“He 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…'” (Mark 4:11)
Why did Jesus teach in parables? It almost seems from these verses that he is trying to stop people believing! How is this fair?
However, it is not our Lord’s purpose to prevent people from coming to know him. His opening words in the gospel are: “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15).
However, it is his purpose to expose the state of his hearers’ hearts. In the previous chapter (chapter 3), Jesus has faced opposition from people in a synagogue for healing on the Sabbath, misunderstanding from his family, and accusation from the teachers of the law that he is delivering from demons by the power of Satan. It is at this point that Jesus starts teaching in parables.
Parables distinguish, or differentiate, between those who sought true understanding and those who did not. The parables were given as a judgement on those who refused to hear properly. Those with a heart to hear will come and seek Jesus for more. Hence the call to hear in v9, and Jesus explanation in v11. “The secret of the kingdom is given to you” (“to you” is emphatic in this sentence).
“Secret” (translated “mystery” in Ephesians 6:19) means things which, in the past (that is, in The Old Testament), have not been fully revealed. But now they are revealed or made known through Christ
To those who truly had ears to hear, they would understand the revealed truths about entering into and living in the kingdom of God, but those who did not have ears to hear would not understand.
May we all today have ears to hear (Mark 4:9).
The best is yet to come 