The Carpenter's Son and His Relations
(No. 3312)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1912.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, MAY
20, 1866.
"Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And
His brothers, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His sisters,
are they not all with us? Where, then, has this Man all these things?"
Matthew 13:55,56.
WHEN our Savior was upon this earth, there were some persons who,
having had their eyes Divinely opened, could see His true beauty and
who admired His every action and said, "He has done all things well."
But there were others whose eyes were blinded by sin, malice and
prejudice who could see nothing good in Him at all. Because He ate and
drank as other men did, they said, "Behold a gluttonous Man and a
winebibber." They said that His zeal was only pretence or else
madness–and when He cast out evil spirits by His Almighty Power, they
said, "He casts out devils through the chief of the devils." There were
some who wondered at His wisdom and His mighty works and who did not
know whether to consider Him a Prophet of God or a Divine Being. But
there were others who could only see the carpenter's human son, whose
mother's name was Mary and whose brothers and sisters were all
well-known, ordinary people. The language of the text is the language
of many who are living today–for while others see in Christ everything
to admire–these quib-blers see no beauty in Him and put Him on a level
with others with whom they are acquainted.
It seems to me that we have here two views of Christ's Person–the
estimation of Prejudice and the estimation of Piety. And two views of
Christ's relations, in which we also have the estimation of Prejudice
and the estimation of Piety.
I. First, we will consider THE TWO VIEWS OF CHRIST'S PERSON–the view
of Prejudice and the view of Piety.
Prejudice could not dispute the fact of Christ's wisdom and mighty
works, so it sought to disparage Him by saying, "After all, He is only
a carpenter's son, just the son of an ordinary artisan. Shall a Prophet
rise up from among the chips in the carpenter's shop? Shall we sit at
the feet of the Man who is simply a toiler at the carpenter's bench?"
Prejudice may seem very wise in its own esteem, but it is really very
foolish. To be prejudiced against a truth because of the lowly origin
of Him who proclaims it is most manifest folly! Is a pearl to be
rejected because it was found in a shell that is itself of no value?
Would not a wise man pick up a diamond from a dunghill if he saw one
flashing there? Even if the occupation of a carpenter had been a
degrading one, which it certainly was not, yet, if his son has
something to say that is worth hearing, is he not a fool who will not
listen to it because it is uttered by the carpenter's son? If from the
lips of Jesus of Nazareth a stream of Divine Wisdom was poured forth,
is it not most flagrant folly to refuse to receive it because He was
reputed to be the son of Joseph the carpenter? If He speaks as no other
man ever spoke. If His Doctrine is more sublime than that of any other
teacher. If the morality which He inculcates is more pure and more
heavenly than that of any other leader of men, what matters it that He
is the carpenter's son?–
"He whom man with scorn refuses, Whom the favored nation hates, He it
is Jehovah chooses, Him the highest place awaits! Kings and princes
Shall do homage at His gates."
But while Prejudice is thus very foolish, it is also very frequent.
There are many persons who put an extinguisher on the candle and then
try to light it. For instance, in listening to a certain preacher, they
make up their mind that he cannot say anything that can be beneficial
to them–and then they wonder that they are not edified! It would be a
wonder if
they were! Those who hear the Word only to cavil at it will probably be
left to cavil to their life's end, for while the Spirit of God explains
difficulties to the sincere seeker after the Truth of God, those
difficulties which men, themselves, make often lead them to make more
and more so that they continually plunge deeper and yet deeper in the
mire. But what a dreadful thing it is that prejudice makes men even
object to the Gospel of Christ! They say that it is so simple, so
commonplace that it will not do for them. I have heard some who ought
to know better say, when they have heard the simple Gospel preached,
"Oh, yes! 'Believe and live' is a very proper message to the multitude,
but something more profound than that is needed for thinking men!"
Meaning themselves, as if they were the only thoughtful people in the
world. Well, Sirs, if you are prejudiced against the Gospel because of
its simplicity, may God disarm that prejudice and bring you to see that
it is its simplicity which is its Glory and which makes it that means
of rescuing sinners from the ruin into which their guilt has sunk them!
Prejudice against Christ is also exceedingly sinful. If it really is
true that He is the Son of God, it is very shameful that He should not
have a hearing because He stooped as low as to become "the carpenter's
son." If the magnificence of His benevolence led Him to empty Himself
and to be despised and rejected of men, shall the splendor of His love
close my ears to the message of salvation that He sends to me? That He
who was One with His Father in Glory should condescend to lie as a Baby
in Bethlehem's manger and to go about among men as the reputed son of
the carpenter of Nazareth is cause for reverence, for admiration, for
love, for gratitude! Yet some for this very reason are prejudiced
against Him! If the Gospel had been suitable only to philosophers and
men of learning, what a vast majority of mankind would have been left
without any hope of salvation! Shall that Almighty Grace which has made
it a Gospel suitable to all classes and conditions of men become a
reason why prejudice shall turn its back upon it? Surely it is better
to be saved by "the carpenter's Son" than to be lost–better to enter
Heaven through Him who was "despised and rejected of men" than to be
shut up in Hell through not believing in Him! Better to receive a crown
of life from the hand of Him who was crucified on Calvary than to
receive the sentence of condemnation from the mouth of the Judge when
He sits upon the Great White Throne in all the Glory of His Father and
of His holy angels!
If any of you, dear Friends, have a prejudice against any form of
Scriptural Truth, I pray you to shake it off. We are all apt to be
prejudiced in one way or another, and it needs great Grace to keep us
clear of the evil, so let us be on our guard against it. Give the
Gospel a fair consideration and very especially and impartially weigh
in the scales of sound judgment the Doctrine of the Atoning Sacrifice
of Christ. Sit down at the foot of the Cross and study the wounds of
Je-sus–and do not pour contempt and scorn upon Him until you have
found good reason to do so–and that I am sure you never will do. Shake
off all prejudice, again I entreat you, for it is a deadly disease
which may prove eternally fatal to you.
Now let us turn away from Prejudice and see what Piety thinks
concerning Christ. As Piety asks, "Is not this the carpenter's son?"
she admires His condescension. Piety is not ashamed of Jesus of
Nazareth even though she supposes that He worked in the carpenter's
shop. On the contrary, she is full of admiration for the Son of God who
stooped so low as to be known as the son of Joseph and who, in that
capacity, was obedient to His earthly parents and assisted in the
manual labor in which the carpenter engaged. Piety does not think any
the less of the Savior because He wore the garb of a wor-kingman, but
she considers it to be to His honor that He laid aside His honor! And
she regards Him as having more Glory when He laid aside His Glory than
when He wore it! I long to see my Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven, but I
think I would almost as gladly have seen Him in the carpenter's shop. I
delight in the thought that I shall see Him on the Throne of God, but I
sometimes wish that I could have seen Him on the Cross, for it was
there that His love reached its climax as He bore our sins in His own
body on the tree!
Piety is all the more pleased with Christ because when He condescended
to be a Man, He joined the working classes. There are and always will
be, and very properly so, different social grades among men, but the
difference between a carpenter and a gentleman is, to my mind, so
slight that I cannot perceive it. We are all very much alike when we
are sitting in the House of God, and when we are lying upon the bed of
sickness–and especially when we are sleeping in the silent tomb. Yet,
if our Savior had come to this earth as one of the upper classes of
society, I can fancy my lords and ladies saying, "Oh, yes! We have much
fellowship with the King of the Jews as we think how He rode through
Jerusalem in His gorgeous chariot of State attended by such a brilliant
retinue!" But I can imagine how working men might then have said, "He
has little or nothing in common with us. He does not know what it is to
earn His daily bread by hard manual
labor." But "the carpenter's son" says, "Oh, yes! I do know that and I
understand your ways, and I am more familiar with poverty than many of
you are! Most, if not all of you, have a home to go to when your day's
work is done, but I had not where to lay My head, so you are better off
than I was." Jesus of Nazareth can fully sympathize with the poorest of
the poor, yet at the same time He is higher than the highest in the
land, for He is King of kings and Lord of lords! Those who have the
greatest intellectual power may well sit at His feet, for He is
Incarnate Wisdom! And the feeblest and poorest may draw near to Him
even as they did when He was upon the earth. We who toil mentally and
you who toil physically may rejoice that Christ also was a toiler. When
I see a notice about sermons to working men, I think to myself, "Well,
whoever else is or is not a workingman, I know that I am one and that I
work very hard." It is quite a mistake to suppose that those of us who
do not carry burdens on our backs, or follow the plow, or wield an axe
do not, therefore, work! The most wearing kind of work is that which
has to do with the brain and the mind, so I claim the Savior as having
fellowship with me! And you workers who have His name, have Him all the
better because He also was a worker! He was no lazy lie-abed, He was
not one who slept and dawdled away His time. He toiled at the
carpenter's bench and afterwards He said of His life's service, "I must
work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day." "My meat is to do
the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work."
