My Walk Through the Book of Matthew by Annette Godtland

Prophecy and the Parables (Matthew 13:34-35)

34All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

"I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."

This text is very confusing because it seems to be implying that Jesus only spoke in parables and that He did that to fulfill the prophesy where it says He would open His mouth in parables. Yes, He is speaking in parables now, but we have read of many of His teachings to the multitude which was not in parables. So this assumption cannot be right that says He only spoke in parables.

First, let's take a look at the prophesy this is said to fulfill. Footnotes on the Bible Gateway, the Internet site from where I copy the scripture for these lessons, say this prophesy is from Psalm 78, a psalm of Asoph:

1Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

Yes, it is the same words about opening his mouth in parable, but I have a difficult time seeing how this is a prophesy that is being fulfilled by Jesus' use of parables. Asoph went on in the rest of this verse to tell the story of the plight and rebellions of the children of Israel. Jesus' parables tell the story of the kingdom of heaven. Asoph's tells the story of things they had heard and known, things their father's taught them. Jesus speaks of the mysteries of heaven, things which they had not heard before, things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

How can Jesus' parables be fulfillment of Asoph's words? The only thing that comes to my mind is that the presence of the kingdom of heaven is simply a continuation of the story of the children of Israel. At the end of the parable by Asoph, he explains how they have hit rock bottom and wonder how long they would continue to suffer. It could be that the implication in Matthew of only speaking in parables was referring only to when Jesus is talking of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is answering Asoph's questions now in His parables. The kingdom of heaven was sown for all on all kinds of ground, regardless of the iniquities of the Children of Israel. The kingdom of heaven provides strength, support and shelter. The kingdom of heaven cannot be contained and will continue to grow. The kingdom of heaven will enlighten and enliven the people. God has not left them, but is building the kingdom of heaven around them.

So I wonder if the fact that this says it fulfilled prophesy, isn't saying He spoke in parables in order to fulfill prophesy, but to continue the parables started in prophesy and completed now. He is not just passing down knowledge from the forefathers, but knowledge from our Father in heaven. Asoph told the parables of what the people needed to hear. Jesus is telling the parables of what the people needed to hear next. Both are telling those who have ears, to hear.

Why did Jesus speak in parables? I don't think there was anything in this prophesy of Asoph that said He must tell His stories in parable form as I first thought this implied. But I believe He spoke in parables to fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah as Jesus explained in Matthew 13:0-17, so only those who were ready to hear would really understand. I believe that the fulfillment talked of in this verse is regarding Jesus' explanation now of the kingdom of heaven.

We will be given the knowledge of what we are ready to hear.