Jesus' Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven 

During Jesus' third preaching tour, he adopted parables to impart spiritual truths, simplifying complex concepts into relatable stories accessible to all, yet concealing deeper meanings from detractors. He introduced the parable of the sower to illustrate the varying receptions of his teachings and the unpredictable outcomes of kingdom messengers spreading the gospel. Further parables like the mustard seed and the weeds among the wheat symbolized the growth and challenges of the kingdom of heaven. Each parable, from the hidden treasure to the sweep net, conveyed unique insights into the kingdom's nature, encouraging listeners to reflect and find personal relevance in the teachings.

During the third preaching tour, Jesus began using the parable method of teaching truth to his followers. Jesus chose to teach in parables primarily to engage the imagination, provoke reflection, and inspire decision-making in his listeners. Parables allowed him to present profound spiritual truths in relatable stories that were simple on the surface but deep in meaning, making his teachings accessible to everyone regardless of their educational background or social status. This method also served to conceal or veil the meanings of his teachings from those who were opposed to him, those who sought to trap him, or those who were otherwise not genuinely interested in spiritual growth.

When Jesus first began using the parable method of teaching, his first examples had to do with the kingdom of heaven. One day, when nearly one thousand people were gathered on the shore to hear Jesus speak, Peter offered to speak to them. But Jesus said, “No, Peter, I will tell them a story.”

The first parable that Jesus spoke was the parable of the sower:

“A sower went forth to sow, and it came to pass as he sowed that some seed fell by the wayside to be trodden underfoot and devoured by the birds of heaven. Other seeds fell upon the rocky places where there was little earth, and immediately it sprang up because there was no depth to the soil, but as soon as the sun shone, it withered because it had no root to secure moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns, and as the thorns grew up, it was choked so that it yielded no grain. Still other seeds fell upon good ground and, growing, yielded some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.” And when he had finished speaking this parable, he said to the multitude, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

This parable inspired a lengthy discussion among the apostles later that day, each of them offering his interpretation of its meaning. Jesus advised the apostles not to place their interpretations in their teaching, allowing the hearer to draw their own conclusions. But he did say that this parable hints at what the apostles – and future messengers of the kingdom – could expect in their ongoing ministry across generations.

Later that night, and after all the discussion with the apostles about the parable of the sower, Jesus added another part of the parable of the sower. He said: “Now I will tell you the last of the parable of the sower. I would test you to know how you will receive this: The kingdom of heaven is also like a man who cast good seed upon the earth; and while he slept by night and went about his business by day, the seed sprang up and grew, and although he knew not how it came about, the plant came to fruit. First there was the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And then when the grain was ripe, he put forth the sickle, and the harvest was finished. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear.”

Following the parable of the sower, Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seeds in his field, but during the night an enemy planted weeds among the good seed. When the servants noticed that the weeds were growing alongside the good wheat, they asked the farmer what had happened, as they knew the seed he planted was good. The farmer told them that an enemy had done this. When the servants suggested pulling out the weeds, the master advised against it to avoid pulling up the wheat with the weeds. He said that when harvest time came, he would order the reapers to gather the weeds first and burn them. Then the wheat could be harvested and stored safely in the barn.

Jesus went on to deliver several more parables having to do with the kingdom:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man sowed in his field. Now a mustard seed is the least of seeds, but when it is full grown, it becomes the greatest of all herbs and is like a tree so that the birds of heaven are able to come and rest in the branches thereof.”

“The kingdom of heaven is also like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, and in this way it came about that all of the meal was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is also like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man discovered. In his joy he went forth to sell all he had that he might have the money to buy the field.”

“The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant seeking goodly pearls; and having found one pearl of great price, he went out and sold everything he possessed that he might be able to buy the extraordinary pearl.”

Finally, Jesus told the parable of the sweep net:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a sweep net which was cast into the sea, and it gathered up every kind of fish. Now, when the net was filled, the fishermen drew it up on the beach, where they sat down and sorted out the fish, gathering the good into vessels while the bad they threw away.”