

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Pet. 1:10-11).

But the average Jew who sought God through the self-righteousness of the Law encountered the “stumbling block” (Isa. 8:14; 1 Pet. 2:8; et al.) of “the righteousness of God without the law” (Rom. 3:21), which Paul refers to as a “veil”: “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away” (2 Cor. 3:14–16).

Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) was the longtime president of AMG International
in Chattanooga, TN and the founding editor of Pulpit Helps.

Pulpit Helps Magazine, a ministry of AMG International, was a monthly publication which ran from 1975-2009. Founded by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, Pulpit Helps was dedicated to the mission of equipping pastors, Bible teachers, and students of the Word for preaching, teaching, and living God's Truth. Each month, Pulpit Helps provided sermon starters, bulletin inserts, illustrations and quality articles on preaching, counseling, Christian living, and more. The ministry goals of Pulpit Helps continue today in the form of Disciple Magazine online.