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January 5, 2026

Secrets of the Kingdom: A Guide to Understanding the Parables of Jesus

by Jason Neill

Scripture reading: Matthew 13:10-17

Happy New Year! Last year, we kept in step with the Bible reading plan and addressed each book of Scripture, covering things such as the author, the date it was written, the theme, and the purpose, as well as an application to consider for the week.

I was thinking over the Christmas holiday about what topic I could address in 2026, and the parables of Jesus came immediately to mind. Jesus was a great communicator, so I thought it might be beneficial to address the topic of parables and how Jesus used them to convey spiritual truth. This year, we’ll address parables such as the Sower and the soils (see Matthew 13:1-23), the wheat and the tares (see Matthew 13:24-30), the hidden treasure (see Matthew 13:44), the pearl of great price (see Matthew 13:45-46), and the two debtors (see Luke 7:36-50), to name a few.

Before we dive into the parables, it might be helpful to define exactly what a parable is. Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost comments, “A parable is a literary device and is used to teach by means of transference. In order to make it possible to discover truth in an unknown realm, something familiar is transferred from the known realm to the unknown realm. A simple figure of speech in the form of a metaphor may be used: ‘I am the gate’ (John 10:9). The figure may be a simile such as ‘Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves’ (Matthew 10:16)” (The Words & Works of Jesus Christ, p. 211).

In this week’s Bible passage, we learn that Jesus taught in parables for at least three reasons. First, he taught parables to reveal truth to his disciples (see Matthew 13:11-12). Second, he taught parables to hide truth from unbelievers (see Matthew 13:11); in this case, he was addressing the religious leaders.

You see, Matthew 13 was a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. The religious leaders claimed that his miracle working ability originated from Satan (see Matthew 12). Repeatedly, Jesus had offered the truth via his teachings, but the religious leaders would not have it. They refused to believe Jesus was the Messiah. Consequently, Jesus would no longer offer them his clear teachings (i.e., teaching without parables). To hide further truth from them, he began to teach in parables. Therefore, there is an element of judgment associated with this new style of teaching.

Third, he taught in parables to fulfill Isaiah 6:9-10 which states, “And he said, ‘Go, and say to this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.” Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (ESV).

With these things in mind, the following rules for interpreting the parables should aid you.

  • Look at the context. The parables of Jesus are always embedded within a historical context. We must be careful not to rip a story out of its context to make it say what we want it to.
  • Parables have one overarching principle. While the details of a parable may have multiple pieces, we must be careful not to “over-interpret.” For instance, the parable of the Good Samaritan has several details that past interpreters have taken too far. Some suggest the oil and wine in the story are representative of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ, the inn represents the safety of the local church, and the innkeeper represents the Apostle Paul or a pastor. I think that is taking the parable farther than what Jesus intended.
  • Use the interpreted parables as a guide to understand the rest. Although Jesus told numerous parables, he only fully interpreted three (i.e., the Sower and the soils, the wheat and the tares, and the net or dragnet). These three serve as “keys" to help us understand the symbolism used in others.

As we journey through these parables in the coming months, my prayer is that we wouldn't just be "hearers" of these stories, but that we would have "ears to hear" the deeper spiritual truths Jesus was revealing. I am excited to dive into these lessons with you and see how these ancient stories speak directly to our lives in 2026. I hope you’ll join me next week as we look at our first story: The Sower and the Soils.