Matthew 13:10-23

And the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because you have been enlightened as to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not been. For whomever has that awareness will receive more and more. But whomever lacks it will lose what little he has. So, I speak to them in parables, because; looking, they don’t see; and listening, they don’t hear; so, they fail to comprehend.

Isiah’s prophecy is fulfilled with them. It says, ‘Hearing you shall not hear, nor will you understand. And watching, you will not perceive, for this people's heart is calloused, and they hardly hear with their ears. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart. If so, they would turn and I would heal them.’

“But your eyes are blessed for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you’ve seen and have not seen it, and hear what you’ve heard and have not heard it. You, therefore, hear the parable of the sower.

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, then the evil one comes and seizes what is being sown in his heart. This is the word that falls on the hard path. The seed sown in rocky soil is the one that hears the word joyfully, but does not put down any roots, though he continues for a time. Eventually, when suffering or oppression comes because of the word, he abandons it. The one receiving the seed among the thorn-bushes is the one that hears the word, but the concerns of this world and the lure of wealth choke the word out, and he becomes unfruitful.

“But that sown in the good ground is the one that hears the word and understands it. They will be productive, bearing fruit, some a hundred times, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Mark 4:10-25

And when he was alone, the ones around him and the twelve asked him about the parables.

And he said to them, “The mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to the ones outside, all things are in parables so they may ever be seeing, but not perceive, and hearing, not understand. Otherwise, they would turn and be forgiven.”

And he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? If not, how will you understand any parables?

“The one sowing the word does the sowing. The ones on the path where the word is sown, hear. But immediately Satan comes and takes the word that has been sown in them. Likewise, the ones on the rocky places where the seed is sown, joyfully hear the word and receive it. But they have no roots and quickly wither when affliction or persecution comes because of the word. Immediately, they abandon it. And others are the ones sown among thorn-bushes. They hear the word, but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and their desires choke out the word and it becomes unproductive.

“Then there are the ones that are sown on good ground. They hear the word and welcome it. They bear fruit thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown.”

Luke 8:9-15

And his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

And he said, “You have been given the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But to the rest I speak in parables, because seeing, they may not see, and hearing, they might not understand.

“Now the parable is this. The seed is the word of God. Those of the path are the ones who hear, but the devil comes and takes the word out of their hearts, stopping them from believing and being saved. Those of the rock are the ones who, when they hear, joyfully receive the word.  They believe for a time, but have no root, so when they are tempted, they fall away. And where the seeds fall among thorn-bushes are those who advance, but become chocked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, which stunts their fruit.

“But those of the good ground are the ones who heard the word with an honest and good heart, and having heard the word, keep it. They will patiently produce good fruit.”