Mark 4:34

I'm quietly participating in the Read The New Testament In A Year program at my church, even though I'm not attending the sessions because of school commitments take up my time.  Each day of the work week (Monday through Friday), we read one chapter. Today's reading was from Mark 4.

Jesus was at the river talking to the crowd of people, speaking in parables to them.  This sermon includes the parable of the sower and the seed.

Mark 4:34 

He did not say anything to [the crowd at the river] without using a parable.  But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

A question came to my mind.

Why would Jesus not go ahead and explain the parables to the crowd?

Here are some of the solutions I came up with.

1. Jesus knew his 12 disciples well, and he knew they were the chosen ones to spread his good news, and everyone else was somehow not ready to receive it.
• I think number one is the best possibility.  Here's why.  Jesus wanted only those who were his true followers to know what his teachings.  We too can know these things if we ask God to help us understand them.  
2. Jesus was not ready to reveal his good news to the regular everyday people quite yet, but when the time came he would.
• I think Jesus knew that anyone who wanted to know what he meant was able to walk up to him and ask.  
3. Jesus knew the crowd of people wouldn't listen to him anyway.
• I'm stuck on number 3.  Jesus knew that he would have to die to save humans from sin.  He knew it would be humans who would put him to death, so why waste his time on trying to teach the very same people he knew would put him to death?  
4. The crowd was smart enough to figure the parables out, but his disciples weren't.
5. The disciples were smart enough to figure the parables out, but the crowd wasn't
• Jesus knew his disciples were to continue teaching about the kingdom of heaven, and he wanted his disciples, and only his disciples, to know about his Divine Word. 
6. Jesus didn't care about the crowd.

Of course, you are all probably thinking the very last one is blasphemous.  It is.  I agree with you.

I recall somewhere that when Jesus was speaking about the kingdom of heaven, he spoke in parables.  When he was talking about other subjects, he did not use parables.