“Jesus used
This parable
With them.
But they did not understand
What he was saying
To them.”
Ταύτην τὴν παροιμίαν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τίνα ἦν ἃ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς.
John uniquely told his audience that Jesus was using this allegorical story about the good shepherd to explain himself. He said that Jesus (ὁ Ἰησοῦς) told them (εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) this parable (Ταύτην τὴν παροιμίαν) about the good shepherd. John explicitly said that Jesus was using a parable. Only John among all the synoptics used this word, παροιμίαν that means a figure of speech, an allegory, or a parable. However, they did not understand what he was saying (τίνα ἦν ἃ ἐλάλει) to them (αὐτοῖς). Once again, there was a lack of understanding. Jesus seemed to be talking to the wind, since no one understood what he was talking about. His listeners were blind to the spiritual message of Jesus. They had this false literal material understanding of his message. Are you sometimes deaf and blind to the message of Jesus?