Piety is grateful to Christ for being "the carpenter's son" because she
recollects that He is the type of the Kingdom which He governs. When
the carnal eye looks at Christ, it sees only a carpenter–but the
spiritual eye can see "the King in His beauty" in the garb of a
workingman. He who saws the wood and guides the plane and drives the
nails is the Great Creator, without whom was not anything made that was
made! What was true of Christ is in a measure true of His Church and of
His Gospel, too. The Church of Christ often appears to be merely a
company of obscure and insignificant folk, yet that Church is "the
bride, the Lamb's wife," and that Gospel which is often despised
because of its simplicity is "the power of God unto salvation to
everyone that believes." The outward show of the spiritual Kingdom is
very little even as it was when Christ was known as the son of a
carpenter, yet all the while He was the Son of God from Heaven. I do
not know if I can get this Truth of God into the mind of every
Christian here, but I should like to do so. The outward form of the
Christian Church and the mere letter of Gospel Doctrine may appear to
be poor and mean–just so–it is the Carpenter's Church and the
Carpenter's Gospel, but "the carpenter's son" was the Son of God, and
as He is in His Church we may say of it, "Jehovah-Shammah," "The Lord
Is There," and the preaching of the Gospel is no mere repetition of the
dull, dead letter, but it is God marching forth in Majesty proclaiming
mercy to every sinner who believes in His Son, Jesus Christ! Be you
content to remain unknown Christian–this is the Carpenter's
Kingdom–the Kingdom of the King in His Glory is yet to be revealed–
"It does not yet appear
How great we must be made!
But when we see our Savior here,
We shall be like our Head."
"Is not this the carpenter's son?" Yes, it is, but there is a Divine
splendor concealed beneath that lowly form! Some of the early fathers
and old writers used to delight in expressing strange ideas concerning
"the carpenter's son." Julian the apostate, as he is called, once asked
a certain Christian, "What do you think the carpenter's son is doing
now?" "Making coffins for you and for all His enemies," was the prompt
reply. If that is not literally what He is doing, we may depend upon it
that it will go ill with those who say of Him, "We will not have this
Man to reign over us," for we remember the solemn conclusion of the
parable of the pounds, "Those Mine enemies, which would not that I
should reign over them, bring here and slay them before Me." One old
writer says, "Christ was a Carpenter and a rare Carpenter, too, for He
made a ladder that reaches all the way from earth to Heaven–and up
that ladder souls are continually ascending to the palace which He has
gone to prepare for them!" That is a quaint way of describing how
Christ has bridged the gulf between guilty sinners and their offended
God by His atoning Sacrifice! Happy are they who not only admire the
ladder, but who trust themselves upon it and so are brought safely home
to God in Glory!
II. Now, in the second place, we are to consider THE TWO VIEWS OF
CHRIST'S RELATIONS. And again we
shall speak of the view of Prejudice and the view of Piety.
These men were not content with asking questions about Christ, Himself,
but they also made enquiries concerning His relations. They said, "Is
not His mother called Mary?" She was a very excellent woman who was
highly honored in
being the mother of Jesus, but there seems to be something of disdain
or contempt in the question, "Is not His mother called Mary?" Then
there were His brothers–very commonplace sort of folk, the questioner
seemed to imply. "Why!" said one, "I know all of them! James, and
Joses, and Simon, and Judas, but who are they?" "Well," said another,
"I know His sisters, and there is nothing remarkable about them, so
there probably is nothing special about Him. Look at His relations,
what are they but just a carpenter's wife and family? It is true that
they belong to the tribe of Judah and that they are of the house and
lineage of David, but they are not the kind of people to be invited
into the upper circles of society! So there is no reason why we should
take any notice of the carpenter's son."
Now, that type of prejudice still exists in the world. We do not hear
much said nowadays against Christ's natural relations, but it is His
spiritual relations who now come under the ban of Prejudice. "Yes,"
men, say, "this evangelical Doctrine certainly has a very singular
power to attract the multitude. In the hands of Luther it worked a very
remarkable Reformation. It is true that the preaching and writings of
Calvin carried this Gospel into the hearts of vast numbers of hearers
and readers–and we see the power it had over great masses of men as it
was presented to them by Bunyan, Wesley, Whitefield and other popular
preachers–yet, after all, what is the type of people that is attracted
by such preaching as this?" Prejudice does not stop to answer its own
question–it hardly likes to say what it thinks, but what it thinks is
something like this.
