Norwegian 2018 (Bibelen - Guds Ord Hverdagsbibelen (Hermon Forlag))
Da folket hadde gått, og Jesus var blitt alene, kom de mest trofaste vennene Hans sammen med de tolv disiplene. De spurte om Han kunne forklare historien for dem. Jesus forklarte: «Til dere kan Jeg forklare hvordan Guds rike fungerer, men for at folket skal forstå, må Jeg bruke slike eksempler. For dem er det slik: Når dere hører, skal dere høre, men ikke forstå, og når dere ser, skal dere se, men ikke få innsikt. For dette folket har sløve hjerter De vil ikke se, de vil ikke høre, og de vil ikke forstå med hjertet, for da hadde de måttet la Meg slippe til i livet sitt, så Jeg kunne fått gjøre dem friske.»
What Does This Mean?
In this verse from Mark 4:10, Jesus is alone with his disciples and the twelve apostles, who ask him to explain a parable he had just told. This shows that even close followers needed help understanding some of Jesus' teachings.
Explained for Children
Imagine you're playing hide-and-seek with your friends, and one friend tells a riddle about where they hid. After the game is over, you ask them what the riddle meant because it wasn’t clear to you while you were still looking for them.
Historical Background
The Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark, an associate of Peter, around AD 60-70. The audience includes early Christian communities in Rome and possibly other Gentile (non-Jewish) areas. In this cultural setting, parables were a common teaching method used to make spiritual truths more relatable.
Living It Out Today
Today, we can apply this by recognizing that sometimes even those closest to us or our leaders may need explanations for things they don't understand fully. Just as Jesus took time to explain his teachings, we should also be willing to help others understand complex ideas or beliefs.