The harsh truth about the parables Jesus spoke on the seashore that day (Matthew 13:1-50) was the fact they could not be understood by anyone who was there. First of all, Jesus said that He spoke using parables so that the multitude COULD NOT understand (13:11). It is also important to note that even His own disciples had to ask for the parables' meanings, revealing that they did not understand them either. It really was true, no one could understand them. Now many theologians have skipped over this particularly unsettling truth, some even hypothesizing that 13:11 was a later addition to Matthew. But read the text yourself. No one could understand the parables. This simple truth reveals our inability to understand them today, without further help from their Author, or from one of His students. A proper understanding of Matthew 13 reveals that the parables could not be understood without an explanation. This fact raises a question that begs to be answered, 'Why would Jesus speak in a way that could not be understood?'

Jesus spoke authoritatively about the kingdom of heaven when he uttered those parables. He emphatically stated that the kingdom of heaven was like... seven different enigmatic statements. By doing this, in essence, Jesus was saying to the multitude that He knew about the kingdom of heaven; so well, in fact, that He could accurately speak in mysteries about it. And if those on the seashore were to be honest with themselves (feel free to read yourself into this as well), they too, would have had to admit their ignorance. Those on the seashore, having heard Jesus' words, were left with only two options.

The only two options available to those who heard the parables that day were; 1. they could return to their businesses and farms and homes, or 2. they could choose to follow Jesus and seek out the meanings of the parables.  Following Him was the only way in which they could learn of this kingdom. Which kingdom did they want, their own or the kingdom of heaven? Jesus was seeking followers (disciples) by concealing the meanings of the parables; basically saying to the multitude, 'If you want to know the mysteries of the kingdom you'll have to follow Me'. Indeed, Jesus was drawing future disciples - or those who wanted to learn about, and become a disciple of, the kingdom of heaven - to Himself. I assure you, it was no coincidence that it was the disciples, as Matthew recorded, that were the only ones who received the mysteries of the kingdom, which were the explanations for the parables. The teaching known as 'the mysteries of the kingdom' was the first century discipleship material, the actual curriculum for a discipleship to Jesus.

So then, if Jesus was really concealing the meanings, why did Matthew reveal the explanations for the first two parables (Sower and Wheat and Tares)? And why did he conceal the other five? Could it have anything to do with how Jesus first concealed the parables' meanings?

I believe Matthew revealed the first two meanings (Sower (13-18-23) and Wheat and Tares (13:36-43)) for these simple reasons: 1. So that his reader would know that each kingdom parable had a definite meaning, and 2. so that his reader would also know that the explanations for those parables were given to the disciples (as was recorded in the text). Still, Matthew withheld the other five explanations. Why?

To reiterate, Jesus was drawing those who wanted to know about the kingdom of heaven into a relationship with Himself... a discipleship relationship. Those who didn't want to know about this kingdom just walked away. Jesus' whole exercise on the shore that day was designed to separate the crowd into two parts; those who were interested in the kingdom of heaven and those who were interested in their own. And if those who were interested were interested enough to follow, then He accomplished what He had set out to do - and that was to find more dedicated followers, or disciples, their reward being His knowledge of the kingdom.  Matthew, when he wrote his discipleship manual, by choosing to conceal the mysteries, was simply following in his Master's footsteps. He knew that a discipleship to Jesus required a relationship. So when he wrote his gospel, he crafted it so that those mysteries (the explanations of the parables) would be concealed, yet would still be available... but at a price. That price? The very same price that the mysteries cost when Jesus first spoke them; the price of a relationship. Salvation is free... but discipleship is costly. A relationship with Matthew and his gospel is now required, for that is where the mysteries have been hidden. The mysteries of the kingdom are available to those who desire them. But desire is the key word.

Do you want to know the mysteries of the kingdom?