It thinks, in the first place, that they are a set of very poor people
and Prejudice considers that to be one of the worst things you can say
of them. In the estimation of those who are prejudiced in this fashion,
poverty is regarded as almost worse than crime! A man may be guilty of
nearly every form of iniquity, but as long as he is rich, nothing is
said against him. Yet, if another possesses every virtue, but in
addition to that is poor, Prejudice has not a word to say in his favor!
We need not be greatly concerned at this, for we remember that our
blessed Master said concerning His own ministry, "the poor have the
Gospel preached to them." If He was glad to have them in His
congregation, we also may rejoice if the poor are found among our
hearers and among those who are children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus!
Prejudice further says, "Well, if these relations of Christ are not all
poor, some of them have had very little education." This is a remark
which I often hear or read, but I certainly have failed to discover any
wonderfully superior education in many of the gentlemen who seem to
take delight in denying many of the Truths of the faith. I often think
that if they had been better educated, they would not talk so foolishly
as they sometimes do when they sneeringly ask, "What do those
uneducated preachers know?" Well, we might seem to be fools in glorying
if we replied that if we did not know more than they do of the vital
Truths of Christianity, we would go to school again and begin to learn
the A B C of theology! As for the great thinkers of whom they so
continually prate, we remember that Paul wrote, "Not many wise men
after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God
has chosen the foolish, things of the world to confound the wise. .
.that no flesh should glory in His Presence."
When these prejudiced people have had our answer upon this point, they
say that these relations of Christ, meaning thereby those who profess
to be His followers, are very much like other people who make no
profession of religion. One says, "I know a member of a certain Church
who has a very bad temper." Someone else adds, "I know another who does
not pay his bills." Well, even if this is true, is it surprising that
there are hypocrites in the Church when there was a Judas even among
the Apostles? "But," says another, "they are all alike, they are all a
set of hypocrites." Yet the most prejudiced slanderer knows that he is
telling a lie when he talks thus. If he would but speak the truth, he
would be compelled to admit that the Gospel we preach has made harlots
chaste, drunks sober and thieves honest–and that it is our great aim
to "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." He knows all this, but
it suits his purpose to shut his eyes to it and only to see, here and
there, the imperfection that is incidental to manhood, or the hypocrisy
which no foresight can prevent and which only shows that hypocrites
will thrust themselves into any place, however holy, except Heaven,
itself– and they would enter even there if they could!
This will suffice as to the view of Prejudice concerning Christ's
relations. So now let us turn to the view of Piety concerning them.
Piety says, in the first place, "Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ that He should have a mother, and brothers, and sisters here
below." That ever the Son of God should have condescended to have
brothers and sisters among the sons of men–and that there now sits
upon the Throne of God one of a human mother, born, is a subject for
unceasing joy! My soul seems to expand as I think of it! How wondrously
our poor humanity is exalted! Angels were never so closely linked with
Deity as manhood is now. Christ has no mother among the seraphim, no
brother among the se-
raphim, and no sister in all the shining ranks of holy angels! But
looking round upon those whom He has redeemed with His precious blood,
He says, "Behold, My mother and My brothers and sisters! For whomever
shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, the same is My
brother and sister and mother."
In the next place, instead of finding fault with Christ because of the
imperfections of His relations, Piety sees in their imperfections a
further reason for blessing Christ. She says, "What? O gracious Savior,
are Your relations sinners. Have they imperfections and do they make
mistakes? Then all hail, blessed Savior, that You are not only related
to humanity, but to sinfulhumanity! And though You are Yourself
sinless, yet You call sinners Your friends and You are called the
Friend of Sinners because you receive them and eat with them!" Yes, in
the sense in which Christ Himself spoke of them, His mother and
brothers and sisters are still with us–and though they are not all
that they ought to be, we love Him all the more because He condescends
to permit such people to be in close relationship to Himself!
Piety also says that she wishes she was quite sure that her own
relationship to Christ was as close as this. "Oh," says the humble and
sincere soul, "if I might be but the meanest among those whom Christ
calls His brothers and sisters, I would sooner have that honor than be
the wearer of an earthly coronet or crown or possess the greatest
wealth of gold or diamonds!" When Piety is assured of her own personal
relationship to Christ, instead of being ashamed of Him because of His
poor brothers and sisters, she counts it a priceless privilege to be
numbered among them! Have you ever read the inscriptions that have been
found in the catacombs of Rome? If you have done so, you must have
noticed that many of them were evidently the productions of persons who
were quite illiterate. Probably many of them were not able to write at
all, so they obtained the services of others who were little more
educated than they were, themselves, to write their epitaphs. Many of
these first followers of Christ were certainly very ignorant so far as
human learning was concerned, but do you now feel ashamed to belong to
the same sect to which they belonged? Oh, no! If you really love the
Lord whom they loved, you feel that it is an honor to be a member of
that blessed Christian brotherhood in which many of the members
cheerfully laid down their lives rather than give up their connection
with Christ their Savior!
