We continue our ‘Reading Matthew in Lent’ series today by reading the first 43 verses of Chapter 13 of St Matthew’s Gospel.

The disciples ask Jesus why He speaks in parables. He tells them that they know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven but others do not. "...because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."

The chapter is full of parables - the parable of the sower, the parable of the weeds and the parable of the mustard seed and the leaven.

Jesus describes of the parables are prophetic: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

'Reading Matthew in Lent' is a series of simple podcasts for the Lenten season offering a daily reading from St Matthew's Gospel from Ash Wednesday to Easter Monday.