Jesus had many people following him, interested and curious about Him and His teachings. They had never before heard such teaching, and with such authority, Mark 1:27.
Crowds and crowds and crowds of people followed Him, people came from everywhere, Mark 1:45. They were hungry and thirsty for what was real and authentic and life-giving, Jesus!
As He started teaching them in parables, much of the mystery of the truth of God’s Kingdom was hidden within the stories of the parables. The truths were not easily grasped or understood by the crowds.
It was to His disciples, not the crowds, that Jesus began to unpack and explain all the mysteries and all the truths of the kingdom.
Mark 4:33,34 in the Amplified Bible puts it this way:
With many such parables Jesus spoke the Word to them (the crowds), as they were able to hear and to comprehend and understand. He did not tell them anything without a parable. Jesus had to pace Himself because of their limited understanding and complacent unwillingness to seek Him further; to grasp further truth. The crowds wanted to be wowed by his miracles and entertained by His amazing preaching.
…but privately to His disciples, those who were peculiarly His own, He explained everything fully.
Peculiarly His Own! His disciples were peculiarly His own.
Peculiarly means, unusually distinct from all others. Belonging distinctively or primarily to one person (Jesus). A special and unique belonging. Becoming the personal property of Jesus. His exclusive ownership of a person. Peculiarly His own, are people who are willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. He is first and foremost in their life.
While there were crowds and crowds and crowds of people following Jesus, and they received the life and teachings of Jesus, only those that really drew close to Him, giving themselves fully to Him, obeying Him, did He give all the wisdom, understanding, comprehensive insight into spiritual matters, and the mysteries and truths of the kingdom. (You should read this paragraph again.)
Why? Because they drew a line in the sand that said, I am fully and completely with Him. No turning back. No looking sideways. No compromising. No diluted lifestyle. No double standards. No two-faced life. No watering down God’s Word. No excuses. No one-foot-in-the-world, one-foot-in-the-kingdom. No settling for what is comfortable. I am completely, fully, 1000% Jesus’. My life is fully surrendered and given to serve Him, no matter the cost.
Jesus makes Himself fully known to those who draw close to Him and give themselves fully to Him. Marking them with the distinction of calling them peculiarly His own.
Anyone can live this way, you just have to choose Jesus over everyone else and everything else…