Some people seem never to tire of railing at our particular
denomination. "Oh, Baptists," they say, "who are they?" But shall I be
ashamed to be called a Baptist because some who ought to know better
try to pour contempt and scorn upon the name? Oh, no! But the more they
are despised, the more closely will I cling to them! When our Lord
Jesus Christ asked John the Baptist to baptize Him, He said, "Thus it
becomes us to fulfill all righteousness." And with such an eminent
example before me, I cannot be wrong if I seek very literally to
"follow His steps" whatever disgrace that may involve. A man is not
worthy to be connected with a Christian denomination if he is not
prepared to take upon himself the reproach of the body to which he
belongs–so let none of us be ashamed of being Baptists! And let none
of us be ashamed of Jesus, and though His brothers and sisters may be
poor and ignorant, let us love and esteem them because of their
relationship to Him!
Piety also rejoices that Christ's brothers and sisters are here on
earth and that they are poor, for she says, "Ican minister to Christ by
helping them." Piety feels, concerning the brothers and sisters of
Christ, as David felt when he said, "Is there yet any that is left of
the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
He was kind to Me-phibosheth for Jonathan's sake–let us be kind to
Christ's brothers and sisters for His sake. Let us ask, "Where can we
find any of the household of Jesus that we may show them kindness for
His sake!" Christian charity delights to find the poor Believer and to
minister to him for Christ's sake. If our names are found enrolled
among the brothers and sisters of Christ, we shall surely count it an
honor and privilege to do all that we can for the rest of the family,
especially for those who are in the greatest need!
Now I close with just two questions. First, dear Friends, what is your
view of Christ Is it the view of Prejudice or the view of Piety? Do you
say that however lightly Christ may be esteemed by the world, He is
precious to you? Then I trust that you also are among the brothers and
sisters of "the carpenter's son" whom He will acknowledge when He comes
in His Glory. Those who follow the despised Christ will not be rejected
by the reigning Christ!
The other question is, what is your view of Christ's people?Is it the
view of Prejudice or the view of Piety? Are you willing to cast in your
lot with them? Will you join the sect that is everywhere spoken
against? Are you ready to be hooted and jeered at for Christ's sake? If
you are, I trust that you are among His brothers and sisters who suffer
with Him here and who shall reign with Him, by-and-by. "Who is on the
Lord's side?" Let that question ring in your ears as you go your way,
"Who is on the Lord's side?" If God is your God, serve Him. If Christ
is your King, follow Him. Unite yourself with His people and let all
men see that you are not ashamed to acknowledge your Lord or those who
are His brothers and sisters today. Let not your view of Christ and His
relations be the view of Prejudice, but let it be the view of Piety!
And may God bless you, for Jesus' sake! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: MATTHEW13:24-58.
Verse 24. Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom
of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.
Jesus never sowed any other kind of seed. The truth which He taught is
pure and unadulterated. It is good seed–good and only good, the very
best of seed!
25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the
wheat, and went his way. Wherever Christ is active, the enemy is sure
to be active, too. If you have a sleeping church, you may have a
sleeping devil–but as soon as ever Christ is in the congregation,
sowing the good seed, the devil wakes up and by night, when men are off
their guard, the bad seed–the mock wheat–here translated, "tares"–is
sown among the true wheat.
26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then
appeared the tares also. The false wheat came up with the true. Perhaps
the seed in the one case may have looked like the other even as there
is "another gospel which is not another" with which some still trouble
us. The only true test is, "By their fruits you shall know them." So,
when the seeds had sprung up, there was the blade of true wheat, and
"then appeared the tares also."
27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, did
not you sow good seed in your field?From where, then, has it tares?How
often we have asked that question! We have seen children trained by the
most godly parents, yet they have developed a sad propensity to sin,
and we have said, "From where, then, have these tares come?" We have
seen a ministry which has been sound and faithful–and yet in the
congregation there have sprung up divers errors which have done a world
of mischief–and we have had to sorrowfully ask, "From where, then,
have these tares come?"
