12/01/2003            
APrayer
of Jesus
I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise
and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will

YOUR QUESTION (No. 32)
Does Jesus, in Mark 4:10-12, appoint certain people to hell?


MY ANSWER

No, Jesus does not appoint anyone to hell; free will is inviolate such that there is no predestination.  But a cursory reading of this text seems to suggest otherwise:

Mark.4
[10] And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.
[11] And he said to them, To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;
[12] so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.

Yes, it seems that Jesus is deliberately speaking in parables to prevent certain parties from understanding, believing, repenting and being forgiven.  This is not the case, and the truth comes to light only when we see the more complete record of this utterance as Matthew has preserved it.  This is a prime example that demonstrates the need of having more than one gospel.  It takes all of them to make the story complete because any one of them is incomplete.  The Truth should quickly come to light when we set the parallel texts of both Matthew and Luke in parallel columns.
Matt.13

[10] Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
[11] And he answered them, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
[12] For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
[13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

[14] With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand,
and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
[15] For this people's heart has grown dull,
and their ears are heavy of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should perceive with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.'
 Mark.4

[10] And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.
[11] And he said to them, To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God,
but for those outside everything is in parables;




[12] so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.

We need to go to Matthew to get the full story.  There, we discover that Jesus is working from Isaiah 6:9-10, and that the subjects are this people, the people of Israel who refuse to see the Light or to hear the Word.  Reading Matthew 19:10-15 should settle this.  Verse 15 tells us that it is directed specifically to this people.  Further, we see that their eyes they have closed.  The Father has not closed their eyes.  It is the people who have closed their eyes of their own free will.  Accepting this characterization of this people Jesus spoke to them in parables knowing that they would not hear.  The parables served as a sort of filter, for some of the people did hear -- his disciples -- of whom he continued to say:

[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
[17] Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Although there were times when his disciples challenged the Lord's confidence in them:
Matt.15
[16] And he said, Are you also still without understanding?
You will observe that these words (Matt. 15:16) were spoken in a similar context, where he has quoted Isaiah 29:13,14.  Yes, if one reads only Mark's version, predestination is suggested.  But when one goes to Matthew and Isaiah, things come to Light.

The word lest in Mark 4:12 is rendered from the Greek mapote, which is difficult to put in our language.  As shown here, lest indicates motive, something that Jesus was doing to keep them from hearing and seeing so that they would turn and be forgiven.  Matthew and Isaiah clarify this point and explain that Jesus spoke to them in parables because "this people" having closed their eyes, would not be able to understand.  It was his way of not casting his pearls before swine.  Matthew 13:12 combined with the Parable of the Pounds (or the talents) provides even more light.
Luke.19
[11] As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
[12] He said therefore, A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return.
[13] Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, `Trade with these till I come.'
[14] But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, `We do not want this man to reign over us.'
[15] When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.
[16] The first came before him, saying, `Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.'
[17] And he said to him, `Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.'
[18] And the second came, saying, `Lord, your pound has made five pounds.'
[19] And he said to him, `And you are to be over five cities.'
[20] Then another came, saying, `Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin;
[21] for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.'
[22] He said to him, `I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?
[23] Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?'
[24] And he said to those who stood by, `Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.'
[25] (And they said to him, `Lord, he has ten pounds!')
[26] `I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
[27] But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.'
It is all about Israel, about a collection of people who had, of their own free will, closed their minds to Truth.  It was for reasons of their own doing that the kingdom was not given to them.