Concluding Words (4:33-34).
Mark concludes this section by pointing out that these parables that he has described were just examples of many parable that Jesus gave, and in fact that to the crowds He did not speak without a parable. However, to His own He explained everything.
Analysis.
a And with many such parables he spoke the word to them.
b As they were able to hear it.
b And he did not speak to them without a parable.
a But privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.
Note that in ‘a' He spoke to the crowds in parables, while in the parallel to His disciples He expounded all things. In ‘b' He spoke as the crowds were able to hear it, and in the parallel this was therefore not in plain speech but in parables.
‘And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. And he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.'
It is clear from these words that Jesus taught many parables of which we have no record. These were but a selection. And it seems from what Mark says here that they were used by Jesus to stir men's interest without intending to enlighten them overmuch unless they responded. He wanted to stir their thoughts and He wanted them to think more deeply and then to come to learn more. In accordance with His own parables He was willing to sow the seed and allow God to work secretly on it. But He did not want to teach too plainly to the crowds for He was deeply aware that such teaching could produce a false reaction and response which would then fade away, and could result in the hardening of hearts.
There is a great deal of difference between an illustration which is accompanied by an explanation, and parables as Jesus used them To the crowds Jesus gave no explanations. They could view His parables as generally indicating the success of God's activities or could select an interpretation that fitted in with their own ideas or could dismiss them without any thought at all. But it was only when hunger was aroused in their hearts that He was ready to speak plainly. To us with our wide background and teaching from childhood their meaning may seem obvious, but they were not so to many in the crowds. And because of our familiarity we have almost lost their impact. So Jesus deliberately went so far and no further. His teaching was deliberately veiled. But He was hoping that as some thought about the significance of His parables they would come to Him, and would ask Him their meaning at a time when their hearts were responsive.
‘As they were able to hear it.' He knew that the majority in the crowds were steeped in the teaching of the Pharisees and in such a state would reinterpret His own teaching in that light. People, even educated people, have an amazing capacity to interpret what they hear in the light of their own background and ideas. Most are lazy thinkers. Many a preacher today is regularly misrepresented by those who hear him. And Jesus knew this. Thus He gave them only such as would stir their appetites and be easily remembered and could only be misrepresented with difficulty. And He gave them no more. He did not want them saying, ‘His teaching is such and such', and by their description giving a totally false impression. What He had brought was incredibly new and He did not want it to be misrepresented and misunderstood. Thus until He felt that men were actually ready for it He restricted Himself to parables.
The only ones to whom He actually spoke plainly were the ones who showed their deeper interest and concern for the truth by following Him. To them He revealed the truth in clear words. ‘To His own disciples He privately explained all things'. And sometimes this meant that some left Him (John 6:66), but at least it meant that they had been given a full opportunity to understand.
‘To His own disciples.' In the light of Mark 4:10 this must mean more than the twelve. Sometimes in Mark ‘the twelve' and ‘the disciples' may be synonymous, but this blurring of the distinction occurs in all the Gospels. We are in fact probably to see a distinction between ‘the twelve', ‘the disciples' (which includes all who follow Him regularly) and ‘the crowd' of believers (Mark 3:32-35).
‘He did not speak to them without a parable.' That does not mean that He only told stories, it means that His message was always veiled. Always He spoke enigmatically. He spoke in mysteries in order to stir the heart and awaken the mind
Exegetical note. It should perhaps be pointed out here that to relate Jesus' words at this stage directly to the church as we think of it is misleading (that is if we think of the church as being something that was over against Israel). Jesus saw Himself as come ‘to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24), that is to those of Israel whose hearts were longing for truth and were thus open to it. At this stage it was establishing the Kingly Rule of God over those of His own people who would respond that was primarily His aim, and this is what He has been speaking of in the parables, although He did know from the Old Testament that this must finally result in its being extended to the whole world (e.g. Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6). Gentile converts would always be welcomed, but at this stage it would be on the right basis, a turning to the true ‘Law of Moses' as revealed in His teaching (e.g. Matthew 5-7), not by their coming as Gentiles as such. He did reach out to the men of Samaria as an exception (John 4), but we must remember that they too followed the Law of Moses. It was only later that He seems to have acknowledged that the intransigence of Israel meant a turning to the Gentiles earlier than He had expected, a change of mind possibly connected with His encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30) which in Matthew especially is a clear turning point. For from then on He preached more in territory that was more closely connected with the Gentiles. Consider the feeding of the five thousand before that incident (five is the number of the covenant), which was on Jewish territory (Mark 6:34-44), and the feeding of the four thousand after that incident (four is the number of the nations, the four ‘corners' of the earth), which appears to have been on Gentile territory (Mark 8:1-10), although we must recognise that large numbers of Jews would also have been there. But even there He was taking of the children's bread and giving it to ‘the dogs' (Mark 7:27-29).
In the same way in Matthew 16:18-19 the ekklesia is the new ‘congregation' of Israel rather than the church as later revealed, although the one melts into the other. And in fact when the Gentiles are welcomed, it is in order to be engrafted into the olive tree (Romans 11:24-32, so that they may become true sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:29) and the new Israel (Galatians 6:15-16; Ephesians 2:11-22). Salvation was thus seen to be for the Israel of God, even if it was a new enlarged Israel. Thus the true church is not to be seen as something over against Israel. In Jesus' eyes it is rather the true Israel, as He makes clear in John 15:1-6.