MARK IV. 22 candlestick? For there is nothing any man have ears to hear, let him 24 hear. And he saith unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall 25 more be given. For he that hath,1 to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath, 24 18 LUKE VIII. it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear for whosoever hath,1 to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. [See in § 50.] § 55. PARABLE OF THE TARES. OTHER PARABLES.-Near Capernaum? MATT. XIII. 24-53. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven 25 is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his 26 way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then 27 appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then 28 hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The serv29 ants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat 30 with them. Let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 26 MARK IV. 26-34. And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed 27 into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed 28 should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in 29 the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is 31 MATT. XIII. 32 Another parable put he forth unto 30 them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and 31 32 sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge 33 in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. come. And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth_out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as 1 Comp. Matt. 13. 12. out a parable spake he not unto 34 they were able to hear it. But with35 them that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,' I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. out a parable spake he not unto them and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares 37 of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good 38 seed is the Son of man;2 the field is the world; the good seed are the chil dren of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the 40 world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered 41 and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom 42 all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into 43 a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly 46 pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the 48 sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad 49 away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, 50 and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say 52 unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. [See in § 61.] 53 $56. JESUS DIRECTS TO CROSS THE LAKE. INCIDENTS. Sea of Galilee. 3 Mark here fixes the order of time, "the same day at evening." Very similar to Matt. 8. 19-22 is the incident related by Luke, ch. 9. 57-62, but which is in a wholly different connexion [see § THE TEMPEST STILLED. LUKE VIII. 22-25. Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. 80]. It is however put in this section in Robinson's Harmony, because he thinks that two incidents so similar cannot well be supposed to have occurred. The conversation takes place as our Lord was on his way from the house (Matt. 13. 36) to the boat. MARK IV. LUKE VIII. MATT. VIII. him, Master, I will follow thee whitherso20 ever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man1 hath not where to lay his head. 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my 22 father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; 36 and let the dead bury their dead. 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there a- 37 rose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he 25 was asleep. And his 38 disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we 26 perish. And he saith unto them, Why are 40 27 But the men marvel- 41 led, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were 23 also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the 24 hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? 25 how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? 1 The Son of man: this name is often applied to himself by Christ, with reference to Dan. 7. 13, 14 (comp. Rev. 1. 13), to indicate that he was the Messiah, found in fashion as a man, but destined to have supreme and universal dominion (Phil. 2. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. 6-11). Perhaps this name was chosen to indicate also, that Christ was the son of Adam (man) who was to bruise the serpent's head and become the second Adam (comp. 1 Cor. 15. 47). 28 § 57. THE TWO DEMONIACS OF GADARA.-S. E. coast of the sea of Galilee. MATT. VIII. 28-34. IX. 1. And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes,' there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs,2 exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 1 MARK V. 1-21. And they came over 26 unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.1 27 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs 2 a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with 4 chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with 6 stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he 28 ran and worshipped 7 him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou tor8 ment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou un9 clean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My Origen says that a city Gergesa anciently stood on the eastern shore of the lake of Tiberias, Opp. IV. p. 140. Gadara was a larger city, whose district or jurisdiction apparently extended to the lake, and included Gergesa. In Matt. 8. 28, Greisbach and Knapp read Gerasenes, and Scholz Gadarenes. Mark and Luke speak of only one demoniac; Matthew of two. Here the maxim of Le Clerc holds true: Qui plura narrat, pauciora complectitur; qui pauciora memorat, plura non negat; 29 LUKE VIII. 26-40. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes,1 which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters: ; Some that is, the fuller account comprises the shorter ; MATT. VIII. was MARK V. name is Legion: for 13 30 And there LUKE VIII. and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were en31 tered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. a 11 Now there was there 32 15 1 The owners of the swine were probably Jews, for our Lord as yet confined his ministry to that people (comp. Matt. 10. 5, 6); and the loss may therefore have been inflicted on them, as a punishment for trading in swine's flesh, which they were strictly forbidden to eat themselves, and, by implication, to provide for their Gentile neigh And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.1 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was bours for the sake of gain. But yet the mercy in this wonderful transaction far outweighed the judgment, for it brought relief to the possessed man, and rid the neighbourhood of a great source of terror and annoyance (Matt. 8. 28), while it admonished the Jews against violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the law, through love of gain. |