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

¹⁰ Then the disciples came up and said to him, "Why do you speak in parables?"

¹¹ He replied, "Because it is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Realm of heaven, but it is not granted to these people. ¹² For he who has, to him shall more be given and richly given, but whoever has not, from him shall be taken even what he has. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables, because for all their seeing they do not see and for all their hearing they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴ In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: You will hear and hear but never understand, you will see and see but never perceive. ¹⁵ For the heart of this people is obtuse, their ears are heavy of hearing, their eyes they have closed, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they understand with their heart and turn again, and I cure them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears, for they hear! ¹⁷ I tell you truly, many prophets and good men have longed to see what you see, but they have not seen it; and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard it.

¹⁰ When he was by himself his adherents and the twelve asked him about the parable, ¹¹ and he said to them: "The open secret of the Realm of God is granted to you, but these outsiders get everything by way of parables, ¹² so that for all their seeing they may not perceive, and for all their hearing they may not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven."

⁹ The disciples questioned him about the meaning of the parable; ¹⁰ so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand.