The parables of Jesus were stories He told to illustrate spiritual truth with everyday things, and people could easily relate to seeds, fish, trees, and bread. While the parables He told sparked spiritual understanding in some people, they also served to make others aware of their own darkened spirituality.

The parables require us to decide if we press into or turn away from the Scripture we understand. Will we respond like the disciples who followed Jesus until His words seemed too radical, or will we, like Peter, Nicodemus, and the woman at the well, follow Him all the more when His words are hard to swallow?