The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. 12 To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’ 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. 15 Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. 17 Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
After telling the Parable of the Sower, Jesus begins teaching the crowds with a series of parables. His disciples notice the change and ask why He is speaking this way. Jesus' answer reveals not only the purpose of parables but also the importance of the listener's response.
A parable is more than an interesting story. It invites people to think, reflect, and examine their hearts. Those who approach Jesus with faith become more receptive to what He is revealing. Those who have already rejected His teaching hear the story but remain blind to its deeper meaning.
Jesus tells His disciples that they have been given "knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" (v. 11). Here, the word mysteries does not mean something impossible to understand. It refers to God's saving plan, hidden through the centuries but now being revealed in Jesus Christ (Daniel 2:28-30; Ephesians 1:9-10). Understanding this plan is God's gift, but it must also be received with faith.
Jesus then says, "To anyone who has, more will be given" (v. 12). He is not speaking about wealth or possessions. He is describing spiritual growth. Those who welcome God's word and live by it receive an ever-deeper understanding of His truth. Those who continually close their hearts gradually lose even the little understanding they once possessed.
Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah to explain why many fail to understand. Their blindness is not because God desires to hide the truth from them, but because they have become resistant to His word. Yet Isaiah's prophecy ends with hope: God's desire is that they "understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them" (v. 15). Christ came to call people to repentance so that they might receive the healing only He can give.
Jesus concludes by calling His disciples blessed. The prophets and righteous people of the Old Testament faithfully awaited the coming of the Messiah, but they did not live to see the fulfillment of God's promises. The disciples have the privilege of seeing and hearing the One to whom the Scriptures pointed from the beginning (Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:10-12).
This Gospel reminds us that hearing God's word is only the beginning. We are called to receive it with open hearts, follow Christ faithfully, and allow Him to deepen our understanding. The more we respond to His grace, the more clearly we come to know Him and the saving plan He has revealed.
Heavenly Father, open our eyes to recognize Your Son and our ears to hear His voice. Give us humble and receptive hearts that welcome Your word, grow in faith, and bear fruit in our lives. Convert us, heal us, and help us follow Jesus more faithfully each day. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 13:10–17 and notes.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. 30.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. 92.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 655–56, para. 86.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 935.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022. Commentary on Matthew 13:10–17.
- Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. 176–77.
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