Parables of the Kingdom

GOLDEN TEXT: “Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” —Matthew 13:45,46

MATTHEW 13:31-35, 44-52

IN VERSE 34 of our lesson we are informed that Jesus spoke “unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.” In Mark 4:34 we are given the additional information that when Jesus was alone with his disciples “he expounded all things” unto them. The reason for this is explained in Luke 8:10, where Jesus is quoted as saying, “Unto you [the disciples] it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.”

Thus it is apparent that Jesus’ parables were designed both to conceal truth and to reveal it. By their use the truth was hidden from the “multitudes,” but when in private with his disciples he interpreted the parables for them, and they were given a clearer understanding of the “mysteries of the kingdom of God.”

But why did Jesus desire to conceal the truth from the “multitudes”? The Master answers this question in Matthew 13:11-16. Here he explains that it was given only to his disciples to “know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,” and that to others he spoke in parables so that they might not understand. Then he adds, “Lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

It is clear from this that it was not the divine plan for the “multitude” to be converted at that time, nor has this been God’s will throughout the Gospel age. Only the “poor in spirit” are called by the Lord during the present age, and to these are revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven—mysteries which the parables help to keep hidden from others.

Most of Jesus’ parables pertain to the kingdom, directly, or indirectly, and particularly to its various aspects of development during the present Gospel age. Some of them reveal the nominal aspects of the kingdom as set up by human wisdom. We think the Parable of the Mustard Seed is one of these. Christendom did indeed become a very imposing institution, with very many denominational branches. Thrifty development invited into its branches the fowls of the air, which the Lord elsewhere describes as representing the wicked one; that is, Satan and his angels. (ch. 13:19) A similar picture is given to us in Revelation 18:2.

The Parable of the Three Measures of Meal seems also to picture Satan’s efforts to corrupt the true kingdom in its embryo stage of development. Throughout the Scriptures leaven is used as a symbol of error and unrighteousness. (Matt. 16:6,12; I Cor. 5:8) In this parable the Lord represents a woman mixing leaven with a family baking of meal, with the result that the whole mass was leaven.

A woman is used in the Scriptures to symbolize an ecclesiastical system. It is this woman that is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as Babylon. She was responsible for mixing the false doctrines of Satan into the pure food of God’s Word, corrupting it all. The leaven, or fermentation, has spread so that today the entire mass of theological doctrine is putrid and offensive to all lovers of pure truth.

The Parable of Hidden Treasure seems designed to emphasize the great prize of joint-heirship with Jesus in his kingdom. This “treasure” consists of sharing in the kingdom work with the Master, and also exaltation to glory, honor, and immortality. The parable emphasizes the great cost of the field in which this treasure is hidden—all that we have. “All will be required of each individual who secures this treasure, and it is grand to realize that the little “all” of each one who aspires to it is just enough, and will be acceptable to the Lord through the merit of Jesus.

The Parable of the Costly Pearl teaches essentially the same vital lesson; namely that attainment of joint-heirship with Jesus in the kingdom will be most precious, and also very costly. Here also we are reminded that the “pearl” will cost us all that we have. The Lord will accept nothing less.

The Parable of the Dragnet illustrates one aspect of the Gospel-age work—namely that the Gospel net would catch many who would not be worthy of living and reigning with Christ. At the end of the “world” (more properly “age”), when there are sufficient in the net to make up the Lord’s foreordained number the Lord’s messengers do a sorting work. The unacceptable “fish” are cast back into the sea. These will later have an opportunity to be blessed as subjects of the kingdom.

Thus we see how each of these parables, in its own way, illustrates a truth pertaining to the preparatory kingdom work of the present age. Some of them Jesus explained. Others he did not. We should not be too dogmatic in our understanding of those Jesus did not explain.

QUESTIONS

Why did Jesus speak to the multitude in parables?

Explain briefly the meaning of each of the five parables mentioned in the lesson.

Can we be positive about the meaning of the parables which Jesus did not explain?

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