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The followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why do you use stories to teach the people?"
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Jesus answered, "You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets.
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Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them.
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This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really hear or understand.
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So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true: 'You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not learn.
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For the minds of these people have become stubborn. They do not hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might really understand what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds and come back to me and be healed.'
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But you are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears.
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I tell you the truth, many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they wanted to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.
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"So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer.
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What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person's heart.
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And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy.