[2762] St. Matt. xi. 16-19.
[2763] St. Luke vii. 17.
[2764] St. Matt. ix. 34.
[2765] St. Mark iii. 32.
[2766] St. Mark iii. 22.
[2767] St. Matt. xii. 22 &c.; St. Luke xi. 14 &c.
[2768] St. Matt. xi. 17, 18; St. Luke vii. 31-32.
[2769] St. Matt. ix. 33, 34.
[2770] At the same time I have, with not a few authorities, strong doubts whether St. Matt. ix. 34 is not to be regarded as an interpolation (see Westcott and Hort, New Testament). Substantially, the charge was there; but it seems doubtful whether, in so many words, it was made till a later period.
[2771] St. Matt. xii. 46 &c.; St. Mark iii. 31 &c. St. Luke viii. 19 &c.
[2772] St. Matt. ix. 11.
[2773] u. s. ver. 14.
[2774] Jer. Peah i. 1.
[2775] An instance of this has been given in the previous chapter, p. 567, note. Other examples of filial reverence are mentioned, some painfully ludicrous, others touching, and accompanied by sayings which sometimes rise to the sublime.
[2776] Bengel remarks on St. Matt. xii. 46: Non plane hic congruebat sensus Mariæ cum sensu Filii.'
[2777] Non spernit Matrem, sed anteponit Patrem.' __________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER XXIII. NEW TEACHING IN PARABLES' - THE PARABLES TO THE PEOPLE BY THE LAKE OF GALILEE, AND THOSE TO THE DISCIPLES IN CAPERNAUM
(St. Matt. xiii. 1-52; St. Mark iv. 1-34; St. Luke viii. 4-18.)
We are once more with Jesus and His disciples by the Lake of Galilee. We love to think that it was in the early morning, when the light laid its golden shadows on the still waters, and the fresh air, untainted by man, was fragrant of earth's morning sacrifice, when no voice of human discord marred the restfulness of holy silence, nor broke the Psalm of Nature's praise. It was a spring morning too, and of such spring-time as only the East, and chiefly the Galilean Lake, knows - nor of mingled sunshine and showers, of warmth and storm, clouds and brightness, when life seems to return slowly and feebly to the palsied limbs of our northern climes, but when at the warm touch it bounds and throbs with the vigour of youth. The imagery of the Sermon on the Mount' indicates that winter's rain and storms were just past. [2778] Under that sky Nature seems to meet the coming of spring by arraying herself in a garb more glorious than Solomon's royal pomp. Almost suddenly the blood-red anemones, the gay tulips, the spotless narcissus, and the golden ranunculus [2779] deck with wondrous richness the grass of the fields - alas! so soon to wither [2780] - while all trees put forth their fragrant promise of fruit. [2781] As the imagery employed in the Sermon on the Mount confirmed the inference, otherwise derived, that it was spoken during the brief period after the winter rains, when the lilies' decked the fresh grass, so the scene depicted in the Parables spoken by the Lake of Galilee indicates a more advanced season, when the fields gave first promise of a harvest to be gathered in due time. And as we know that the barley-harvest commenced with the Passover, we cannot be mistaken in supposing that the scene is laid a few weeks before that Feast.
Other evidence of this is not wanting. From the opening verses [2782] we infer, that Jesus had gone forth from the house' with His disciples only, and that, as He sat by the seaside, the gathering multitude had obliged Him to enter a ship, whence He spake unto them many things in Parables. That this parabolic teaching did not follow, far less, was caused by, the fully developed enmity of the Pharisees, [2783] [2784] will appear more clearly in the sequel. Meantime it should be noticed, that the first series of Parables (those spoken by the Lake of Galilee) bear no distinct reference to it. In this respect we mark an ascending scale in the three series of Parables, spoken respectively at three different periods in the History of Christ, and with reference to three different stages of Pharisaic opposition and popular feeling. The first series is that, [2785] when Pharisaic opposition had just devised the explanation that His works were of demoniac agency, and when misled affection would have converted the ties of earthly relationship into bonds to hold the Christ. To this there was only one reply, when the Christ stretched out His Hand over those who had learned, by following Him, to do the Will of His Heavenly Father, and so become His nearest of kin. This was the real answer to the attempt of His mother and brethren; that to the Pharisaic charge of Satanic agency. And it was in this connection that, first to the multitude, then to His disciples, the first series of Parables was spoken, which exhibits the elementary truths concerning the planting of the Kingdom of God, its development, reality, value, and final vindication.