How do you teach something to a child, a novice, a person in a totally new environment? Well, often it is through relating the new teaching to something that they already understand. By doing so, you give the person an opportunity to understand what you are teaching at a faster rate and to grasp it at a deeper level.

That is the purpose of Jesus teaching through parables. Jesus was teaching those who didn’t have an understanding of Heaven (13:11) by using human experiences that they could relate to and understand. Through His teaching in parables, Jesus provided those he taught with an understanding regarding Heaven by allowing them to relate the principles of farming to that of the sowing of the seed of the gospel and the principles of harvest time to the Day of Judgment.

Jesus chose to teach for understanding, not for boasting of His own knowledge. When we teach, we must set for ourselves the same goal. The goal that ...I will teach God’s Word in a way that others will understand and relate to that they may be saved, not that I may be glorified in my teaching and wallow in the vanity of my knowledge that few may understand.

Jesus knew all things, understood all things and chose to teach that I may learn, understand and inherit eternal life through His salvation and God’s grace. I must teach that others may also learn, understand and inherit.

What will we teach today?