Mark Said Jesus' Parables Mystified Outsiders
Following Jesus' parable about the sower of
seeds, Mark has Jesus tell his disciples that he wants to make sure only
his followers hear the truth and understand the mysteries, while the
Gentiles remain in the dark. Mark then tells us that Jesus, when he is
alone with his disciples and out of the earshot of unworthy Gentiles,
speaks to his disciples directly and without the need for parables. Here
is Mark's story:
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered
unto him a great multitude.....And he taught them many things by
parables....And when he was alone, they that were about him with the
twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them... Unto you
[his disciples] it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God:
but unto them that are without, all these things are done in
parables: [in order] that... they...not perceive...and not understand;
lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them.....But without a parable spake he not unto [his
disciples]: and when they were alone, he expounded ALL THINGS
(emphasis by editor) to his disciples. (Mark
4:1-34)
Thus, Mark tells us that Jesus, without speaking in parables,
"expounded all things to his disciples". Since Jesus did not
want those outside his group of followers to know the mysteries of God,
he spoke to them in parables in order that they would not learn that
which is necessary to be saved. Mark's view receives support from
Paul in a letter he he wrote to church members in Corinth, Greece, a
city he chose for evangelizing: "But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them." (2
Corinthians 4:3-4) Thus, Paul is
telling the reader that God gives up on those who he believes are lost
and hides from them the light of his son's glorious gospel.
Matthew: Parables Hid God's Message from the Gentiles
The same day went Jesus out of the house,
and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathering together
unto him.....And he spake many things unto them in parables saying,
Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell
by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell
upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they
sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was
up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered
away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and
choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit,
some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to
hear, let him hear.
....And the disciples came, and said unto
him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said
unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to
him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever
hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore
speak I to them in parables: because [in this way] they...see not...
and hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew
13:1-13)
Matthew cites scripture to justify his
having Jesus hide God's message from the Gentiles: "And in
them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye
shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall
not perceive." (Matthew
13:14) The scripture to which Matthew refers is the one in
which the command is given to "shut the eyes" of the Gentiles:
"And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but
understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of
this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest
they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and convert, and be healed." (Isaiah
6:9-11)
This is not the only time Matthew
demonstrates his belief that God's message of salvation was not to be
wasted on Gentiles. Matthew has Jesus give his famous speech urging his
followers to ignore them: "Go not into
the way of the Gentiles....but go rather to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel....I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. (Matthew
10:7, Matthew
15:24)
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