TEXT [Commentary]

E. Matthew Explains Why Jesus Told Parables (13:34-35)

34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables.

I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.[*]”

NOTES

13:34-35 I will speak to you in parables. These verses provide a transition from Jesus’ parables to the crowd, spoken from the boat (13:2-33), to his parables to his disciples, spoken in the house (13:36-50). By moving into the more private setting, Jesus turned from those who for the most part did not understand to those who did (13:11-12). Matthew’s editorial insertion states that Jesus’ customary way of speaking to the crowds at this time was through parables. Furthermore, Matthew asserted that Jesus’ parabolic speech fulfilled what the prophet said in Ps 78:2 (cf. Mark 4:33-34; John 6:31). In this lengthy Psalm, Asaph the seer (1 Chr 25:2; 2 Chr 29:30) recounted the history of Israel for the next generation (Ps 78:4), stressing Israel’s unbelief (Ps 78:8, 11, 17-22, 32-33, 36-37, 39-42, 56-58), which led to God’s punishment (Ps 78:21, 31-34, 59-64). In spite of Israel’s rebellion and God’s judgment, the continuing faithfulness of God to his people was manifested in mighty works of power (Ps 78:4-7, 12-16, 23-29, 38-39, 42-55) and in choosing David to shepherd them (Ps 78:65-72). In Matthew’s view, Jesus is the Son of David who fulfills the role of Israel’s ultimate shepherd (1:1; 9:36). His parables, like those of Asaph, portray Israel’s unbelief and God’s judgment, but more importantly, they stress God’s ongoing faithfulness to Israel through the words and deeds of the Kingdom.

COMMENTARY [Text]

These verses contain the second fulfillment citation of the Old Testament in the discourse. According to Jesus, the unbelief of most of the Jews who saw his deeds and heard his words was not unprecedented. The pattern of unbelief that occurred in the days of Isaiah was recurring in the days of Jesus. Israel as a whole did not believe Isaiah’s warnings of impending invasion, and neither did they believe Jesus’ Kingdom message (13:14-15; Isa 6:9-10). Now Matthew inserts his own commentary on the discourse he was narrating, citing Psalm 78:2 as the pattern being fulfilled by Jesus. Asaph characterizes Psalm 78 at its opening as parabolic and hidden, but as the psalm unfolds, one reads a narrative of God’s faithfulness to a rebellious people under his discipline, not a mysterious discourse full of enigmatic sayings.

Two key questions need to be answered. The first concerns why Asaph described his historical narrative as parabolic and enigmatic in Psalm 78:2. He did this first because matters well known to his own generation were as yet ancient secrets to the coming generation. Thus, he employs a bit of poetic hyperbole: To coming generations (Ps 78:4) this recounting of God’s mighty acts might seem like secrets hidden since ancient times (78:2), but in reality these were matters known by Asaph’s generation because they were told them by their ancestors, and Asaph, in turn, passed on these ancient secrets to the next generation. Asaph’s psalm is also parabolic in the sense that his recounting of the past reveals the profound pattern that may be discerned from the bare historical events (Carson 1984:321). Asaph did not merely recount but also interpreted Israel’s story as the story of God’s faithfulness to his people in spite of their sin and deserved punishment. This faithfulness is manifested in his mighty acts of redemption (Ps 78:4, 7, 11-12, 32, 42-43). By his interpretation of Israel’s history in this manner, Asaph revealed to a new generation the profound truth of God’s redeeming grace.

The second question concerns why Matthew cited Asaph’s words in Psalm 78. On the surface, we have the connection of the key word “parable,” but Matthew appears to be taking the psalm out of context. While it may be granted that the psalm is not a prediction of Jesus, we observe that Matthew often finds patterns in the literature and history of the Old Testament and points to their ultimate significance in Jesus. That his view of the Old Testament is frequently typological was seen earlier in the infancy narrative of Matthew 1–2. Here, Matthew finds in Asaph’s words a precedent for a pattern that Jesus fulfilled. As Asaph uttered profundities for a new generation, so Jesus revealed the ultimate secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven to his own generation (13:11; cf. 12:39, 41-42). As Asaph discerned the pattern of God’s faithfulness to his people overarching their disobedience and his consequent discipline, so Jesus’ parables presented the pattern of the reception and rejection of the growing Kingdom until the day of ultimate judgment and reward (13:19, 39-43). As Asaph’s reflection on the “old days” brought out truth for a new generation, so Jesus’ parables equip his disciples to bring out of their treasure things new and old in their own teaching (13:51-52). What was new in Asaph’s day is now a part of what is old in the disciples’ treasury, but what they have learned from Jesus will remain new as they teach all nations, accompanied by Jesus’ presence until the end of the age (28:19-20; cf. Carson 1984:322-323).