Mark 4:10-20, The Purpose of the Parables

10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. [The teaching was in public; now the follow up discussion will be in private for the building up of the twelve, who are confused by what they have just heard.] 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret [the mystery] of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,    

and may indeed hear but not understand,

lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

[Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9-10. The more Jesus says, the worse the situation will become for those without spiritual understanding. How do we get spiritual understanding? The how and to whom spiritual insight is given is not part of this passage.]

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? [This parable is a parable of the parables! It lets us know who is going to be able to understand the future parables of Jesus.] 14 The sower sows the word [which is a summary of the message of Jesus]. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. [These people understand nothing.] 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it [but do not understand] with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word [against believers in Jesus], immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. [Perhaps there is partial understanding, but it becomes peripheral as other worldly concerns push the priority of Jesus aside.] 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” [Jesus helps them/us understand the variety of responses to the preaching of the gospel. The fault lies not in the message, but in those who receive it. By telling the parable, Jesus was exemplifying it. Question to ponder: Are people responsible for the condition of their hearts?]