So ¹  Jesus ²  told them ³  this parable: ⁴ 

“So listen to the parable of the sower:

But Peter ¹  said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”

Then ¹  his disciples asked him what this parable meant. ² 

He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then ¹  how will you understand any parable?

“Now the parable means ¹  this: The seed is the word of God.

Then ¹  Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” ² 

Then ¹  he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the other trees. ² 

Jesus told them this parable, ¹  but they ²  did not understand ³  what he was saying to them.

Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable.

He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Now ¹  when Jesus ²  had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable.

He then ¹  told them a parable: ²  “The land of a certain rich man produced ³  an abundant crop,

Then ¹  Jesus ²  told them a parable to show them they should always ³  pray and not lose heart. ⁴ 

Jesus ¹  also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down ²  on everyone else.

He presented them with another parable: ¹  “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.

He gave ¹  them another parable: ²  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ³  that a man took and sowed in his field.

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

“Learn ¹  this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?