8. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants produced corn; some produced 100 grains, others sixty, and others thirty.”
9. And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”
10. Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
11. Jesus answered, “The knowledge about the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12. For the person who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing will have taken away from him even the little he has.
13. The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand.
14. So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: ‘This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see,
15. because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to me, says God, and I would heal them.’