Matthew 13:35 Meaning: Why Parables? Secrets Since Creation

Two Greek words carry the main weight here. The first is parabolē (parable), which means a comparison, something laid alongside something else to shed light on it. Jesus uses everyday scenes, farming, yeast, a hidden treasure, to show what the kingdom of God is like. The second word is the verb ereugomai, translated as 'I will utter.' It originally meant to pour forth, like a river over its banks or a volcano erupting. There is force and passion in it, not just casual speech. The things Jesus pours out are kekrummena (hidden), a word that means deliberately concealed, as a treasure is buried. These were not secrets God meant to keep forever; they were stored up until the right moment. Now, in Christ, the floodgates open.

Christians across traditions have read this verse with different emphases. Reformed commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry see the fulfillment as typological: the psalmist's dark sayings prefigured the way Christ would teach about the kingdom, and Jesus' parables bring those ancient shadows into full light. Baptist and Methodist writers (Gill, Clarke) stress that Psalm 78 was not a direct prophecy about Jesus, but that Jesus' style matched the psalmist's, and Matthew uses 'fulfilled' to mean 'the same kind of thing happened in a greater way.' Many Catholic and Orthodox interpreters connect it to the idea that all of Scripture, even the Old Testament histories, contains hidden meanings that Christ alone fully reveals. Both views agree that Matthew is making a claim about divine purpose: the parables are no accident.

Some readers think Matthew is saying Psalm 78:2 was a direct prediction that Jesus consciously set out to fulfill, like the prophecy of a virgin birth. In fact, Matthew is using the fulfillment formula more broadly. As Barnes and others note, the psalmist Asaph was not predicting Christ; he was telling Israel's history in riddles. Jesus speaking in parables is a 'fulfillment' in the sense that the same method used by the old prophet finds its ultimate expression and meaning in the way the Son of God teaches.

When you come across a parable that puzzles you, resist the urge to skim past it. Jesus is not trying to hide the truth from you; He is offering it in a form that asks for your attention. This week, pick one of His parables, the mustard seed, the hidden treasure, the prodigal son, and sit with it. Ask the Lord, 'What have You hidden here for me?' Let His Spirit open your eyes to the things that have been there since the beginning, waiting for you to find them.