Matthew 13:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To prevent anyone from interpreting His statements as mere derision or attributing malice to Him, Christ cites the words of the prophet, affirming the truth of His message: “The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in them,” He declares, “which says, You shall hear with your ears, and shall not understand; and you shall look with your eyes, and shall not see.” Notice that the prophet similarly admonishes them with precise wording. He does not state, “you will not see,” but rather “with eyes you will look, and you will not see”; nor does he say, “you will not hear,” but “by hearing you shall hear, and you shall not understand.” The reason for their misunderstanding lies within themselves, as they have shut their ears, closed their eyes, and hardened their hearts.

This is the reason I communicate through parables: those who observe do not truly perceive, and those who listen fail to comprehend. Thus, the prophecy of Isaiah finds its fulfillment in them, stating, ‘By hearing you will hear, that is, you will perceive but not understand; and when you see you will see but not perceive.’ This refers to those who linger by the shore, distanced from Jesus, and, due to the clamor of the waves, struggle to grasp the message being conveyed. The prophecy of Isaiah thus applies to them: By hearing you will hear and not comprehend, and through their sight, they will see and yet not perceive (Isaiah 6:9). This is a foreshadowing for the crowds who gather on the shoreline and are unworthy of receiving the Lord's message. Therefore, we will approach Jesus along with the disciples to seek clarification of the parable, ensuring we are not among those who have eyes and ears yet remain unresponsive.

The prophecy of Isaiah finds fulfillment in them… While this prophecy had partial realization among the obstinate Jews before, it is now completely realized among these individuals. It is fulfilled, indeed fully realized. As it is written, By hearing you will hear and will not comprehend, and by seeing you will see and will not perceive. With physical hearing, you will receive instruction, yet the spiritual truth will remain elusive, akin to those who are willfully deaf in their spirits; and with physical sight, you will witness signs, yet you will not grasp the truth, similar to those who are willfully blind in their spirits. The prophet then provides the reason for their experience.

It is clear that I do not judge them out of hostility, as demonstrated by the prophecy of Isaiah, which states, "Hear with bodily hearing, and ye shall not understand, neither shall ye understand, and see with the eyes, and ye shall not see." They have chosen to close their ears, shut their eyes, and harden their hearts.

Despite its remarkable straightforwardness and clarity, even the disciples struggled to grasp its significance. Upon the Saviour's return to the apostle Peter's residence in Capernaum, they did not hesitate to request clarification. This inquiry revealed the strong impact the parable had left on them, awakening a desire for deeper understanding. In response, the Saviour graciously provided the apostles, who would carry on His mission, with a thorough explanation of the parable.

The prophecy of Isaiah is being realized in them; this statement is derived from Isaiah 6:9-10, based on the Septuagint translation. Originally, these prophetic declarations were directed toward the Jewish people present during the time of the prophet. However, the disposition of the Jews remained unchanged during the era of Christ and the apostles, just as it had been in the times of their ancestors. Their hearts were hardened, preventing the divine message from taking root within them. Similar to their forebears, they were spiritually deaf, unable to hear the sacred truth, and they closed their eyes to avoid witnessing the miraculous deeds of their long-anticipated Messiah, who was present yet unrecognized by them.

After the Lord had sent away the crowds, He entered a house and was alone with His disciples. Those gathered around Him, along with the twelve apostles, approached Him and inquired, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" He replied, "It is because to you it has been granted to comprehend the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them it has not been given; they exist in the outer realm, and all things are conveyed through parables. The reason I speak to them this way is that those who see do not truly see, and those who hear do not truly hear or comprehend. The prophecy of Isaiah is realized in them, as it states, 'By hearing you shall hear, and not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive.’ This prophecy (Is.