The disciples ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the Parable of the Sower. Instead of providing an immediate explanation, Jesus first addresses why some people can understand the parables while others cannot.
After presenting the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:3-9Mark 4:3-9 commentary), Mark notes that as soon as Jesus was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables (v 10).
His followers refers to Jesus’s disciples and those who followed Him and His teachings. Mark specifies that the twelve (Jesus’s core twelve disciples, Mark 3:16-19Mark 3:16-19 commentary) were among the followers who were with Him at this time. They began asking Jesus about the parables.
This indicates that Jesus spoke multiple parables and not just one parable. And they were asking Him about more than the one parable Mark just retold.
In Matthew’s gospel, His followers ask Jesus “Why do You speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10Matthew 13:10 commentary). This means they wanted Jesus to explain why He did not teach everyone in a more straightforward fashion.
Matthew’s account provides a more detailed explanation of this discussion, including additional commentary and a lengthy quotation from Isaiah to show his Jewish audience that Jesus’s use of parables fulfilled Jewish prophecy (Matthew 13:10-16Matthew 13:10-16 commentary). For further insight into how Jesus’s parables fulfilled Messianic prophecy, refer to The Bible Says commentary on Matthew 13:10-17Matthew 13:10-17 commentary.
Luke’s gospel records: “His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant” (Luke 8:9Luke 8:9 commentary). This reveals how when Jesus’s followers first heard the Parable of the Sower, they did not fully grasp its meaning. Their lack of understanding led them to ask Jesus for clarification.
Mark’s gospel is more ambiguous about what precisely Hisfollowers were asking Him—only that it was about the parables.
A possible reason why Mark was not precise was because Jesus’s disciples asked both why Jesus spoke in parables (Matthew 13:10Matthew 13:10 commentary) and what this parable meant (Luke 8:9Luke 8:9 commentary) and in keeping with Mark’s style, he was being concise.
Additionally, Mark specifies that these disciples were alone with Jesus when they sought clarification. They did not ask about its meaning in front of the larger crowd.
Before revealing the Parable of the Sower’s meaning (Mark 4:13-20Mark 4:13-20 commentary), Jesus explains that some people will understand His parables, while others will not.
Mark’s account is a much more concise version of what Matthew recorded (Matthew 13:10-17Matthew 13:10-17 commentary). Mark writes:
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables” (v 11).
This statement identifies two distinct groups of people: you and those who are outside.
You refers to Jesus's followers.Those who are outside represent those who do not follow Jesus.
The disciples are part of the group given knowledge, as Jesus’s followers were privileged to understand the mystery of the kingdom. In contrast, those who are outside—everyone who does not follow Jesus—are excluded from grasping the mystery of the kingdom. They are outside its transformational understanding.
The Greek verb translated has been given is expressed in the "passive" voice. This indicates that His followers received the knowledge, rather than having actively achieved or discovered it on their own.
The phrase has been given is expanded in Matthew and Luke’s gospels as “granted to know” (Matthew 13:11Matthew 13:11 commentary, commentaryLuke 4:9Luke 4:9 commentary). In Greek, the tense for this verbal phrase in all three Gospels in the “perfect” tense. The perfect tense describes an action completed in the past but with continuing effects into the present and future.
Therefore, the “passive perfect” use of the word “granted” implies that the ability to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God was bestowed upon Jesus’s followers at some point, and they are now experiencing the lasting benefits of that gift by being able to comprehend Jesus's parables. This contrasts how those who are outside and have not followed Jesus had not been given this capacity.
“Granted to know” (Matthew 13:11Matthew 13:11 commentary, commentaryLuke 4:9Luke 4:9 commentary) uses the Greek word "ginosko," which conveys the idea of having an “experiential” or “personal” familiarity. In this context, it means being personally acquainted with the mystery of the kingdom of God. (More on the mystery of the kingdom and what this means in a moment).
