Two views of why Jesus spoke in parables:
The form of Jesus’ speaking, in parables (Matthew 13:3a), links to the crisis of that day. People have seen his works, including the healing of the demon-possessed man, but since they do not truly perceive, they remain as blind and deaf as that man once was. Jesus’ teaching in parables, and at a distance, reflects this reality. The people now must choose to side with the unrepentant scribes, who credit Jesus’ power to Beelzebul, or to embrace the kingdom now appearing in Jesus, by becoming disciples. Whoever does not make that choice is left behind; whoever does not hear now remains deaf. The very form of the parable stresses this.
Perhaps Jesus, noting the privileges that the Jews, as God’s people, enjoyed in the old covenant, chose parables as an alternative form of preaching so as to leave them without excuse
Interpretation 1:
The manner of Jesus’ speaking—in parables (Matthew 13:3a)—is tied to the circumstances of that day. People had seen his works—the final miracle being the healing of the demon-possessed man—but because they did not truly perceive, they remained as blind and deaf as that man once was. Jesus’ way of teaching in parables, and at a distance, reflects this reality.
The people now faced a choice: to side with the unrepentant scribes, who attributed Jesus’ power to Beelzebul, or to embrace faith in the kingdom of heaven now appearing in him—of which all scribes must become disciples. Whoever does not make that choice is left behind; whoever does not hear now, remains deaf. The very form of the parable underscores this.1
Interpretation 2:
Perhaps Jesus had in view the privileges that the Jews, as the people of God, enjoyed under the old covenant. He therefore opted for parables as an alternative form of preaching so as to leave them without excuse: when one form of preaching bore no fruit, Jesus chose another.2
2 Une grande foule s'étant assemblée auprès de lui, il monta dans une barque, et il s'assit. Toute la foule se tenait sur le rivage.