All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech!