The BibleProject released a new video saying that Jesus’ purpose in telling parables was to explain that the kingdom of God was coming to earth as it is in heaven. But His parables were metaphors, so many people were confused by them—and many religious leaders who did understand Him were offended, because He called out their sinful nature.
“Jesus didn’t tell parables to make everything clear,” Tim Mackie narrates in the video. “Rather, He wanted to provoke the imagination and invite people to see what God is doing in the world from a new perspective. … Jesus stood in the tradition of Israel’s prophets, who also told parables to criticize Israel’s leaders, because they mistook their kingdom for God’s. So Jesus warned the leaders of His day: If they don’t accept the offer of God’s kingdom, they’re headed for destruction.”
To watch the entire video and learn more about Jesus’ teachings while He was on earth to call people to repentance, click here.