Jesus told parables like some people tell jokes. He knew some were going to get the punchline and others weren’t. He also understood that some who misunderstood the parable or didn’t get it at all might eventually get it. Packed in those little stories was something true about God’s Kingdom, and it was ultimately irrepressible.
The purpose of Jesus’ parables is summed up in Mark 4:22,
For there is not anything that is hidden, except in order to be revealed, nor is anything secret, except in order to be disclosed.
The ultimate goal of Jesus' parabolic teaching is not to conceal but to reveal. We become parabolic people by discovering what Jesus was saying in the parables and leaning into that truth.
(By the way, if this isn’t a parabola, let me know.)
Parabolic People: Part 1