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.

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.

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.

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.

When anyone hears the word of the Realm and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; that is the man who is sown 'on the road.'

Then he called the crowd and said to them, "Listen, understand this:

Do you not understand even yet? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?

Jesus answered them, "You go wrong because you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God.