With
many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Mark 4:33-34
Mark 4 [30.] He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”
Mark 4 [33.] With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Mark 4 [35.] On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
Meaning:
These two verses close Mark's collection of Jesus' parables in chapter 4. They are a summary rather than a story, but they tell us a great deal about how Jesus taught. He spoke the word through many parables, adapting his teaching to what his hearers could take in, and he gave his own disciples private explanations of everything. The verses look back over the whole chapter and invite us to consider how we receive the word ourselves.
- "With Many Such Parables"
Mark has recorded only a few parables: the farmer, the lamp, the measure, the growing seed and the mustard seed. He tells us that these are examples of "many such parables". Matthew's Gospel gathers several more from the same occasion. Parables were a familiar way of teaching in Israel; the Old Testament contains parables, riddles and wise sayings, and the psalmist writes, "I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old" (Psalm 78:2).
Jesus' parables drew on the everyday life of Galilee: sowing, harvesting, lamps, measuring baskets, seeds and birds. In a culture where most learning was passed on by word of mouth, such vivid stories were easy to remember and to repeat. A farmer walking his field or a woman lighting her lamp would be reminded of what Jesus had said.
- "As They Were Able to Hear It"
This phrase shows the patience and wisdom of Jesus as a teacher. He did not overwhelm his listeners with more than they could understand at once. Like a parent feeding a child, he gave them what they were ready to receive. Paul later wrote to the Corinthians, "I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready" (1 Corinthians 3:2), and Hebrews describes believers growing from milk to solid food as their senses are trained by practice (Hebrews 5:12-14).
Yet the phrase also carries a warning. People were able to hear only as much as their hearts allowed. Jesus had already said, "Take heed what you hear" (Mark 4:24-25). The parables met people where they were, and their response determined whether they would receive more.
- "Without a Parable He Didn’t Speak to Them"
During this stage of his public ministry Jesus taught the crowds only in parables. As he had explained, the parables reveal the mystery of God's Kingdom to those who come close and ask, while to those "outside" they remain riddles (Mark 4:11; Mark 4:12). The parables were both a gift and a test: they offered truth in a form that rewarded seeking hearts and exposed indifferent ones. As Paul writes, "the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:14).
- "Privately He Explained Everything"
The disciples enjoyed a remarkable privilege. Away from the crowds, in a house or in the boat, Jesus opened the meaning of his teaching to them. They were not more deserving than others, but they had left everything to follow him and they kept asking. The same pattern continued after Jesus ascended. He promised that the Holy Spirit would "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13), so that believers in every generation might understand his word.
The Significance of Mark 4:33-34
- Learning from Jesus the Teacher
Those who teach the Bible, whether to children, new believers or congregations, can learn from Jesus' example. Good teaching uses clear, memorable pictures, takes account of what hearers are able to receive, and builds understanding step by step. It also makes room for questions and personal explanation.
- Seeking Time Alone with Jesus
The disciples received understanding in private time with their Lord. Today we draw near to him through prayer and Scripture. Paul prayed that God would give believers "a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him" with "the eyes of your hearts enlightened" (Ephesians 1:17-18). When we come to Jesus with our questions, he still delights to explain his word.
Cross-References:
Psalm 78:2: "I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old" Jesus’ parables stand in the tradition of Israel’s wise and prophetic teaching.
1 Corinthians 3:2: "I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready." Like Jesus, Paul taught believers as they were able to receive.
Hebrews 5:14: "But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil." Spiritual understanding grows as believers use what they have learned.
John 16:13: "However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth" The private teaching of Jesus continues through the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: Mark 4:33-34 shows Jesus as a patient and wise teacher who spoke the word in parables suited to his hearers and explained everything to those who followed him closely. The same Lord still teaches through his word and Spirit. Let us come to him as eager disciples, receive what we are able to hear, and keep asking, so that we may grow in understanding and share his word wisely with others.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible