21.   And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? 22   For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23   If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. 24   And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you. 25   For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 26   And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; 27   and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. 28   The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29   But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come. 30   And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth? 31   It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, 32   yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof. 33   And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it; 34   and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.

Verses 21, 22. Does God do anything without practical purpose? Does He expect to let His truth die in obscurity? Does He intend that any part of His word should be in vain? Or does He expect to ultimately fail in any of His undertakings? Will men always be able to hide from the searching light of God's word and truth?

Verse 23. On whom does Jesus call to hear? Have all men ears to hear? Matt. 13:15; John 8:43.

Verse 24. How do we take good care of what we hear from God? If we use it faithfully both in practice and in teaching, what will be the reward?

Verse 25. If we try to hold God's truth selfishly and do not make it bear fruit what will happen to us?

Verse 26. To what does he liken the kingdom of God? How is the start made? What is the seed? (Luke 8:11).

Verse 27-29. Did the Lord take a hand at the first seed-sowing? (Mark 16:20). After that is there any direct miraculous interference, or do things develop in natural course? But when the harvest is come does He take a hand again? Rev. 14:14-16. Is there also a sowing and reaping in the work of saving souls? John 4:35-38.

Verses 30-32. Why does Jesus use a mustard-seed to illustrate the kingdom of

God? Was the beginning of Christ's work very small and insignificant? Matt. 26:31; 1 Cor. 1:26-29. What promise attaches to that little flock? Luke 12:32. Will the little flock be very much larger when Jesus comes? Luke 18:8; 2 Tim. 3:1-5. When will the kingdom fill the earth? Isa. 11:9; Dan. 7:22, 27; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-6. But did the Church itself spring from a small beginning and make a rapid, unexpected growth? (Acts 1:15). For the figure of the Tree, see Dan. 4:10-12.

Verse 33. How did Jesus speak "the word" unto them? Why did He have to veil it in parables? (Comp. 1 Cor. 3:1-3). Was this a judgment as well as a mercy? (Mark 4:11, 12).

Verse 34. Does this mean that Jesus never spoke without parables, or [77] only on that and similar occasion? (Comp. Mark 7:5-15 for instance). Why did He privately expound all things to His disciples? Matt. 13:10-13, 16, 17.

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLES.

      When the interested hearers with the apostles asked Jesus for the explanation of the parable of the Sower, Jesus said, "Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?" (Mark 4:10, 11). By this He implied, (1) That the parable of the Sower was so plain, that if they did not understand it, they might give up the thought of understanding the others; (2) That the understanding of the parable of the Sower was necessary to the proper understanding of the other parables. Jesus Himself interpreted the parable of the Sower, and with application to minute details. Likewise the next parable (as Matthew records them), the Wheat and Tares, He interpreted, as fully and carefully. (He was not afraid of the criticism of making His parables "go on all fours"!) The last of the seven recorded by Matthew (the Drag-net) he likewise interpreted. The parables of the Mustard-seed, the Leaven, the Hid Treasure, the Pearl, are left uninterpreted. While they do not present too much difficulty, we cannot be as certain of their full import as of the interpreted ones. Above all things we must not impute a meaning to them that would make them clash with those the Lord interpreted. This word of caution is necessary.

"TAKE HEED WHAT YE HEAR."

      While we should certainly guard against lending a listening ear to falsehood, this is not the Lord's warning in this place. The context shows that the Lord holds us responsible for quickness and readiness to hear, and for the use we make of what we have heard. He does not give us His precious truth in order that we may sink it. If we try to keep it to ourselves we shall lose it; but if we put it to good use and measure it out freely to others, in deeds and in words, we shall keep it, and more shall be added to us.

THE SEED CAST ON THE EARTH.

      This parable is akin to the parable of the Sower. It describes the rise and growth of the kingdom in this age. First came the planting. In that the Lord took a direct hand, with demonstration of miraculous power. (Heb. 2:4). Then came a period of development, which goes on without direct interference. Finally when the harvest is ripe, the Sower steps in again and gathers His harvest. (Rev. 14:14-16).

THE MUSTARD-SEED.

      This parable shows that the Kingdom grows out of a very small and despised beginning and issues in a thing of unexpected size. The church began very small indeed, a small and despised assembly; which however spread marvellously until not only in Jerusalem there were thousands of members, but the Gospel had spread over the known world in a comparatively short time. Who would have expected that when thirteen men met at night in an obscure upper chamber of Jerusalem, that for centuries to come thousands in all parts of the earth would celebrate the Supper which was there instituted? God's work always starts from insignificant beginnings and culminates in great things. But with the church's quick growth came also quick corruption. Already in the apostles' days it was working and breaking out in many ways and places (2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Cor. 1:12; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Gal. 1:6; Phil. 3:18; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18; Jude 4), and worse things were predicted. (Acts 20:29, 30). When in Constantine's day the professed church sprang into its career of greatest prominence and power, it also entered the deepest corruption. This growht was not a healthy growth, nor did it mark the success of God's work. In the great mass of corrupt, professing Christianity, there is found a remnant of faithful ones who will be fewer, not more, when the Lord comes. The true greatness and fullness of the kingdom appears only when the King comes and takes possession. (See references in the Questions above.)

Source: Fourth Lord's Day Lesson of February. Lesson 8. February 24, 1918. Jesus Teaching by Parables: The