Day 1 - Intro to Parables

Reading Passage: Matthew 13:10-17 and Matthew 13:34-35

Even if you don’t have a relationship with the Bible, it’s likely that you may be familiar with the idea of parables, and even some of the parables of the Bible. We often hear people refer to the “good samaritan” or “prodigal son,” which may be why they are the two most well-known parables of Jesus. But what are parables? What was their purpose? Well thankfully, Jesus gave us the answer in Matthew 13.

Jesus used parables to communicate striking truth to those who were ready to hear, yet He disguised the message in a nice story to those not ready to hear the true meaning.

In fact, Jesus used parables to influence and challenge the thinking of the original audience and to help people consider a different perspective about Himself and the kingdom of God.

With each story… with each word… Jesus made sure He conveyed the things that were most important to Him. He did it in a way that would capture the attention of His listeners.

Based on our passages today, what is the purpose of a parable and what was accomplished by Jesus using parables?

To understand the heart of Jesus’ parables in this reading plan, we encourage you to identify the original audience Jesus was talking to and cultural reference points and characters they would have understood. Also observe the ending of each parable, which often had an unexpected twist that Jesus desired the audience to notice most.