Circles and younger lords- 4:10-11

v10 oi peri auton – those around him or more permanently, those of his circle (Zerwick and Grosvener) I'm not sure exactly what they mean by more permanently- I suppose can be both- either a gathering that has just come together once or a more permanent arrangement. So this 'circle' with the 12 ask him questions about the parables- when he was alone. I wonder how big this circle was? He chose 12 from a larger group- the larger group perhaps most of these people still. Do they envy the disciples position? Does Jesus know each of there names- I would think he would be better at me at this, and that the larger circle wouldn't be like a rock band with roadies, where the stars have no idea who are in the outer circles. More like in Cornerstone with Laurie- there's a man who is busy and is the leader of this movement but he has time for people and seems excited to be talking to you though you are a pleb- very winsome- I'm sure that was what was operating. I've only known Laurie as an old man- not a contemporary- I wonder how I'd go if Jesus turned up at around 30 now? Younger than me, but the lord of all? I suppose it begins happening more and more as you get older- Not that you end up meeting the lord of all (although in one sense you do), but there are young punks whose understanding or ability is greater than yours- and you can learn from them- and in a sense sit at there feet though they are younger than you. Don't think I necessary find this all that easy.
It's a spinout thinking of Nicodemus being captured by Jesus winsomeness/ character/ intellect- and becoming a follower.
v 11 kai elegen autois, “Ymin to musterion dedotai tes basileias tou Theou ekeinois de tois exw en parabolais to panta gintetai ...
And he said to them, to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God but to those outside everything comes in parables.
So if you're inside the circle you get more of an insight- if you're outside you've got a bit of a smokescreen happening and Jesus (who at times seems to do enigmatic effortlessly) is actually trying to be enigmatic.
And he quotes to them as the reason- something like- so that seeing, they might see and not behold, and hearing they might hear and not understand, lest they turn back and be forgiven.
Surely the 'circle' must have been sitting there scratching there heads. Perhaps even more so evangelical Christians.