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

¹⁰ And the disciples came to Him and said, Why dost thou speak to them in parables?

¹¹ And He answered them, saying, Because it is granted unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not granted: ¹² for whosoever really hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundantly; but whosoever thus hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken away from him: ¹³ for this reason I speak to them in parables; because though they see, they will not see; and though they hear, they will not hear, nor understand. ¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, Ye shall hear by the hearing of the ear, and not understand; and in seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: for the heart of this people is grown stupid, ¹⁵ and their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; least they should see at all with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear: ¹⁷ for indeed I tell you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear what ye hear, and have not heard them.

¹⁰ And when He was apart from the multitude, those that were about Him with the twelve asked Him concerning the parable. ¹¹ And he said unto them, To you it is granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without all things are delivered in parables: ¹² that in seeing they may see and not perceive, and in hearing they may hear and not understand, least they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them.

⁹ And his disciples asked Him, what might be the meaning of this parable. ¹⁰ And He said, To you it is granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but I speak to others in parables, that in seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.