Who or what provided the disciples with the ability to gain this “ginosko” understanding?
The most widely accepted explanation is that it was God who granted the disciples the ability to comprehend the mystery of the kingdom. It is likely that God Himself enlightened their understanding, revealing the truths hidden within the parables.
This divine enlightenment may have taken place when God, in His sovereignty, chose and selected the disciples even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4Ephesians 1:4 commentary). Alternatively, it could have been given at the moment when Jesus called them to follow Him. If this is the case, it suggests that those who did not respond to Jesus’s call did not receive this enlightenment.
Another explanation proposes that the disciples’ hearts were open to Jesus's teachings, which enabled them to understand the meanings behind the parables. Their receptiveness to Jesus and His messages created a fertile ground for comprehension, unlike those with closed minds or antagonistic attitudes who would not have grasped the teachings.
Those who are outside are those who resisted Jesus, or remained unconvinced, and had closed hearts, preventing them from fully understanding His teachings. Their resistance hindered their ability to grasp the depth of Jesus's parables. In contrast, His followers, with their open hearts, were given the ability to understand the mystery of the kingdom within the parables. Their openness was a result of a conscious decision to seek the truth, believing that truth comes from God.
This interpretation, which posits that the ability to understand the mystery of God depends on the choice to seek God’s truth with an open heart, aligns with Jesus’s "Parable of the Sower" that He just taught in Mark 4:1-9Mark 4:1-9 commentary, commentary and will further explain in Mark 4:14-20Mark 4:14-20 commentary.
Both of these interpretations can be valid. The Bible proclaims God’s sovereignty over all things, while also acknowledging the significance of human choices and the consequences that arise from them.
The idea that both interpretations are true may appear paradoxical, as it blends God’s sovereign giving with the disciples’ active choice. From a human perspective, reconciling these two truths can seem beyond comprehension. Similarly, it is challenging for us to understand how God can be both One and Three, how Jesus is fully divine and fully human, or how God, as the "I AM," is the essence of existence while also the creator of everything that exists. The use of the "passive" voice and the "perfect" tense in the concept of being given mirrors this Biblical paradox, where God's sovereignty exists alongside human freedom and the responsibility for their choices.
A second term in this passage warranting exploration is the mystery of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a central theme in Jesus's ministry.
The Jewish equivalent of this phrase is "kingdom of heaven." The terms kingdom of God and "kingdom of heaven" essentially refer to the same prophetic reality, but with different cultural connotations. To learn more about the similarity and difference between these two terms: see The Bible Says article: “The Kingdom of Heaven vs. the Kingdom of God”.
When a Jew thought of the kingdom, they likely envisioned the Messianic kingdom. As the promised Messiah from the lineage of David, Jesus held the role of King. His teachings consistently focused on the kingdom of heaven, whether through preaching (Matthew 4:17Matthew 4:17 commentary), teaching (Matthew 5-7Matthew 5-7 commentary), or sharing parables (Matthew 13Matthew 13 commentary).
The Greek word for mystery is “mysterion,” which refers to something hidden or secret, often of a divine nature. For those who did not follow Jesus, the kingdom of heaven was mysterious, and its ways remained secret and unknown. However, to the disciples who followed Jesus, the ways of the kingdom of heaven were made known. When the disciples heard the parables, they were granted understanding about the kingdom. In contrast, those who did not follow Jesus were not given the same level of understanding. For them, His parables, like the kingdom, were unknown mysteries.
It is important to remember that the kingdomof God has multiple dimensions. As an eternal reality, it is both present and future. It is not of this world, yet it will one day be fully realized on this world. Jesus's followers can enter into it in this life, and those who are faithful will reign in it when it is fully established. The mysteryof the kingdom is both eternally present and eternally future, with its secrets and ways being both spiritual and literal in nature.
Jesus continued to respond to His followers’ questions by contrasting how they had been giventhe mystery of the kingdom of God while the rest of His audience do not follow Him and, therefore, are not given this “ginosko” understanding.
