 Now at the heart of the paragraph is the exhortation which comes in verse 23 and 24a. And that exhortation is both preceded and followed by instruction. He said to them, do you bring in a lamb to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? Now again, let me just say what is being said and then we'll look at it in detail. The parables Jesus is teaching us were not a means to obscure the truth concerning the kingdom of God.