Matthew 13:10–23

WHY JESUS USED PARABLES

¹⁰Then the disciples^k came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?”^l

¹¹He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,^m but it has not been given to them. ¹²For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.^{n 13}That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,^o and hearing they do not listen or understand.^{p 14}Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen,

but never understand;

you will look and look,

but never perceive.^q

¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown callous;

their ears are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes;

otherwise they might see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears, and

understand with their hearts,

and turn back—

and I would heal them.^Br

¹⁶“Blessed are your eyes^s because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.^{t 17}For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.^u

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED

¹⁸“So listen to the parable of the sower:^{v 19}When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.^{w 20}And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.^{x 21}But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution^y comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²²Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age^z and the deceitfulness^A of wealth^aa choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”