Jesus spoke in public through parables. But Jesus conducted private tutorials with his disciples. During these teaching sessions, Jesus often asked questions to judge whether they were “getting it.”51 And vice versa, his disciples asked him questions. They wanted further clarification about the parable of the sower.52 They wanted to know the difference between “clean” and “unclean.” Jesus answered them but not without registering his frustration at their dullheadedness and dim-wittedness.
