And with parables He was teaching them many things, and in His teaching He was saying to them.
This verse tells us about the manner of Christ’s teaching. He taught many things in parables. A parable is a means of conveying a heavenly truth through an earthly story or image. In this way, things familiar to people’s everyday life—the seed, the soil, the lamp, the tree, the field—became bearers of deep spiritual mysteries. This shows the wisdom of God, because He speaks in such a way that the truth is both accessible to a humble and seeking heart and yet remains hidden from those who are only outward hearers. The parable here is like a door: whoever approaches with the heart enters in and finds the meaning of life, but for the indifferent it remains only a simple story. Thus Christ’s teaching was at the same time revelation and testing, making clear with what kind of heart people were listening.