The Purpose of the Parables

Luke 8

⁹ _e Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" ¹⁰ And He said, "To you it has been given to know the ₁ mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that
_f 'Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.' ₂ ¹¹ _g "Now the parable is this: The seed is the _h word of God. ¹² "Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of ₃ temptation fall away. ¹⁴ "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, _i riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with _j patience. ₄

1. Cross References
   Matthew 13:10 - 23
   And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?
   Mark 4:10 - 20
   But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
   
2. Cross References
   Isaiah 6:9
   And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.
   Matthew 13:14
   And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive.
   Acts 28:26
   Saying, 'Go to this people and say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive.
   
3. Cross References
   Matthew 13:18
   Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
   Mark 4:14
   The sower sows the word.
   1 Peter 1:23
   Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
   
4. Cross References
   Luke 5:1
   So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret.
   Luke 11:28
   But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!
   
5. Cross References
   Matthew 19:23
   Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
   1 Timothy 6:9
   But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
   1 Timothy 6:10
   For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
   
6. Cross References
   Romans 2:7
   Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.
   Hebrews 10:36 - 39
   For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
   James 5:7
   Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
   James 5:8
   You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
   

New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.