Insiders and Outsiders
In Mk. 4.10-12, we read that "the mystery (secret) of the kingdom of God," is given to a group of insiders, but to outsiders, everything comes in parables. The mystery is given not just to the twelve, then, but to others, as well. There is an inner circle of those who "get it."
Mk doesn't tell us clearly what the mystery of the kingdom of God is. Some people think that the Parable of the Sower (which directly precedes v. 10) reveals the mystery of the kingdom of God, and this seems to be the best explanation. Others think that Jesus' status as the Son of God is the mystery.
Oddly, the members of this inner group seem not to understand the parable. Jesus says in v. 13, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?" So he explains the parable to them. Those around him along with the twelve are the recipients of private teaching, and so we may still think of them, at this point, as insiders.
In Mk's gospel, some people are insiders, while others are outsiders. In other words, some people "get it," and respond in faith (the insiders), while others respond in fear and rejection (the outsiders).
Let's think of this in the terms related by the Parable of the Sower and its explanation (4.3-8 and 4.14-20):
4.4 - Some seed falls on path and is eaten by birds.
Parable
Explanation
4.15 - "These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them."
4.5-6 - "Other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away."
4.16-17 - "And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away."
4.7 - "Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain."
4.18-19 - "And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing."
4.8- "Other seed fell into the good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
4.20 - "And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
Various characters in the gospel appear to fit into the various categories of the parable. For example, the opponents of Jesus, the scribes and the Pharisees, seem to fall into the first category. The rich man (10.17-22) might fall into the third category.
Moreover, the reception of the message by some and its rejection by others seems to be a part of the divine plan. In 4.11-12, we read that "to those outside, everything comes in parables in order that they may indeed look but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven. The Greek word here is hina. It really does mean, "so that" or "in order that." For Mk, some people are destined to be outsiders, and they are represented by the various kinds of unproductive soil.
Mt has softened this passage and has changed its meaning. In Mt. 13.13, rather than hina, we get a different word, hoti - which means "because" or "that." The RSV translation of this passage better reflects the differences between the two evangelists. It reads, "This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see…" In other words, speaking in parables is the result of their not seeing.
What does Mark mean by this? It's interesting to note that, up to this point, those around Jesus and the disciples seem to have received basically the same teaching as everyone else. It makse sense to think of the mystery as having been given in the Parable of the Sower, since it directly precedes Jesus statement regarding the mystery. Even though three-fourths of the seed falls on bad soil, the word does bear fruit in some people. The kingdom of God is not failing, despite evidence to the contrary. Remember: Mk was probably written for people who experienced rejection and possibly persecution for their faith.
So to those around him with the disciples the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given in a parable. Everyone else heard the parable, too. In other words, everyone has been taught in parables. The difference is that some people will understand and respond in faith, and others will not understand, and will respond with rejection and fear. Joel Marcus has stated, "[T]he difference between the two groups is not that one gets parables while the other does not but that one gets parables in order to understand them whereas the other gets parables in order that they may be hardened in disbelief" (303).
In Mk, faith, the proper response to Jesus' message comes as a gift from God. Some people have faith, while others respond in fear and have hardened hearts.
Sources:
Marcus, Joel.
Mark 1-8.
Anchor Bible 27.
New York: Doubleday, 1999.
Tolbert, Mary Ann.
Sowing the Gospel: Mark's World in Literary-Historical Perspective.
Minneapolis: Fortress, 1989.
