i Job i. 7. 1 Pet. v. 8. k Heb. vi. 4: x. 26. 2 Pet. a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there and the ii. 20, 21, 22. last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. 1 ch. xiii. 55. John ii. 12: vii. 3, 5. 1 Cor. ix. 5. 46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, m see John xv. Behold my mother and my brethren. 50 For m whosoever vi. 15. Co shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 14. Gal. v. 6: iii. Heb. ii. 11. malicious than the first, hardly needs explanation. The desperate infatuation of the Jews after our Lord's ascension, their bitter hostility to His Church, their miserable end as a people, are known to all. Chrysostom, who gives in the main this interpretation, notices their continued infatuation in his own day: and instances their joining in the impieties of Julian. (2) Strikingly parallel with this runs the history of the Christian Church. Not long after the apostolic times, the golden calves of idolatry were set up by the Church of Rome. What the effect of the captivity was to the Jews, that of the Reformation has been to Christendom. The first evil spirit has been cast out. But by the growth of hypocrisy, secularity, and rationalism, the house has become empty, swept, and garnished: swept and garnished by the decencies of civilization and discoveries of secular knowledge, but empty of living and earnest faith. And he must read prophecy but ill, who does not see under all these seeming improvements the preparation for the final development of the man of sin, the great re-possession, when idolatry and the seven worse spirits shall bring the outward frame of so-called Christendom to a fearful end. (3) Another important fulfilment of the prophetic parable may be found in the histories of individuals. By religious education or impressions, the devil has been cast out of a man; but how often do the religious lives of men spend themselves in the sweeping and garnishing (see Luke xi. 39, 40), in formality and hypocrisy, till utter emptiness of real faith and spirituality has prepared them for that second fearful invasion of the Evil One, which is indeed worse than the first! (See Heb. i. 4, 6: 2 Pet. ii. 20-22.) 46-50.] His Mother and BRETHREN SEEK TO SPEAK WITH HIM. Mark iii. 31-35. Luke viii. 19-21. In Mark the incident is placed as here: in Luke, after the parable of the sower. 46.] In Mark iii. 21 we are told that his relations went out to lay hold on Him, for they said, He is beside Himself: and that the reason of this was his continuous labour in teaching, which had not left time so much as to eat. There is nothing in this care for his bodily health (from whatever source the act may have arisen on the part of his brethren, see John vii. 5) inconsistent with the known state of his mother's mind (see Luke ii. 19, 51). They stood, i. e. outside the throng of hearers around our Lord; or, perhaps, outside the house. He meets their message with a reproof, which at the same time conveys assurance to His humble hearers. He came for all men : and though He was born of a woman, He who is the second Adam, taking our entire humanity on Him, is not on that account more nearly united to her, than to all those who are united to Him by the Spirit; nor bound to regard the call of XIII. 1 h The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; a Luke v. 3. and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, h render, In that day. earthly relations so much as the welfare Stier remarks (Reden Jesu, ii. 57 note), that the juxtaposition of sister and mother in the mouth of our Lord makes it probable that the brethren also were his actual brothers according to the flesh: see note on ch. xiii. 55. CHAP. XIII. 1-52.] THE SEVEN PABABLES. (The parallels, see under each.) 1, 2.] Mark iv. 1. 1. In that day] These words may mean literally, as rendered in the A. V., the same day. But it is not absolutely necessary. The words certainly do bear that meaning in Mark iv. 35, and important consequences follow (see note there); but in Acts viii. 1 they are as evidently indefinite. The instances of their occurrence in John (xiv. 20; xvi. 23, 26) are not to the point, their use there being prophetical. 3. in para bles] The senses of this word in the N. T. teaches ducing only things which may possibly happen. "A parable is a story of that which purports to have happened,-has not actually happened, but might have happened." (2) Nor is the Parable a Myth: inasmuch as in Mythology the course of the story is set before us as the truth, and simple minds receive it as the truth, only the reflective mind penetrating to the distinction between the vehicle and the thing conveyed; whereas in the Parable these two stand distinct from one another to all minds, so that none but the very simplest would ever believe in the Parable as fact. (3) Nor is the Parable a Proverb though the Greek word (parabolé) is used for both in the N. T. (Luke iv. 23; v. 36: Matt. xv. 14, 15.) It is indeed more like a Proverb than either of the former; being an expanded Proverb, and a Proverb a concentrated parable, or fable, or result of human experience expressed without a figure. Hence it will be seen that the Proverb ranges far wider than the parable, which is an expansion of only one particular case of a proverb. Thus Physician heal thyself' would, if expanded, make a parable; dog eat dog," a fable; honesty is the best policy," neither of these. (4) Nor is the Parable an Allegory: inasmuch as in the Allegory the imaginary persons and actions are placed in the very places and footsteps of the real ones, and stand there instead of them, declaring all the time by their