How to interpret Mark 4:9-12?

[Lief_Erikson]

On the surface, these verses might appear to imply that Jesus spoke in parables to avoid having to forgive people. The verses can be read in such a way that Jesus spoke in parables because He wants people to be more ignorant so that they would come under judgment rather than God’s Mercy.

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the correct interpretation, though. Would anyone like to have a go at explaining these verses for my brother and myself?

Mark 4:9-12

9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

 

[twinc]

On the surface, these verses might appear to imply that Jesus spoke in parables to avoid having to forgive people. The verses can be read in such a way that Jesus spoke in parables because He wants people to be more ignorant so that they would come under judgment rather than God’s Mercy.

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the correct interpretation, though. Would anyone like to have a go at explaining these verses for my brother and myself?

Mark 4:9-12

9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

so if we look around and check it out this has come to pass and is exactly as foretold and will continue to be it seems until the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord - this will be as the result of a dynamic event probably Jesus appearing in the glory of God on His secong coming - we have the secret of the kingdom and accept it as such but there are millions of others of other faiths especially jews and muslims that have heard or read or been told about Christ and Christianity and have not understood or turned and accepted and so their original sin and sins have not been forgiven them imho as I see and understand this - twinc

 

[colmcille1]

On the surface, these verses might appear to imply that Jesus spoke in parables to avoid having to forgive people. The verses can be read in such a way that Jesus spoke in parables because He wants people to be more ignorant so that they would come under judgment rather than God’s Mercy.

I’m pretty sure this isn’t the correct interpretation, though. Would anyone like to have a go at explaining these verses for my brother and myself?

Mark 4:9-12

9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

Hi Leif Erikson,
Thank you for your interesting post. In my Douay-Rheims Bible, verse 12 contains the part sentence:’ …lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.’
For me I take this to mean that Jesus wants those of us without faith to meet him halfway, as it were, by reflecting upon said parables and applying them to our daily lives.
Conversion needs to be an active rather than a passive dynamic.

I have bookmarked your theology page and am looking forward to reading it!

God Bless,
Colmcille1.

 

[JTJohnson]

The apostles already understood the teachings of Jesus but the rest of the people did not:

11] And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all things are done in parables

I think the people of that time understood stories/parables better than the spoken word. These people were probably not educated and also did not know much of the teachings of Christ so to get their attention about his teachings he had to tell them in parables that they could understand.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I have heard it suggested, and it seems reasonable, that He didn’t want the people to think they had the whole story. This way they had to come to the apostles for the explanation and, in the process, got the full teaching.

Maybe He thought Sola Scriptura wouldn’t work.

 

[rcjones]

Had the people started repenting in front of Jesus, he would forgive them, and it would have added to the temptation not to face the cross. It was always before his face to have another way for us to be saved than for him to be made sin for us. “Remove this cup” was his heart’s desire and to have nations repent prior to the cross would fuel his flesh to resist the cross.

The same thing is taught when Adam is denied eating of the tree of life. Forgiveness or Eternal Life destroys the Holiness of God without the cross.