What is the context?
Mark summarizes the teaching just described. Jesus speaks the word through many parables, to the extent His hearers can understand, and explains them privately to His disciples. The public stories and the private explanations belong together.
This brings us back to the question in verses 10–12. The disciples need Jesus' help to understand; they are learners receiving instruction. The summary describes His teaching in this setting and prepares for the new scene that evening, when they cross the sea.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Christian readings commonly distinguish the crowd's hearing of the stories from the fuller explanation Jesus gives His disciples. Wesley's note on Mark 4:33 emphasizes teaching suited to hearers' capacity, while Calvin on the parallel Matthew 13:34 emphasizes knowledge Jesus develops privately before its fuller public disclosure.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
Matthew 13:34–35 explicitly connects Jesus' parable teaching with Psalm 78:1–8. The psalm opens by calling God's people to listen, then tells of making His works known to the next generation so they will trust Him and keep His commands.
That connection places Jesus' teaching within God's continuing work of making Himself known. The disciples' understanding is meant to become more than a private advantage: the truth they receive prepares them to teach others. The concern is a people who remember God's works and respond faithfully to Him.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.