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

¹⁰ Afterwards his disciples came to him, and said: "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

¹¹ "To you," answered Jesus, "the knowledge of the hidden truths of the Kingdom of Heaven has been imparted, but not to those. ¹² For, to all who have, more will be given, and they shall have abundance; but, from all who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ¹³ That is why I speak to them in parables, because, though they have eyes, they do not see, and though they have ears, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴ And in them is being fulfilled that prophecy of Isaiah which says--'You will hear with your ears without ever understanding, And, though you have eyes, you will see without ever perceiving, ¹⁵ For the mind of this nation has grown dense, And their ears are dull of hearing, Their eyes also have they closed; Lest some day they should perceive with their eyes, And with their ears they should hear, And in their mind they should understand, and should turn--And I should heal them.'

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear; ¹⁷ For I tell you that many Prophets and good men have longed for the sight of the things which you are seeing, yet never saw them, and to hear the things which you are hearing, yet never heard them.

¹⁰ Afterwards, when he was alone, his followers and the Twelve asked him about his parables; ¹¹ And he said: "To you the hidden truth of the Kingdom of God has been imparted; but to those who are outside it all teaching takes the form of parables, that-- ¹² 'Though they have eyes, they may see without perceiving; And though they have ears, they may hear without understanding; Lest some day they should turn and be forgiven.'

⁹ His disciples asked Jesus the meaning of this parable. ¹⁰ "To you," he said, "the knowledge of the hidden truths of the Kingdom of God has been imparted, but to others in parables only, that 'though they have eyes they may not see, and though they have ears, they may not understand.'