In essence, those with receptive hearts are given deeper understanding. As their comprehension grows, so does their ability to grasp even more, leading them to abound in wisdom. On the other hand, the opposite is true for those who do not follow Jesus.
Jesus references Isaiah 6:9-10Isaiah 6:9-10 commentary when He speaks of those who are outside receiving his teaching in parables, “so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven” (v 12).
Isaiah and Jesus both mean that those who lack openness to understanding not only remain deprived of enlightenment but also risk losing and distorting whatever limited insight they initially had.
Despite seeing miracles that testified to Jesus as the Messiah, they did not recognize the signs. Despite hearingparables explaining the kingdom of God, they remained deaf to its core truths and unaware of its mystery. Because their eyes and ears do not see and hear, their minds became confused, and as a result, their hearts did not repent, which would have been the proper response. If those who are outside were granted the ability to see and hear, they might return and be forgiven.
At the core is the heart. God has designed His kingdom in such a way that human hearts tend to discover what they earnestly seek (Jeremiah 29:13Jeremiah 29:13 commentary; Matthew 6:19-21Matthew 6:19-21 commentary, 6:326:32 commentary; Titus 1:15Titus 1:15 commentary). Therefore, guarding our hearts becomes crucial (Proverbs 4:23Proverbs 4:23 commentary). It is not only about understanding; rather, it is a heart that is reverent toward the LORD, desiring to please Him, that leads one into the kingdom of God:
"Make your ear attentive to wisdom; Incline your heart to understanding. For if you cry out for insight, And raise your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:2-6Proverbs 2:2-6 commentary)
As we shall see in the next section as Jesus explains this parable (Mark 4:13-20Mark 4:13-20 commentary), that this is what the Parable of the Sower is about. It is essentially a parable about how to understand Jesus, His teachings, and therefore enter into thekingdom and its wonderful mystery.
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Mark 4:10-12 meaning
The parallel Gospel accounts for Mark 4:10-12Mark 4:10-12 commentary are Matthew 13:10-13Matthew 13:10-13 commentary and commentary Luke 8:9-10Luke 8:9-10 commentary.
After presenting the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:3-9Mark 4:3-9 commentary), Mark notes that as soon as Jesus was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables (v 10).
His followers refers to Jesus’s disciples and those who followed Him and His teachings. Mark specifies that the twelve (Jesus’s core twelve disciples, Mark 3:16-19Mark 3:16-19 commentary) were among the followers who were with Him at this time. They began asking Jesus about the parables.
This indicates that Jesus spoke multiple parables and not just one parable. And they were asking Him about more than the one parable Mark just retold.
In Matthew’s gospel, His followers ask Jesus “Why do You speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10Matthew 13:10 commentary). This means they wanted Jesus to explain why He did not teach everyone in a more straightforward fashion.
Matthew’s account provides a more detailed explanation of this discussion, including additional commentary and a lengthy quotation from Isaiah to show his Jewish audience that Jesus’s use of parables fulfilled Jewish prophecy (Matthew 13:10-16Matthew 13:10-16 commentary). For further insight into how Jesus’s parables fulfilled Messianic prophecy, refer to The Bible Says commentary on Matthew 13:10-17Matthew 13:10-17 commentary.
Luke’s gospel records: “His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant” (Luke 8:9Luke 8:9 commentary). This reveals how when Jesus’s followers first heard the Parable of the Sower, they did not fully grasp its meaning. Their lack of understanding led them to ask Jesus for clarification.
Mark’s gospel is more ambiguous about what precisely His followers were asking Him—only that it was about the parables.
A possible reason why Mark was not precise was because Jesus’s disciples asked both why Jesus spoke in parables (Matthew 13:10Matthew 13:10 commentary) and what this parable meant (Luke 8:9Luke 8:9 commentary) and in keeping with Mark’s style, he was being concise.
