The wonderful reply (ver. 33-35) involves a refusal to go out to them as requested, a rebuke of their unwarranted interference (more decided than in John 2: 4), and a profound, inspiring, and delightful lesson for all. Notice the phrase looking around, etc., often occurring in this Gospel. Matthew adds (12: 49) that he pointed to "his disciples," which need not be understood to mean the Twelve alone. Dear to a noble young man is his brother, dearer his sister, dearer still his mother; and he that shall do the will of God is as dear to Jesus as all three combined.

PRACTICAL LESSONS.

1. We ought to keep the Christian Sabbath, not according to the particular directions of the law of Moses, but as commemorating the rest of God after creation and also now the resurrection of Christ. It should be observed for religious benefit and not as a mere burdensome formality (ver. 27).

2. Fasting as a religious observance is proper only when circumstances make it natural. When it is the natural expression of real feeling it will deepen that feeling (ver. 19, 20).

3. Christianity needs simple outward observances suited to its spirit. And for us to have consecrated" buildings, a hierarchy of priests, holy robes, an elaborate ritual, a forty days' fast, is an incongruous mixture of new and old (ver. 21, 22). Let us beware of a Judaized Christianity and cling to Christian simplicity.

4. To resort to violence because beaten in argument is a very common thing, but always disgraceful (ver. 6).

5. To withdraw from violent opposition is frequently the wisest course, and will sometimes bring far greater usefulness elsewhere (ver. 7, 8).

6. Our Lord repeatedly sets us the example of spending a long time in retirement and prayer before taking an important step (ver. 13 and Luke 6:12).

7. Even the twelve apostles, who were to have miraculous powers, were long and carefully trained before they were sent forth to preach (ver. 14).

8. Wherever we meet with Jesus in the history, he is busy doing good (ver. 20; comp. Acts 10: 38); shall we not seek to imitate this?

9. Fervent zeal, however controlled by prudence, will sometimes be cruelly misjudged by unsympathizing friends (ver. 21). Compare Paul, William Carey. We must guard against religious fanaticism, which exists in every time and country; but the charge of fanaticism is sometimes made against precisely those who least deserve it.

10. It is often right that we should take pains to disprove open assaults upon our character and work (ver. 23-27).

11. We must not allow either the assaults of enemies or mistaken friendship to restrain us from duty (ver. 31-33; comp. 8: 33).

Chap. 4. (Comp. Matt. 13: 1-23; Luke 8: 4-15.) We here reach the first leading group of our Lord's parables. He has spoken occasional parables before, but on this day he gives a large number in succession. Probably the best work on our Lord's parables, for the general reader, is Drummond; to this add also Calderwood. Trench is highly fanciful in his interpretations.

I. PARABLE OF THE SOWER, 1-9. Time and place and manner of teaching. Matt. 13: 1 shows that it was on the same day as the accusation of league with Beelzebub-an important fact, as we shall see below. 1. Again, as in 2: 13; 37. By the sea side, probably on the plain of Genesareth, near Capernaum. beauty of this plain, and the gently shelving, sandy beach, would afford an attractive and convenient place for a very great multitude, as also in 2: 13 and 3: 7, 8. It was near "the house" (Matt. 13: 1) in which the blasphemous

The

tude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to

SOW:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

great multitude, 1 so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were 2 by the sea on the land. And 2 he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them 3 in his teaching, Hearken: Behold, the sower 4 went forth to sow: and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the 5 birds came and devoured it. And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no 6 deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, 7 5 it withered away. And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, 8 and it yielded no fruit. And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirty fold, and 9 sixtyfold, and a hundred fold. And he said, 8 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.

and the gentle wavelets scarcely move the boat, as the Redeemer looks forth upon the waiting multitude and speaks. 2. Taught them many things in parables (comp. 4: 33, 34). Eight of these are recorded, three of them in Mark, seven in Matthew. These eight make four pairs the Tares and the Net, the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, the Hid Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price, the Sower and the Seed growing of itself (in Mark only, 4: 26-29). The first of all, the Sower, is given by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The word "parable" means comparison, and is sometimes applied to mere illustrations or arguments involving a comparison without narrative, as in 3: 23; 7: 17; 13: 28. Those given in narrative form (4:3, 26, 30; 12: 1; and many in Matthew and Luke) are so pleasing that people commonly think of them alone as meant by the parables; and under the name are included some other narrative illustrations that are not comparisons at all, but examples (Luke 12 16; 16: 19; 18: 9). Besides, as proverbs very often contain a comparison, the word parable is sometimes used for a proverb (Luke 4: 23). And as short, pithy sayings founded on a comparison are sometimes obscure and demand reflection, the word parable is used for obscure sayings (see see ver. 11; Matt. 13: 35). Teaching is better

than "doctrine" (King James), which in modern English has a different sense.

