Matthew 13, portions

That same day
Jesus went out of the house
and sat by the lake.
Such large crowed gathered around Him
that He got into a boat and sat in it,
while all the people stood on the shore.
Then He told them many things in parables . . .

The disciples came to Him and asked,
"Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
He replied . . .

"But blessed are your eyes because they see,
and your ears because they hear.
For I tell you the truth,
many prophets and righteous men
longed to see what you see
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear
but did not hear it."

. . . Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables,
He did not say anything to them without using a parable.
So it was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."
(Matthew 13:1-3,10-11,16-17,34-.5) NIV