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As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it.
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Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots,
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so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.
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Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds.
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Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
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"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
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The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"
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He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them.
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Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears.
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That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it.
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I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.