“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:9-10

A parable is usually a simple story used to illustrate a spiritual truth. Jesus used this teaching tool with great effect, but those parables sometimes required explanation for even Jesus’ closest disciples.

After Jesus told the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, his disciples asked, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”(Matthew 13:10). He responded by quoting Isaiah’s words in the passage above.

Some of the people couldn’t see past Jesus’ descriptive story of the sower who scattered his seed upon the path, the rocky ground, the thorns and the good soil. Thanks to Jesus’ explanation, we know He is describing types of people and their response to the good news of the Gospel.

While there is a curse for those who don’t comprehend, there is a blessing for those who hear and understand – “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:16).

Let’s always have ears to hear what God is communicating through His Word.