28. 29. He said unto them, An enemy has done this. The servants said
unto him, Will you, then, that we go and gather them up? But he said,
No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with
them. We are so fallible, we make so many mistakes, that we cannot be
trusted to do this uprooting, for we might pull up wheat as well as
tares. If there had been briars or thorns growing in that field, those
servants might have pulled them up without damage to the corn, just as
an openly evil person who breaks the Laws of God openly, may be cut off
from the Church without damage. But these tares must be left for the
present.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest and in the time ofharvest
I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tares, and
bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
There will be an end of this mixture in due time! The hypocrite shall
not always stand in the congregation of the righteous. The wheat and
the tares shall be separated "in the time of harvest."
31, 32. Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of
Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in
his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is
grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the
birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof The Kingdom of
Heaven is just like that in this world! Wherever it comes, it comes to
grow. And it is just like that in our hearts. Oh, how small is the
first sign of Grace in the soul! Perhaps it is only a single thought.
The Divine Life may begin with but a wish, or with one painful
conviction of error–but if it is the true and living Seed of God, it
will grow. And there is no telling how great will be its growth till,
in that soul where all was darkness, many Graces, like sweet songbirds,
shall come and sing and make joy and gladness there! Oh, that you and I
might experimentally know the meaning of the parable of the mustard
seed!
33. Another parable spoke 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. And although leaven is usually the symbol
of evil, yet it may be here a fair representation of the Kingdom of
Heaven, itself, for it operates mysteriously and secretly, yet
powerfully, till it permeates the whole of man's nature. And the Gospel
will keep on winning its way till the whole world shall yet be leavened
by it–
"More and more it spreads and grows,
Ever mighty to prevail."
34-36. All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and
without a parable spoke He not unto 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. 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 of the field. I again remind you that
wherever there is anything that you do not understand, the best way is
to consult the Master concerning it. If I read a book in which there is
an obscure passage–and I can write to the author and ask him what he
means by it–I shall most probably get to understand it. So, the best
Expositor of the Word of God is the Spirit of God–therefore appeal to
Him whenever you are puzzled with anything that is taught in the
Scriptures and say to Him, "Blessed Spirit, will You graciously expound
to me this parable, this Doctrine, this experience?" And He will do it
and so you shall become wise unto salvation.
37-43. He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is
the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seeds are the children
of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the Wicked One; the
enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the
world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are
gathered 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 all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity; and shall cast them into 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 has ears to hear, let him
hear May God give us such ears as can hear His voice, and may we take
to heart the solemn teachings of our Lord!
44-46. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a
field; which when a man has found, he hides it and for joy thereof goes
and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of
Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he
had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it It would be a good bargain for anyone to part with all he has
in exchange for the Kingdom of Heaven! Yet that great "treasure" is to
be had for nothing by everyone who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ!
47-50. Again, the Kingdom ofHeaven is like unto a net that was cast
into the sea and gathered fish 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 away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the
angels shall come forth, 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. We are to cast the great net of the Gospel into the
sea of humanity, but we must not expect that all we catch will prove to
be good. There is time of separation coming when "the angels shall come
forth and sever the wicked from among the just."
51. Jesus said unto them, Have you understood all these things? [See
Sermon #3305, Volume 58–a clear understanding.] This is a question
which constantly needs to be put to all hearers and readers of the
Word. "Have you understood all these things?" To be hearers, only, or
readers, only, will avail nothing–the Word must be understood,
accepted, assimilated–and so shall it make us wise unto salvation.
51. They said unto Him, Yes, Lord. They answered very glibly, yet
probably not one of them fully understood the seven parables in this
chapter. If anyone did so, he would be like the instructed scribe
described in the next verse–
52. Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed
unto the Kingdom ofHeaven is like unto a man that is an householder
which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old. He who has
learned anything concerning the Kingdom of Heaven should teach it to
others, bringing forth the Truths of God in pleasing variety, "new and
old," to edify all his Hearers.
53. 54. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these
parables, He departed from there. And when He was come into His own
country, He taught them in their synagogue insomuch that they were
astonished, and said, How has this Man this wisdom and these mighty
works? They were highly privileged in having Jesus back in their midst,
yet they failed to appreciate His teaching! They were astonished at His
wisdom, but were unable to perceive the Divine source from which it
sprang.
55-58. Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary?
And His brothers , James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His
sisters, are they not all with us? How, then, has this Man all these
things? And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, A
Prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own
house. And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief
This was a notable illustration of John's words concerning Christ, "He
came unto His own, but His own received Him not." Let us beware of
unbelief lest it should tie the hands of Christ as it did there in His
own country!