Matthew 13  Jesus teaches using parables,  comparative stories, to talk about the kingdom of heaven. He addresses the multitudes, but distinguishes between those who have been granted the privilege of knowing the mysteries of the the kingdom, and those who have not. It all depends on whether or not one has "ears to hear".   Jesus uses a passage from Isaiah to help explain this.
Some people hear without understanding.
They see, but don't perceive.
For.... their hearts are dull. Their ears are closed. They close their eyes. They don't want what God has to offer.  They refuse His gift of grace. They reject His healing.
Eyes that see and ears that hear are a  blessing, our Lord says, a blessing that many others long desired. A blessing that we must seek.

The first parable recorded here is the story of the sower.  The seed, we are told is the "word of the kingdom"  The same seed is sown in the 4 places, the same Word is spoken to 4 kinds of hearts.
Seed that lands on the path is eaten up by the birds.
Seed that lands on the rocky places grows but withers quickly.
Seed that lands on the thorny ground grows but gets choked out.
Seed that lands on good soil yields a crop.
The Word that is heard but not understood is snatched away by the evil one.
The Word that is heard and received but not rooted in the heart is quickly withered by any affliction.
The Word that is heard and received but not nurtured, is choked out by worries and riches.
The Word that is heard, understood, and taken care of, will bear fruit!

Was Paul thinking of this when he wrote Romans 10:17 " So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ."  To be saved, Paul tells us, we must:
Call on the Name of the Lord.
To call on Him, we must believe in Him.
To believe in Him, we must hear about Him.
To hear about Him, we must have someone tell us!
 He goes on to say that  the Word has gone out, even to "the ends of the world". ( v18).  Not only to Israel, but to the Gentiles also.  It has gone out to anyone who is willing to open their ears and their eyes.. and their hearts to receive the Word, to allow it to be rooted in their hearts, to nurture it, and guard it.  To desire it like a treasure found in a field, like a pearl of great price. 

It is not enough to just hear the Word of God, of His Kingdom,  we must really HEAR it!  We must choose to take it into our hearts. To believe the Word. To call on Jesus.  To "confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,"  to be saved.  This is not a one time occurrence .  It is a constant abiding. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you..."  ( John15)  He is the Vine, we the branches.  The Word that is planted in our hearts must take root there, they must be cared for there.  They must abide there.

Heavenly Father, You are the giver of the Word.  John said that, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  This is the Word that we must receive into our hearts.  O that we would have opened ears to hear and eyes to see, that we would receive and understand.  That we would believe and know the mysteries of Your Kingdom fully!   We choose to abide in You and in Your Word, and we ask that You would open the eyes and hearts of our loved ones that they also will receive the True Word with faith, that they would be saved.  That they would constantly abide in Your Word, in Christ our Lord.  Father, will You give us hearts that are filled with the abundance of fruit, from Your Word, planted and flourishing in our lives, so that we will be that someone who will tell others about Jesus?  So that they can hear, believe, call on Your Name , and be saved too. we ask this in the Name of Jesus, our Savior.  Thank You.  Amen.