Walking With Christ

(Part 7 of 9)

Mark 4:34  He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.(ESV)

The crowd heard the story.  The disciples got the explanation.

Jesus didn’t always teach everyone at the same depth, in the same setting, or at the same time.

Sometimes the public lesson was enough to make people think.  Sometimes those closest to Him needed more.

So they asked.  And Jesus explained.

That matters because hearing something isn’t the same as understanding it.  A person can sit through a sermon, nod along, and still walk away confused.  Another person may understand the main point but still need help with the details.

Jesus made room for both.  There was public teaching.  There was private explanation.  There were moments when the disciples admitted they didn’t understand.  There were moments when Jesus took them aside and went deeper.

He didn’t assume that one presentation had to be enough for everyone.

Sometimes learning needs another pass.  Sometimes it needs a smaller room.  Sometimes it needs the freedom to ask the question that someone would never ask in front of a crowd.

Jesus didn’t treat those moments as failures of the lesson.  He used them as part of the lesson.

How Jesus taught:  He gave deeper instruction when people needed it.