Chapter 10

(b) Parable of the Seed Growing of ItselfMark 4:26-29

26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;27and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.28The earth1beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.29But when the fruit2is ripe, straightway he3putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come [see Joel 3:13].

1Or,yieldeth.

2Or,alloweth.

3Or,sendeth forth.

24Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed1tares also among the wheat, and went away.26But when the blade sprang up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.27And the2servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?28And he said unto them,3An enemy hath done this. And the2servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?29But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

1Or,darnel.

2Gr.bondservants.

3Gr.A manthat isan enemy.

(d) Parable of the Mustard Seed

1Gr.As unto.

(e) Parable of the Leaven and many such Parables

1The word in the Greek denotes the Hebrew seah, a measure containing nearly a peck and a half.

2Or,through.

3Many ancient authorities omitof the world.

aNote the expression. Matthew gives nine in Chapter 13 and Mark another. There may have been still others on this day.

2. To the Disciples in the House(a) Explanation of the Parable of the TaresMatt. 13:36-43

36Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.37And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evilone;39and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is1the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.40As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in1the end of the world.41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity,42and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth.43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father [see Dan. 12:3]. He that hath ears, let him hear.

1Or,the consummation of the age.

(b) The Parable of the Hid TreasureMatt. 13:44

44The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and1in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

1Or,for joy thereof.

45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls:46and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

(d) The Parable of the NetMatt. 13:47-50

47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a1net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:48which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.49So shall it be in2the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous,50and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

1Gr.dragnet.

2Or,consummation of the age.

(e) The Parable of the HouseholderMatt. 13:51-53

51Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea.52And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

53And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables,ahe departed thence.

aEight of these ten parables go in pairs (the sower and the seed growing of itself, the tares and the net, the mustard seed and the leaven, the hid treasure and the pearl of great price). But nothing can be made out of the number of the parables spoken on this day. We do not even know what the number was. Jesus had spoken various shorter and more or less isolated parables before this occasion. An immediate occasion for the use of so many and such extended parables at this point was the hostility of the Pharisees and the need of special instruction for the disciples who were taught by Jesus how to interpret parables, though they had much difficulty later in applying the instruction about the parabolic teaching.

Same day. Sea of Galilee

Gerasa (Khersa). Same day

1Or,demoniacs.

2Gr.demons.

3Or,the demoniac.

4Many ancient authorities readGergesenes;othersGadarenes.

5Or,of a long time.

6Gr.demon.

7Or,saved.

aThe long famous instance of "discrepancy" as to theplacein this narrative has been cleared up in recent years by the decision of textual critics that the correct text in Luke is Gerasenes, as well as in Mark, and by Dr. Thomson's discovery of a ruin on the lake shore, named Khersa (Gerasa). If this village was included (a very natural supposition) in the district belonging to the city of Gadara, some miles south-eastward, then the locality could be described as either in the country of the Gadarenes, or in the country of the Gerasenes.

bMatthew mentions two demoniacs, Mark and Luke describe one, who was probably the prominent and leading one.

cNote in Mark the numerous vivid details and fulness of narrative.

Probably Capernaum

1Gr.one ruler.

2Or,saved.

3Orsaved thee.

4Gr.this fame.

5Gr.scourge.

6Or,Teacher.

7Or,overhearing.

8Some ancient authorities omithad spent all her living upon physicians, and.

9Some ancient authorities omitand they that were with him.

aBroadus felt that the language in Matt. 9:18 compelled him to place 9:18 after 9:17. I do not think so, for "while he spake" may be merely an introductory phrase for a new paragraph. It is best to follow Mark's order, as Luke does, for Matthew is not chronological in this part of his Gospel.

Matt. 9:27-34

27And as Jesus passed by from thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, thou son of David.28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you.30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus1strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.31But they went forth, and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

32And as they went forth, behold, there was brought to him a dumb man possessed with a2devil.33And when the2devil was cast out, the dumb man spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.34But the Pharisees said,3By the prince of the4devils casteth he out4devils.

1Or,sternly.

2Gr.demon.

3Or,In.

4Gr.demons.

1Gr.powers.

2Gr.caused to stumble.

3Some ancient authorities insertthe.

4Gr.power.

aThere is no sufficient occasion to identify this visit to Nazareth with that described by Luke. That was at the very beginning of the great ministry in Galilee, and this is near its close. The details are quite different. It is perfectly natural that after a long interval he should give the Nazarenes another opportunity to hear his teaching, and to witness miracles, which he would not work for them when demanded, but now voluntarily works in a few cases, so far as their nowwonderfulunbelief left it appropriate.

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