Mark 4:12 Cross-References

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge compiled by R.A. Torrey from work by Thomas Scott says the following about Jesus' words:

"The expression appears to be proverbial; and relates to those who might see what they now overlook through inattention and folly."

There does not appear to be anything in the original Greek which indicates that Jesus is actively seeking to blind and deafen his listeners.  Rather, it is a restatement of old testament texts that highlight the Jews' rebellion against their God.

Going Deeper

Check out the following link: http://bible.cc/mark/4-12.htm

I didn't realize that there was a mashup that allowed access to multiple translations and commentaries related to a single verse.  This is a neat tool.

I am especially intrigued by the cross-references.  This is the direction I will attempt next to understand Jesus' words in Mark 4:12.

Do You Not Understand?

In verse 13, Jesus emphasizes that if his disciples can't understand a clear parable like that of the crazy farmer, then they won't be able to understand more challenging stories, either.

This is a simple but important lesson: if you don't understand the basics, then you won't understand more challenging content, either!

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6, especially verses 9-10, do not provide additional insight to interpreting Mark 4.

God appears to be blinding his chosen people from the Truth.

Why would God do this?

Mark 4:11-12

I found that these two verses are largely ignored in most of the public domain commentaries.

One explanation, from the People's New Testament, is that Matthew 13 gives a fuller account of this parable.

This perspective does not entirely satisfy me.

Matthew 13:13-14 references Isaiah 6.

Tomorrow, I will read Isaiah 6 and see if this helps explain Mark 4:11-12 more clearly.

Mystery

On the surface, verses 10-12 seem to be teaching that Jesus is intentionally tricky and vague to prevent the wrong people from understanding his teachings.

That isn't consistent with the teaching that Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:3-4.  God wants everyone to be saved.

I think that this must be a tactical statement of some sort.  Jesus is sharing strategy with his disciples.

You don't give your adversaries too much of your game plan until it suits your purposes.  If God wants as many people as possible to join his family, but some people will use this information to harm the family, then the only responsible thing to do is withhold complete information.

I'm not particularly satisfied with this initial interpretation.  I'd like to explore some commentaries tomorrow to see how other Christians have addressed this passage.

Outline of Mark 4

1. Jesus Tells Four Parables
   
   
   • The Crazy Farmer
     
     
     • Why Jesus uses parables
       
     • Interpretation of the Parable of the Crazy Farmer
       
     
     
   • The Flashlight Under a Box
     
     
     • The way I judge others is the way I will be judged myself
       
     
     
   • The Mysterious Sprouting Seed
     
   • The Tiny Mustard Seed
     
   
   
2. Jesus Calms the Wind and Waves