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Mark 4:10
ESV And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
NIV When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
NASB As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables.
CSB When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables.
NLT Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.
KJV And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

What does Mark 4:10 mean?

In Mark 4:1–9, Jesus illustrates why people have such different reactions to His message. One real-world demonstration of this came in the incidents described in Mark chapter 3. Here, the twelve core disciples, as well as others, stay with Jesus after His public teaching to learn the deeper spiritual message. Jesus typically speaks to great crowds with parables (Mark 4:34), and the disciples make a habit of asking Him for clarification. Matthew 13:10 says that after the parable of the sower, the disciples specifically ask Jesus why He teaches the crowd in parables. Fittingly, the parable of the sower is the story of how listeners react to the parables Jesus uses. This also explains how people respond to the Word of God, in general. In addition to clarifying the story of the sower, Jesus tells several other parables in Mark 4 to refine their understanding of what He is saying.

A parable is an invitation. It provides a peek at a spiritual truth. For the person intrigued by the story and trusting of the storyteller, it draws them to discover the deeper meaning. It also allows the teacher and students to discuss subtle nuances. Like the disciples, we have to be willing to dive in to the point of view of the storyteller in order to really understand the story.
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