Of all this Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables; indeed to them he used never to speak at all except in parables,
That is why I speak to them in parables, because, though they have eyes, they do not see, and though they have ears, they do not hear or understand.
Then he told them many truths in parables. "The sower," he began, "went out to sow; and,
This was the allegory that Jesus told them, but they did not understand of what he was speaking.
I have spoken to you of all this in figures; a time is coming, however, when I shall not speak any longer to you in figures, but shall tell you about the Father plainly.
"At last," exclaimed the disciples, "you are using plain words and not speaking in figures at all.