A parable is a story, told to create a picture in people’s minds to help them understand some greater truth. Jesus told many parables, recorded in the gospel accounts, to teach people about Himself or the nature of His kingdom. We are told in Matthew 13:10-17 that Jesus taught in parables in order to distinguish between those with hard hearts, who do not want Him, and those ‘to whom the secrets of the kingdom of God have been given’. These are the people who will search for the deeper meaning inside these. When looking at a parable we must try to understand the original setting being described, as the details will help us grasp the meaning, but it is important not to push the story too far and try to make all the details mean something.
