Why the Lord teaches in Parables

The Bible Dictionary teaches that the Savior used parables to veil the meaning.  To those who seek a deeper understanding of a principle of the gospel, the parable was a way to teach to their level of understanding.  To those who were not seekers of truth, the parable was a nice story, but held no real meaning. 

 

One of my favorite parables that the Savior used is the parable of the treasure.  It is so brief.  A man discovers a great treasure in a field and, in his excitement, sells everything he has so he can then purchase the land.  The Savior compares this treasure to the kingdom of heaven.  Now, a parable is only as good if we are able to do something with it to make our lives better.  In this case, I would ask the question, “What am I willing to do that I may receive that great treasure that is heaven?”  This answer is personal for each of us.  For me, I think that answer is to give up the little things that waste time that could be better spent on meaningful pursuits.  Relationships, in my opinion, should always come before ‘stuff’ so if I am too busy tending to the ‘stuff’ in my life, I am often pushing aside the more important things like playing with my kids or getting to know a neighbor.  This gospel is a gospel for people.  We should be busily making people the center of what we do.