The TEXT for this sermon taken from the Gospel of our lord Jesus Christ according to

saint MATT 13: 34-35

34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable
spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.
The TOPIC for this sermon is THE VALUE OF PARABOLIC TEACHINGS
For better understanding we shall define the words Value, Parabolic, and teaching
The Mariam Webster dictionary defines value as the relative worth, utility, or importance of a
thing.
The Mariam Webster dictionary also defines parabolic as something or an idea that is expressed
by the use of a parable
Teachings according to the Mariam Webster means something that is taught to someone or a
group of people
CONTEXT
In the context of this sermon parables were essential to Jesus’ teaching. Parables are usually
short stories designed to emphasize a greater truth. The main purpose of a parable is to make
large or abstract ideas easier to grasp. By relating something to more common experiences,
Jesus’ parables make those deeper concepts more accessible. EXEGESIS
From the previous chapter Jesus had just left a house where he was teaching and healing
different illness to the extent the house was filled and overflowing with people, but on leaving
there he was followed by a very large crowed that he had to enter a boat probably so he could
have a little space because the people were pressing hard at him. Jesus taught the people
exclusively using parables and the writer of
the gospel recorded that everything he said was in parables and he didn’t teach anything without
parables. Although it doesn’t mean that Jesus only used parables to teach but this shows us the
efficacy of parables in teaching.
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the
foundation of the world: which is a Psalm, though a history of the dealings of God with the
people of Israel, and of the many deliverances wrought for them, yet as the Jewish writers
observe, contain many things in it, expressed in a parabolical and enigmatical way; such as
God's furnishing a table in the wilderness, kindling a fire against Jacob, opening the doors of
heaven, giving the corn of heaven, and angels' food, and delivering his strength into captivity;
and besides, the very historical facts recorded of the people of Israel, were types of things future
under the Gospel dispensation: now as Asaph, by divine inspiration, delivered these parables
and dark sayings, so Christ expressed the Gospel, and the mysteries of it, in a parabolical way,
which were hid in God, and under the shadows of the law; and so were kept secret from the
beginning of the world, and from the multitude, though now made known to the apostles, and
by them to others, according to the will of God,
REFERENCE
In the book psalms 78:2 we see the psalmist saying the same thing jesus said in matt 13:35 and
when we read further in that book of psalm we see the psalmist actively using parables to pass
information’s. we can also see parables being used more often, in the old testament when God
wants to give a warning he would sometimes use parables we can see that in Ezekiel 17:1 and
also Micah 2:4. Apostle Paul in his epistles also sometimes used parables we can find some
examples in 2tim 2:4-6 and also 1cor 9:24-25.
APPLICATION
Parables are very vital tools in passing a message for example there is this story that is usually
told to secondary school student when they are about to write an examination. It is a story of
how a young man was active or busy working sincerely for God that he didn’t have time to read
for his exams and on the exam day he promised never to do exam malpractice so he copied the
questions on the answer sheet and submitted since he didn’t have what to write and when the
teacher was marking the script he was putting question marks and since the question marks
looked like number 7 he later record 7 marks for each of the questions and the young man
ended up with an A1 grade. This story always encouraged us to be consistent with God and not
to indulge in exam malpractice and also to trust God. Such is the efficacy of parables. Parables
have been wildly used we also have the story of the boy who cried wolf and so on. As Africans
parables are one of the most common way of communicating. Most times an elder will speak in
parables to tell you something very important not because he can’t say it directly but because
the parable summarizes the advice or information and also makes it easier to understand.
As Christians, friends, leaders, teachers and pastors it is of utmost importance that we know and
understand the need of parables in our various ministries as God has handed them down to us.
Jesus usually used something that his audience were familiar with to draw a parable for his
teaching he wasn’t using it to show that he knew how to teach but so that his listeners would
easily be able to relate with the stories. As an evangelist when we relate our gospel or message
to the daily life of our listeners we would definitely gain better audience, some many people
when preaching end up condemning the person listening instead of encouraging the person.
Someone once told me that preaching the gospel of Jesus is as simple as telling the story of
your salvation experience and not trying to quote bible verses to show that you read it. As a
Sunday school teacher we need to know and understand that children tend remember stories
easily more than they remember bible passages, not only children even adults have the same
ability, so when we use stories to teach them they easily understand and learn. As a church
pastor and a preacher parables go a very long way to enhance you message it helps to keep your
listeners focused and like children the church members easily remember those stories faster
than bible verses especially when they can relate with such experiences. We have seen people
give their life to Christ many times because of something they experienced and not what
someone told them but many times it is because there is such a story registered in their heart.
Parables are very important tools for teaching and we certainly cannot do without them.
Apart from the fact parables have the characteristics of summarizing and simplifying it also has
the characteristics of conciliation. Jesus' stories, or parables, were windows to God's truth. They
both reveal and conceal. They conceal from those not seeking the truth, God, or the Kingdom.
They reveal to those following Jesus. This explains the reason why in verse 36 of Mathew
chapter 13 Jesus’ disciples had to ask Jesus to explain at least one of those parables to them.
Not because the disciples were not genuinely following Jesus but because these parables
sometimes hide some important details. In the gospel of saint mark chapter 4 verse 11 Jesus
tells his disciples that parables are used to confuse and hide the truth from some certain people
because God doesn’t not expect repentance from them and this is also a vital tool as a leader
many times we speak in parables so that some certain people will not know our intentions. We
use this in our daily life to kind of encode our information so that only specific set of people can
understand.
ADVANTAGES OF PARABLES TO THE HEARERS
Parables have a double advantage upon their hearers: first, upon their memory, we being very
apt to remember stories. Second, upon their minds, to put them upon studying the meaning of
what they heard so delivered.”
It is not a hidden fact that as humans it is easier for
us to remember stories faster and easier than to remember principles especially if the story is
about something we do daily.
A person mentality plays a very vital role in how he or she receives a message so we must also
not that some might not treat a story the way we expect. This is one of the main reason why
Jesus taught in parables because he knew some people were not there for the truth and so the
parable will only confuse them the more. But looking at the second advantage of parables we
see that after hearing the hearer would have to think critically sometime to understand the actual
meaning of the parable. So it helps to build their minds because they have to study.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion I want to say that Gods challenge for us this morning is that we inculcate the habit
of relating our teachings and preaching’s as pastors to the immediate challenges and situations
of our listeners and members so that they can better understand what to do and how to apply
that part of the scripture into their lives, this doesn’t mean that we use our time for teaching the
word of God to tell stories but that we use parables to aid our message so that our audience can
relate to what God is saying to us.
Let us pray.