Jesus launches into a focused program of instruction. He teaches the people gathered on the lakeshore in His own particular way. “He spoke to them at length in parables.”
This is an important moment in Jesus’ teaching mission.
Jesus had met with resistance to His teaching from people who had refused to understand what He was saying. So He approaches them in this new way, setting up comparisons between everyday situations and the truths He wanted to convey.
Jesus starts with the parable of the sower, intended to tease and challenge His hearers. He would interpret it in due time for His followers.
Jesus teaches us, too, not always in a straightforward way. We have to be attentive to Him, as His first hearers were.