The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 56

IT. One renson was relat,ed to his ordinary congregations : IT ENABLED HIM TO AllAPT HIMSELF MORE PRECISELY TO THEIR CAPACITIES. It is quite possible that our Lord found the paradoxical style of the sermon on the mount misused, and therefore tried the pictorial style of the parable, which is so eminently suited to the child- minded, All who teach such know how they are helped by being shown what things are like. By them principles are grasped when they are illustrated in incidents, or painted in pictures. III. One reason WBS related to his enemies: IT ENABLED HIM VEBY SEVERELY TO REPROVE THEM WITHOUT GIVING OPEN OFFENCE, NO one could take exception to OUF Lord's beautiful descriptions and incidents, but men with bad consciences quickly per- ce:ved that he spa.ke the parables against them.-R. 'l'. Ver. 13.-The resp011sibuity of the hearer. The "parable of the sower" might with equal appropriateness be called the " parable of the soil." The point of it is not so much what the sower did, as what the soil did, and what the soil was. In each case good seed was scattered. In each case we are set thin.king of the capacity of the soil, and of tbe manner in which it dealt with the seed, And this fact comes out forcibly to view : only when the soil was deep and soft and clean-well ploughed, well harrowed, well weeded-could even that good seed yield its thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. I. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF oun LORD AS A TEACHER. Compare him with the rabbinical moralists of his time. It is sometimes inconsiderately said that our Lord's moral teachings were not 11ew. Of course they were not. How could they be? What new moral principles and duties can any teacher announce? New morals could not be true morals, for morals are the possession of humanity from man's earliest relations with God and with his fellows. You will find in our Lord's teachings some things new, some things old, and some things skilfully adapted to the needs of the day. Stalker eays the teaching of Jesus "consisted of numerous sayings, every one of which contained the greatest possible a.mount of truth in the smallest possible com- pass, and was expressed in language so concise e.nd pointed as to stick in the memory like an arrow." But observe that even Christ's Divine teachings were a partial failur~ when men were not "prepared to hear." II. THE RESPONSE MEN MADE TO OUR LOBD'B TEACHINGS. It surprises us that all men did not receive him. But tbe fact is that our Lord shared the common experience of all teachers, and proved a direct blessing to only a few. Some of the people took offence at Christ's teaching. He did not say what they bad been accustomed to bear just as they bad been accustomed to bear it. He did not come forth with the propeD approval of the ecclesiastical officials. He often spoke too plainly. He ea.me right home· to them. He ma.de them ste sins which they had tried bard to cover over and hide. He read their hearts, and made them feel uncomfortable. Some found him too advanced a Teacher for them. Some were impulsive, and became disciples at once, but could stand no testing and strain. The moral and spiritual results of our Lord's ministry depended on the moods of the people. The common people heard him gladly. The learned people questioned and criticized, and so gained no blessing. Jesus was to men as men were to him, All depended on the soil,-R. T. Ver. 24.-Seding tlie earthly fiel,ds to get seed for the heavenly fields. See t~e farmer. The ground is provided for him and prepared for him. He cannot alter hie surroundings and conditions. His chief aim is good seeding, and for the sake of tho seed he wants he is anxious to secure good flowers. His harvest is largely, and ideally it is a.lt,ogetber, a gathering of seed for nezt year's sowing. We a.re familia~ with the idea that the present life is our sowing-time, and the ne:1;t life our harvest-~1me. Bu, this view is Iese familiar. The present life is the g~ow1ng and the preparin~ of t~o seeds which are to be sown in the fields of the next life. Every plant has tblS for 1t11 ubject, to seed the fields next year. • I. OoB EARTH-LIFE IS THE HABVEBT-nELD IN W!IICH WE DOTH sow A.ND BEAP. 1'be field is prepared for us. We cannot choose or make our own particular place and work. Our aue family, nation, circumstances, abilities, and disabilities are all arranged for ue. What ~e have to do is to sow our own particular field, and exactly what wo IIOW we shall roop, a fulness Jf the same thing. Youth is the time of sowing; early OB. xm. 1-58,) TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIE\V, 67