Matthew 13:1–15

The Parable of the Sower

13On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. ^j2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore. ^k

³Then He told them many things in parables, ^lsaying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. ⁴As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. ⁷Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. ⁸Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. ^m9Anyone who has ears ⁿshould listen!” ^o

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰Then the disciples ^pcame up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” ^q

¹¹He answered them, “Because the ^•secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, ^rbut 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. ^s13For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, ^tand hearing they do not listen or understand. ^u14Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen,

yet never understand;

and you will look and look,

yet never perceive. ^v

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,

understand with their hearts

and turn back—

and I would cure them. ^wx