Nope, he spoke in parables to the whole crowd (verses 1-9).
while those who were hard hearted, indifferent, or let other cares overtake their earlier acceptance would lose even those few seeds that fell upon their ground.
But the Bible tells us that hardening of the heart is God's doing. So, if their hearts were hardened it wasn't their will but God's will.
Gnostic? Naw, Jesus explained his illustration in vss. 18-23. It really isn't all that difficult.
Exactly, Gnostic. He reveals the mystery of the parable to a select few. Doesn't get much more Gnostic than that.
Jesus tells us why He spoke in parables -- so that those whom God had been given ears to hear and eyes to see would be able to understand Him. And those whom God had not given ears to hear nor eyes to see would remain in the darkness of their own vanity.
"And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." -- Luke 8:10
"And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables" -- Mark 4:11
If Christ had intended to save everyone instead of just His sheep, He could have given everyone an equal chance to hear Him, understand Him and obey Him.
But He didn't.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." -- John 10:26-28"But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
What is the greater miracle? That God has determined to save you specifically and particularly and personally by the sacrifice of His Son, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, no matter what, or Christ merely offers you a chance to spend eternity with Him but you must use your own facilities to decide your salvation?
Where's the free, unmerited gift in that? That is debt, not mercy.
“Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”
and Jesus then explains.
“Exactly, Gnostic. He reveals the mystery of the parable to a select few. Doesn't get much more Gnostic than that.”
Hardly. In chapter 10 he had already told the disciples to preach from the house tops what he had told them in secret and at the end of Matthew he commands them to go with the message to the whole world. Within a few years Matthew records Jesus words for anyone to read. Gnostism? Nope.
“But the Bible tells us that hardening of the heart is God's doing. So, if their hearts were hardened it wasn't their will but God's will.”
Where is that stated? If you are referring to John 12:40 wherein Isaiah 6:10 is quoted, in both cases it is the REACTION of people to Jesus’ performance of miracles and Isaiah's preaching that constituted the hardheartedness.
So it is said, God did it though the people acted quite freely of their own will.
We are warned not to harden our own hearts.