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MATTHEW 13:11 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 13:10Matt 13:12
“He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
And he answered them: to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. The answer to the disciples' question: the parables communicate differently to different hearers because the capacity to receive the kingdom's secrets has been given to the disciples but not to the crowd. The given communicates the sovereign grace of the revelation: the ability to understand the parables is itself a gift, not a natural capacity.

Church Fathers on Matthew 13:11

The disciples understanding that the things which were spoken by the Lord to the people were obscure, desired to hint to Him that He should not speak in parables to them. 'And his disciples came to him, and said, Why speakest thou to them in parables?'

Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation · ap. Anselm

Wherein it is worthy admiration, that the disciples who desire to learn of Him, know when they ought to ask Him, for they do not this before the multitude. This Matthew declares, when he says, 'And they came to him;' and Mark more expressly says, that 'they came to him when he was alone.' [Mark 4:10]

Chrysostom · 4th century · Hom. xiv

We must enquire how they could come to Him at that time when Jesus was sitting in the ship; we may understand that they had at the first entered into the ship, and standing there, made this enquiry of Him.

Jerome · 4th century
Read all 29 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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