Matthew 13:10-17 - The Reason For The Parables

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

¹¹ He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. ¹² For 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. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. ¹⁴ Isaiah’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.
¹⁵ For 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.

¹⁶ “But your eyes are blessed because they do see, and your ears because they do hear! ¹⁷ For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.

¹⁰ When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables. ¹¹ He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables ¹² so that

they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”

⁹ Then His disciples asked Him, “What does this parable mean?” ¹⁰ So He said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that

Looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.