Pro 13:20, Mat 13:10-17, 36, Mar 4:34, 7:17, Luk 8:9-15 | ESV | STEP | Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise , but the companion of fools will suffer harm .

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, ^a“To you it has been given to know ^bthe secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 ^cFor to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, ^deven what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because ^eseeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, ^fnor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

^g“‘“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 ^hthey can barely hear,
and ⁱtheir eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and ^junderstand with their heart
and ^kturn, and I would heal them.’
16 But ^lblessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 ^mFor truly, I say to you, ⁿmany 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.

Matthew 13:36

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowds and went into ^othe house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ^p“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

Mark 4:34

34 He did not speak to them ^qwithout a parable, but ^rprivately to his own disciples he ^sexplained everything.

Mark 7:17

17 And when he had entered ^tthe house and left the people, ^uhis disciples asked him about the parable.

Luke 8:9-15

The Purpose of the Parables

9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, ^v“To you it has been given to know ^wthe secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so ^xthat ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 ^yNow the parable is this: The seed is ^zthe word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not ^aabelieve and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it ^abwith joy. But these have no root; they ^acbelieve for a while, and in time of testing ^adfall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but ^aeas they go on their way they are choked by the ^afcares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and ^agbear fruit ^ahwith patience.