The Yale expositor., 1906-05-04

The parable OF the SOWSI SCI III III '"S
hindrances to the gospel that lie In the
hearts OF the hearers.
on that very day party OF scribes
from Jerusalem had charged Christ
with working his miracles in league
with the devil MARK 3:22; Luke IL:
H. 15); his own friends had sought to
1ay hold on him, suspecting his sanity
mark SGD. He knew that, from
that hour till his death, the sons OF
the evil one" would wax stronger and
more hostile. What should be his at
iltude toward them, and the attitude
of his church down through the ages?
Christs answer to that question was
the parable we are to study.
II. The Parable Solution of the
Problem.-Vs. 24.30 This was a mat
ter most delicate to handle in pub
lie discourse, with many OF Christs
enemies in the audience; and yet it
was necessary to handle II, for the
guidance of many who would have to
meet the problem, and whom Christ
could not reach privately. What bet
ter medium for such difficult teaching
than a parable?
"A. THE kingdom of heaven" The
phrase is the keynote of this Cos
pei Sturgeon. Il signifies the or
der. the life. which Christ came to es-
tablish on earth 1t is kingdom be-
cause Christ is sole and absolute Lord
Of II. 1t Is of heaven because it came
from heaven with Christ, plants heav-
emily conditions on earth, and prepares
its members for an eternity in heaven.
This kingdom is like good seed spring
ing up with weeds.
%. while men slept" That is,
secretly in the night. His enemy
came The question has been raised
why Christ introduced this enemy,
since tares would be likely to spring
Up with the wheat from seed already
in the soil Evidently because Of the
overwhelming numbers of tares which
Christ foresaw. And sowed tares"
The verb means to SOW upon the
wheat seed as thoroughly as if the
field had not been sowed at all
26. But when the blade was
.HpIuIlS UP, anu blpuSiI lOlL III II UT
then appeared the tsres also" When
the grain is headed out; there "can be
10 mistake then"
27. From whence then hath II
tares?" The parable gains in mean.
ing If we bear in mind that. according
20 ancient Jewish land. indeed, mod
ern EASTERN ideas the tares were not
ate kind of wheat "-Edersheim.
2S. wilt thou then that we go and
gather them up?" To this day it is
customary for the women and chill
dren ito gather out of the grainfields,
not only tares, hut all the taller plants
growing among the grain, which can
be easily pulled up without causing
the person engaged to bend over in a
way to endanger breaking the stalks
Of grain. Hastings Bible Diction-
airy.
20. but he said Nay The COM
mon operation, allowable where the
tares were few. would not answer
where the field had been "over-sown"
with them. Everywhere their roots
were intertwined with those of the
wheat
80. 'In the time of harvest" Then
the wheat would have made its
growth, and could be pulled up safely.
sin, where the tares are bad, this
harvest time separation of stalks oc-
ours. 'To burn them" In ovens for
fuel and TO prevent the spread of the
seeds
Ill The Interpretation of the Par
fble.-Vs. 36-43 SO. Then" Hav-
ing completed his discourse from the
boat. including the parallels which we
have, and doubtless, much additional
matter binding them together. Went
into the house" The one mentioned
in V. of this chapter. He Withdrew
thither for quiet talk with his disci-
pies, and for physical rest after the
hard work of outdoor speaking. DE
clare unto us the parable
81. He that soweth the good seed
IS the Son of man" Christ himself
the common and MISUNDERSTOOD title
of the Messiah.
80. The field is the world" Not
llH C0uIcD-ludL Is lue SOOu Sttus Dul
the whole world which is Christ's, and
which Christian missions are eagerly
striving to bring to him. The good
seed are the children of the kingdom, :"
imbued with its principles and char
acter. as a child shows the character
of his parent. 'Non some such principle
rs a university is depicted as the alma
mater of its pupils. Morrison. The
tares are the children of the wicked
one" Similarly full of his spirit and
under his control
80. The enemy that sowed them is
the devil" observe that here. as
elsewhere. the personality of the devil
Is recognized by our Lord in unmis-
taxable terms. This iDpo parable. but
the Interpretation OF Vparable; 1t is
no concession to popular prejudice,
for IL is uttered to his own disciples
alone. Abbott THE harvest is the
end of the world" Literally, the com
pletion of this aeon" a different word
from that translated world in v. 3s,