The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 21

The sood will grow; it wi11 become B tree, spreading its branches far; it will offer 1,efuge to the wandering o.nd the homeless. Let us take courage. The Church bath a vital expansive force, so long o.s it a.bides in Christ who is the Life. It will live on; it will spread. The wandering children will return; the restless, who have been driven a.bout by every blast of vain doctrine, will find a. home at last in the Church of Christ, II r. TnE LEA VEN. 1. The difference between this parable and the last. The seed has a principle of life in it. Plant it, and under favourable circt1mstances it will grow. You cannot watch the actual process of growth from minute to minute; but day after day you see the results. The plant springs up, rises into the air, expands on a.11 sides. So doth the Church of Christ. The leaven works secretly, silently, invisibly; it is hidden in the meal; little by little it spreads its assimilating inflt1ence through the whole mass. It figures the silent, unseen spreading of the gospel. 2. The silent growth of <Jhristianity. The gospel was hidden in the world, in its three ancient divisions, among the descendants of the three sons of Noah. Its growth at first was silent; few marked it, as by slow degrees it spread its influence through the masses of heathenism. Heathen contemporary writers seem for the most part ignorant of its existence; but io. silence and in secret it worked on, softening, refining, purifying. 3. The unseen growth ef personal 1·eligion. But the three measures of meal may well be understood of the three constituent parts of our human nature-bon.y, soul, and spirit. The leaven which is to regenerate society must first regenerate its individual elements. The germ of spiritual life is hidden in the soul; it is unseen, hid with Christ in God. But it is quick and powerful. It works under the surface with a strange penetrating energy. It diffuses its influence through the heart, which without it would be dull and heavy, indifferent to religion. Little by little it expels the counteracting agencies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It spreads itself more and more through the whole life, assimilating with its secret influence every form of human activity. It works, and will work, till every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; till wa have learned, whatever we do, to do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus. IV. REMARKS OF THE EVANGELIST. 1. The Lord's method. On that occasion he taught the multitude only by parables. He spoke to the people as they were able to hear it (Mark iv. 33). He reserved the explanation for his disciples. Religious teaching should be adapted to the circumstances of the hearers. Simple teaching is best suited for simple minds. The teacher should imitate the Lord's example, and teach in single- ness of heart, seeking ou.ly the good of souls. 2. The reason: the fulfilment of prophecy. There were other reasons, mentioned already, for the adoption of this mode of teaching. But the fulfilment of prophecy always underlay all the Lord's acts anci words. 'l'he whole Scriptures of the ancient covenant spake of him and the new cove- nant which he wa.s to inaugurate. Thus the seventy-eighth psalm pre figured his use of parables. That psalm represao.ts the history of God's ancient people as a parable of spiritual things. There was a spiritual meaning in all its details. "These things were eur examples (Ti'rn-o,)" (1 Cor. x. 6, 11); they were types of the vicissitudes of the spiritual life, written for our admonition; a parable of God's dealings with the indi- vidual soul. Let us learn to look on the Old Testament in this light, to understand its religious use. v. EXPLANATION OF THE PARAllLE OF THE TARES. 1. The petition of the disciples. The multitude had departed; the Lord and his disciples had returned to the house; they were alone. The disciples sought further instruction. So it is now. The multitude depart; the true disciples follow the Lord whithersoever he goeth. They are near him in the crowded church, sometimes even nearer in the sileo.t hour of solitary prayer. Then they sit at his feet like Mary, seeking to lem1 .ever deeper lessons of faith and love. He hears their prayer; he answers in bis grace aud mercy, 2. The answer. The Lord explained the parable to his disciples, as he will expbin to us the meaning of our trials and perplexities, if we come to him in faith aud prayer, (1) The Sower is the Son of man. God the Son, come in the flesh, and henceforth Son of man a.a well as Son of God. (2) The field is the world. But it is a parable of the kingdom of God (vers. 24, 41). 'fhe field is God's. He sowed the good seed in it. The world, so far as it is sown over with the good seed, becomes the Church. "The earth shall be full gf the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (3) The seed. In tho 22 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oH, xm. l-61t.