Additionally, Mark specifies that these disciples were alone with Jesus when they sought clarification. They did not ask about its meaning in front of the larger crowd.
Before revealing the Parable of the Sower’s meaning (Mark 4:13-20Mark 4:13-20 commentary), Jesus explains that some people will understand His parables, while others will not.
Mark’s account is a much more concise version of what Matthew recorded (Matthew 13:10-17Matthew 13:10-17 commentary). Mark writes:
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables” (v 11).
This statement identifies two distinct groups of people: you and those who are outside.
You refers to Jesus's followers. Those who are outside represent those who do not follow Jesus.
The disciples are part of the group given knowledge, as Jesus’s followers were privileged to understand the mystery of the kingdom. In contrast, those who are outside—everyone who does not follow Jesus—are excluded from grasping the mystery of the kingdom. They are outside its transformational understanding.
The Greek verb translated has been given is expressed in the "passive" voice. This indicates that His followers received the knowledge, rather than having actively achieved or discovered it on their own.
The phrase has been given is expanded in Matthew and Luke’s gospels as “granted to know” (Matthew 13:11Matthew 13:11 commentary, commentary Luke 4:9Luke 4:9 commentary). In Greek, the tense for this verbal phrase in all three Gospels in the “perfect” tense. The perfect tense describes an action completed in the past but with continuing effects into the present and future.
Therefore, the “passive perfect” use of the word “granted” implies that the ability to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God was bestowed upon Jesus’s followers at some point, and they are now experiencing the lasting benefits of that gift by being able to comprehend Jesus's parables. This contrasts how those who are outside and have not followed Jesus had not been given this capacity.
“Granted to know” (Matthew 13:11Matthew 13:11 commentary, commentary Luke 4:9Luke 4:9 commentary) uses the Greek word "ginosko," which conveys the idea of having an “experiential” or “personal” familiarity. In this context, it means being personally acquainted with the mystery of the kingdom of God. (More on the mystery of the kingdom and what this means in a moment).
Who or what provided the disciples with the ability to gain this “ginosko” understanding?
The most widely accepted explanation is that it was God who granted the disciples the ability to comprehend the mystery of the kingdom. It is likely that God Himself enlightened their understanding, revealing the truths hidden within the parables.
This divine enlightenment may have taken place when God, in His sovereignty, chose and selected the disciples even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4Ephesians 1:4 commentary). Alternatively, it could have been given at the moment when Jesus called them to follow Him. If this is the case, it suggests that those who did not respond to Jesus’s call did not receive this enlightenment.
Another explanation proposes that the disciples’ hearts were open to Jesus's teachings, which enabled them to understand the meanings behind the parables. Their receptiveness to Jesus and His messages created a fertile ground for comprehension, unlike those with closed minds or antagonistic attitudes who would not have grasped the teachings.
Those who are outside are those who resisted Jesus, or remained unconvinced, and had closed hearts, preventing them from fully understanding His teachings. Their resistance hindered their ability to grasp the depth of Jesus's parables. In contrast, His followers, with their open hearts, were given the ability to understand the mystery of the kingdom within the parables. Their openness was a result of a conscious decision to seek the truth, believing that truth comes from God.
This interpretation, which posits that the ability to understand the mystery of God depends on the choice to seek God’s truth with an open heart, aligns with Jesus’s "Parable of the Sower" that He just taught in Mark 4:1-9Mark 4:1-9 commentary, commentary and will further explain in Mark 4:14-20Mark 4:14-20 commentary.
Both of these interpretations can be valid. The Bible proclaims God’s sovereignty over all things, while also acknowledging the significance of human choices and the consequences that arise from them.
