JESUS TEACHES WITH PARABLES

Passage: Matthew 13:3-17

Key verse: 9

NIV

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,(A) sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”(B)

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(C) has been given to you,(D) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(E) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(F)

14 In them is fulfilled(G) the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a](H)

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(I) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(J) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

3 And (A)he told them many things in parables, saying: (B)“A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but (C)when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, (D)they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among (E)thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some (F)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 (G)He who has ears,[a] let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, (H)“To you it has been given to know (I)the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 (J)For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, (K)even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because (L)seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, (M)nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

(N)“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears (O)they can barely hear,
    and (P)their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and (Q)understand with their heart
    and (R)turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But (S)blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 (T)For truly, I say to you, (U)many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. A parable about sowing seeds (1-8)

Jesus often taught by telling parables-stories about an earthly situation, but with a spiritual meaning. This parable was about a farmer who sowed seed that fell on four kinds of ground: on the hard path, on rocky places, on soil overgrown with thorns, and finally on good soil. Only the seed that fell on good soil produced a crop, and it multiplied to produce thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown. It's the kind of harvest anyone would want.

2. Why Jesus speaks in parables (9-17)

Jesus ended his parable by saying, 'Whoever has ears, let them hear.' It is an invitation to mediate on the parable and find its spiritual application. When Jesus was asked why he taught using parables, he quoted the prophet Isaiah, who said that many people have eyes and ears but cannot truly see or understand. Jesus reveals the kingdom of God to people with spiritual desire leading them to listen and dig deeper. When we have such ears to hear, we are truly blessed.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven to those who can hear. Give me ears to hear.

One Word: Ears to hear the message of the kingdom