names or actions who and what they are. Thus the Allegory is self-interpreting, and the persons in it are invested with the attributes of those represented; whereas in the Parable the courses of action related and understood run indeed parallel, but the persons are strictly confined to their own natural places and actions, which are, in their relation and succession, typical of higher things. (5) It may well hence be surmised what a Parable is. It is a serious narration, within the limits of probability, of a course of action pointing to some moral or spiritual Truth; and derives its force from real analogies impressed by the Creator of all things on His creatures. The great Teacher by Parables therefore is He who needed not that 66 j ia sower went forth to sow; 4 and when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 some fell upon i stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6k and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among 1 thorns; m b and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 but other b Gen. xxvi. 12. fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears [ to hear], let him hear. 10 And the disciples came, i render, the. 1 render, the thorns. j render, the stony places. any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man, John ii. 25: moreover, He made man, and orders the course and character of human events. And this is the reason why none can, or dare, teach by parables, except Christ. We do not, as He did, see the inner springs out of which flow those laws of eternal truth and justice, which the Parable is framed to elucidate. Our parables would be in danger of perverting, instead of guiding aright. The Parable is especially adapted to different classes of hearers at once: it is understood by each according to his measure of understanding. See note on ver. 12. The seven Parables related in this chapter cannot be regarded as a collection made by the Evangelist as relating to one subject, the Kingdom of Heaven, and its development; they are clearly indicated by ver. 53 to have been all spoken on one and the same occasion, and form indeed a complete and glorious whole in their inner and deeper sense. The first four of these parables appear to have been spoken to the multitude from the ship (the interpretation of the parable of the sower being interposed); the last three, to the disciples in the house. From the expression he began in the parallel place in St. Mark, compared with the question of the disciples in ver. 10,and with ver. 34,-it appears that this was the first beginning of our Lord's teaching by parables, expressly so delivered, and properly so called. And the natural sequence of things here agrees with, and confirms Matthew's arrangement against those who would place (as Ebrard) all this chapter before the Sermon on the Mount. He there spoke without parables, or mainly so; and continued to do so till the rejection and misunderstanding of his k render, but. n omit. teaching led to His judicially adopting the course here indicated, without a parable spake He not (nothing) unto them. The other order would be inconceivable; that after such parabolic teaching, and such a reason assigned for it, the Lord should, that reason remaining in full force, have deserted his parabolic teaching, and opened out his meaning as plainly as in the Sermon on the Mount. 3-9.] THE SOWER. Mark iv. 2-9: Luke viii. 4-8. See note on the locality in vv. 51, 52. 3.] For the explanation of the parable see on vv. 19-23. 4. by the way side] by (by the side of, along the line of) the path through the field. Luke inserts "and it was trodden down," and after fowls-" of the air." stony places (=“ the rock" Luke), places where the native rock is but slightly covered with earth (which abound in Palestine), and where therefore the radiation from the face of the rock would cause the seed to spring up quickly, the shallow earth being heated by the sun of the day before. 5.] the 6.] root "moisture" Luke. If the one could have struck down, it would have found the other. 7. among the thorns] In places where were the roots of thorns, beds of thistles, or such like. sprung up="sprung up with it " Luke: Mark adds "and it yielded no fruit." 8.] After fruit Mark inserts "that sprang up and increased." Luke gives only "an hundredfold." 9.] is common to all three Evangelists (Mark and Luke insert "to hear"). 10-17.] OUR LORD'S REASON FOR TEACHING IN PARABLES. Mark iv. 1012. Luke viii. 9, 10, but much abridged. 10.] the disciples: "they that were about him with the twelve," Mark. This question took place during a pause in с and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is 1 Cor. ii. 10. given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 d For whosoever d ch. xxv. 29. hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing e ISA. vi. 9. ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and our Lord's teaching, not when He had entered the house, ver. 36. The question shews the newness of this method of teaching to the disciples. It is not mentioned in Mark: only the enquiry into the meaning of the parable just spoken: nor in Luke but the answer implies it. : 11.] The Kingdom of Heaven, like other kingdoms, has its secrets (mysteries, see a definition by St. Paul in Rom. xvi. 25 f., -viz. " Something kept secret since the world began, but now made manifest ") and inner counsels, which strangers must not know. These are only revealed to the humble diligent hearers, to you: to those who were immediately around the Lord with the twelve; not to them="the rest" Luke, "them that are without " Mark. (1 Cor. v. 12, 13.) it is not given is represented by "in parables" Luke, and " all things are done in parables" Mark. 12.] In this saying of the Lord is summed up the double force-the revealing and concealing properties of the parable. By it, he who hath, he who not only hears with the ear, but understands with the heart, has more given to him; and it is for this main purpose undoubtedly that the Lord spoke parables: to be to His Church revelations of the truth and mysteries of His Kingdom. But His present purpose in speaking them, as further explained below, was the quality possessed by them, and declared in the latter part of this verse, of hiding their meaning from the hard-hearted and sensual. By them, he who hath not, in whom there is no spark of spiritual desire nor meetness to receive the engrafted word, has taken from him even that which he hath ("seemeth to have," Luke); even the poor confused notions of heavenly doctrine which a sensual and careless life allow him, are further bewildered and darkened by this simple e Ezek. xii. 2. 26, 27. Rom. 2 Cor. Heb. v. 11. teaching, into the depths of which he cannot penetrate so far as even to ascertain that they exist. No practical comment on the latter part of this saying can be more striking, than that which is furnished to our day by the study of the German rationalistic (and, I may add, some of our English harmonistic) Commentators; while at the same time we may rejoice to see the approximate fulfilment of the former in such commentaries as those of Olshausen, Neander, Stier, and Trench. In ch. xxv. 29, the fuller meaning of this saying, as applied not only to hearing, but to the whole spiritual life, is brought out by our Lord. 13.] because they seeing see not, &c.=(in Mark, Luke; similarly below) "that seeing they "&c. In the deeper not may prophecy is quoted with a similar reference are g ch. xvi. 17. Luke x. 23, 24. John viii. 56. h 2 Sam. xxiii. their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But & blessed are your eyes, for h they see and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I Gen. xlix. 18. say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men see those things which ye see, and have and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 5. Heb. xi. have desired to not seen them; 13. 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. i ch. iv. 23. ye 18 Hear therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth should heal them : ="it should be forgiven them" Mark. This citation gives no countenance to the fatalist view of the passage, but rests the whole blame on the hard-heartedness and unreadiness of the hearers, which is of itself the cause why the very preaching of the word is a means of further darkening and condemning them (see 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4). 16, 17.] See ref. Prov. These verses occur again in a different connexion, and with the form of expression slightly varied, Luke x. 23, 24. It was a saying likely to be repeated. On the fact that prophets, &c. desired to see those things, see 2 Sam. xxiii. 5: Job xix. 23-27: also Exod. iv. 13, and Luke ii. 29-32. 18-23.] INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. Mark iv. 1020. Luke viii. 9-18, who incorporate with the answer of our Lord to the request of the disciples, much of our last section. 18.] Hear, in the sense of the verse before-hear the true meaning of, hear in your hearts.' With regard to the Parable itself, we may remark that its great leading idea is that "mystery of the Kingdom," according to which the grace of God, and the receptivity of it by man, work ever together in bringing forth fruit. The seed is one and the same every where and to all: but seed does not spring up without earth, nor does earth bring forth without seed; and the success or failure of the seed is the consequence of the adaptation to its reception, or otherwise, of the spot on which it falls. But of course, on the other hand, as the enquiry," Why is this ground rich, and that barren?" leads us up into the creative arrangements of God,-so a similar enquiry in the spiritual interpretation would lead us into the inscrutable and sovereign arrangements of Him who preventeth us that we may have a good will, and worketh with us when we have that will' (Art. X. of the Church of England). See, on the whole, my Sermons before the University of Cambridge, February, 1858. 19.] In Luke we have an important preliminary declaration, implied indeed here also "the seed is the word of God." This word is in this parable especially meant of the word preached, though the word written is not excluded: nor the word unwritten -the providences and judg ments, and even the creation, of God. (See Rom. x. 17, 18.) The similitude in this parable is alluded to in 1 Pet. i. 23: James i. 21. The sower is first the Son of Man (ver. 37), then His ministers and servants (1 Cor. iii. 6) to the end. He sows over all the field, unlikely as well as likely places; and commands His sowers to do the same, Mark xvi. 15. Some, Stier says, have objected to the parable a want of truthful correspondence to reality, because sowers do not thus waste their seed by scattering it where it is not likely to grow; but, as he rightly answers,-the simple idea of the parable must be borne in mind, and its limits not transgressed'a sower went out to sow '-his SOWING -sowing over all places, is the idea of the parable. We see him only as a sower, not as an economist. The parable is not about Him, but about the seed and what happens to it. He is the fit representative of God, who giveth liberally to all men, and upbraideth not, James i. 5. and understandeth it not is peculiar to |