The idea that both interpretations are true may appear paradoxical, as it blends God’s sovereign giving with the disciples’ active choice. From a human perspective, reconciling these two truths can seem beyond comprehension. Similarly, it is challenging for us to understand how God can be both One and Three, how Jesus is fully divine and fully human, or how God, as the "I AM," is the essence of existence while also the creator of everything that exists. The use of the "passive" voice and the "perfect" tense in the concept of being given mirrors this Biblical paradox, where God's sovereignty exists alongside human freedom and the responsibility for their choices.
A second term in this passage warranting exploration is the mystery of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a central theme in Jesus's ministry.
The Jewish equivalent of this phrase is "kingdom of heaven." The terms kingdom of God and "kingdom of heaven" essentially refer to the same prophetic reality, but with different cultural connotations. To learn more about the similarity and difference between these two terms: see The Bible Says article: “The Kingdom of Heaven vs. the Kingdom of God”.
When a Jew thought of the kingdom, they likely envisioned the Messianic kingdom. As the promised Messiah from the lineage of David, Jesus held the role of King. His teachings consistently focused on the kingdom of heaven, whether through preaching (Matthew 4:17Matthew 4:17 commentary), teaching (Matthew 5-7Matthew 5-7 commentary), or sharing parables (Matthew 13Matthew 13 commentary).
The Greek word for mystery is “mysterion,” which refers to something hidden or secret, often of a divine nature. For those who did not follow Jesus, the kingdom of heaven was mysterious, and its ways remained secret and unknown. However, to the disciples who followed Jesus, the ways of the kingdom of heaven were made known. When the disciples heard the parables, they were granted understanding about the kingdom. In contrast, those who did not follow Jesus were not given the same level of understanding. For them, His parables, like the kingdom, were unknown mysteries.
It is important to remember that the kingdom of God has multiple dimensions. As an eternal reality, it is both present and future. It is not of this world, yet it will one day be fully realized on this world. Jesus's followers can enter into it in this life, and those who are faithful will reign in it when it is fully established. The mystery of the kingdom is both eternally present and eternally future, with its secrets and ways being both spiritual and literal in nature.
Jesus continued to respond to His followers’ questions by contrasting how they had been given the mystery of the kingdom of God while the rest of His audience do not follow Him and, therefore, are not given this “ginosko” understanding.
In essence, those with receptive hearts are given deeper understanding. As their comprehension grows, so does their ability to grasp even more, leading them to abound in wisdom. On the other hand, the opposite is true for those who do not follow Jesus.
Jesus references Isaiah 6:9-10Isaiah 6:9-10 commentary when He speaks of those who are outside receiving his teaching in parables, “so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven” (v 12).
Isaiah and Jesus both mean that those who lack openness to understanding not only remain deprived of enlightenment but also risk losing and distorting whatever limited insight they initially had.
Despite seeing miracles that testified to Jesus as the Messiah, they did not recognize the signs. Despite hearing parables explaining the kingdom of God, they remained deaf to its core truths and unaware of its mystery. Because their eyes and ears do not see and hear, their minds became confused, and as a result, their hearts did not repent, which would have been the proper response. If those who are outside were granted the ability to see and hear, they might return and be forgiven.
At the core is the heart. God has designed His kingdom in such a way that human hearts tend to discover what they earnestly seek (Jeremiah 29:13Jeremiah 29:13 commentary; Matthew 6:19-21Matthew 6:19-21 commentary, 6:326:32 commentary; Titus 1:15Titus 1:15 commentary). Therefore, guarding our hearts becomes crucial (Proverbs 4:23Proverbs 4:23 commentary). It is not only about understanding; rather, it is a heart that is reverent toward the LORD, desiring to please Him, that leads one into the kingdom of God:
"Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
For if you cry out for insight,
And raise your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
(Proverbs 2:2-6Proverbs 2:2-6 commentary)
As we shall see in the next section as Jesus explains this parable (Mark 4:13-20Mark 4:13-20 commentary), that this is what the Parable of the Sower is about. It is essentially a parable about how to understand Jesus, His teachings, and therefore enter into the kingdom and its wonderful mystery.