The Parable of the Sower                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Matt 13:1-9, 18-23                                                                                   

 Jesus had good reasons for teaching by parable. The intensity of the opposition against Him had increased. His enemies were looking for any excuse to condemn His ministry. They were propagandizing against Him and He did not want to feed the propaganda machine. Still, He wanted to speak the truth, even when it was controversial. And, He could not let His enemies get the better of Him when they clashed, any success on their part would have escalated their effort. The parables allowed Jesus to be critical of His enemies without being quotable. He could win arguments with His opponents in front of the crowds without taking positions that they would be able to exploit. His opponents could not twist His words when everyone was still debating what He actually meant by what He said. The parables helped keep Jesus’ enemies at bay. 

Read more here The Parable of the Sower