3-8. The story of the Sower. The first thing to be done toward interpreting an illustration is always to understand clearly the terms of the illustration itself; and as in this case the interpretation is given separately, we may notice here the story by itself. 3. The sower (not

a sower" as in King James), viz., the one supposed in this narrative. 4. By the way side. There were few enclosures, and the paths and roads went right through the plowed land (comp. 2:23). 5. On the rocky ground, compare "the thorns," "the good ground"-the field being conceived as containing all these varieties of ground. The rocky ground (" stony" in King James is misleading) means a place where strata of limestone rock came near the surface, with only a few inches of soil upon them; the underlying rock would warm the soil, and make the wheat come up sooner than elsewhere, straightway; but then it had no root (Matt. 13: 3:5), "no deepness of earth." 7. The thorns. Our farmers would say "the briers," a brier patch.

9. The illustration closes with a solemn admonition, given also in ver. 23 and several other times in the Gospels, and in each of the letters to the seven churches in Rev. 2 and 3.

II. REASON FOR USING PARABLES, 10-13. 10 might mean only that they asked the meaning; Matt. 13: 10 and Luke 8: 9 show that they also asked why he used parables, and the answer to both questions is given in Mark also. Observe that other disciples besides the Twelve share his privacy and receive the instruction.

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

21 b And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

19 are they that have heard the word, and the cares of 2 the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it; and bear fruit, 5 thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundred fold.

21 6 And he said unto them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, 22 and not to be put on the stand? 8 For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it 23 should come to light. If any man hath ears to 24 hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: 10 with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you: and

Luke (813) has a still stronger expression,

'they fall away," utterly abandon the attempt to live a pious life. In such cases all the effect produced by the word is superficial, without root, and so it does not last. 19. The cares, literally "anxieties," as in 1 Peter 5:7; Matt. 6: 25 f.; Phil. 4: 6. "This," in King James, is an unwarranted addition to the Greek text. Notice the deceitfulness of riches. The word lust, like the Greek word it translates, denotes primarily desire in general, but in Scripture it always means evil desire of whatsoever kind. Remember throughout the interpretation, and in all inferences from the parable, that the analogy between material and spiritual things is necessarily imperfect, because the human being has a moral nature, freedom, responsibility.

21-34. (Comp.Luke 8: 16-18; Matt. 13: 31-35.) IV. HOW TO USE THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST, 2125. We must impart them to others. In 4: 11 our Lord declared that his disciples (the Twelve and others) should receive fuller knowledge of the kingdom of God than "they that are without," the unspiritual and hostile hearers. He now guards against a perversion of that saying. These fuller teachings to the disciples were not to be permanently kept as secret lore, like that of the Egyptian priests, the Greek secret associations (mysteries), the Pythagorean and some other philosophers, and the Gnostics of a later time. They were to be remembered and pondered and in due season made known to all men. Christianity is a religion for the people.

21 is a striking illustration, and, like many other good illustrations, could be variously applied. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 15) our Lord applied it to good actions; here he applies it to good teaching. Lamp and stand or lampstand are the right words, instead of "candle," etc. (as in King James), and the

lamp, the bed, etc., mean those belonging to the room supposed. The bushel translates a Latin word, modius, borrowed by Matthew and Mark, and denoting a measure somewhat larger than our peck. Exact translation is here unimportant, the point being that it was the ordinary measure kept about the house. 22 applies the illustration. All the private teachings of Jesus were designed to be made known in due time to all men (comp. John 14: 26). 23. The solemn admonition of ver. 9 is here repeated, doubtless because the principle just laid down is highly important and demands thoughtful attention. All students of the Bible and Christian thinkers should remember that they learn for the benefit of others. They are not to indulge the mere luxury of knowing nor the pride of erudition.

24, 25. We must ourselves better know the teachings of Christ. 24. Take heed what ye hear is our Lord's pointed application of the parable of the Sower; since the same seed produces no effect, or little or much according to the way it is received, therefore hear heedfully. It would be a mistake to interpret Mark's expression as meaning "Take heed to what you hear," for that in Greek would be quite different. It seems to mean, Notice carefully what it is that you hear, what is its character, its importance. In Luke (8: 18) it is "Take heed how you hear," a more comprehensive precept, which may really include the other, for to hear with attentive consideration of the character and claims of the teaching is part of the proper manner of hearing. And it is a part much neglected in most congregations, there being few Bereans (Acts 17: 11). With what measure, etc., states a general principle having many applications. It was applied in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7: 2) to judging and being judged; it is here applied to teaching and learn