90 Day Bible Reading Plan Daily Devotional Day 15

The Parables Typically Considered

CHAPTER IV PICTURES OF MEN IN THE PARABLES

THE parables which represent the Lord's Person and work under so many different aspects, depict men in a corresponding variety of ways, sometimes referring to His own people, sometimes to men of the world, sometimes speaking of His friends, sometimes of His enemies. We find that men are represented as follows:

To this list we might add other similes used by the Lord. He referred to the ox patiently labouring in the yoke, to sparrows insignificant but numbered and noticed, to ravens unclean but cared for, to harmless doves and wise serpents, linking these two to show that the double characteristics must go together; there must not be the wisdom of the serpent without the harmlessness of the dove. Then too, when mourning over Jerusalem, He used the beautiful figure of the hen gathering her chickens under her wing, and it is noteworthy that it is immediately preceded by the reference to Herod as the fox.

All these illustrations were from the animal kingdom; others He took from the vegetable world, such as the flower of the grass fading and quickly destroyed, the lilies which without toil are beautifully apparelled, the thorns which cannot produce grapes, and the thistles which never bring forth figs.

As in the former case, this list suggests to us many ways of grouping the parables. By comparing those which represent men under the same simile we find out many points of teaching which otherwise might be missed.

To take one example, we notice that there is a great deal said about houses, sometimes representing the heart of an individual, at other times giving a picture of the nation. This figure runs through both Old and New Testaments, and by placing them together we gather the following details and descriptions. We read of two foundations, rock and sand; of two sorts of building material, viz., wood, hay, and stubble, or gold, silver, and precious stones; of two reasons for emptying, reformation and judgment (see page 183); of two kinds of besiegers and conquerors, the enemy and the deliverer, who represent two kinds of occupants. There are also two ways of storing the house, for self and for others, and there is lastly a house that is lighted.

The contrast between the last and the first on the list is striking. One shows the importance of having something which no one can see-the foundation ; while the other teaches there must be something which all men can see-the light.

Three of the earliest parables speak of houses. The first tells about the foundation, the second about the owner, the third about the tenant.

In the first the house is built, in the next it is fortified, besieged, and taken, in the last it is emptied, swept, and garnished, and again occupied. In the same way we may link together the teaching about servants, sheep, sons, debtors, &c.

In many parables two or even more classes of people are presented in the picture. There are wise and foolish, good and bad, faithful and unfaithful, profitable and unprofitable, fruitful and unfruitful.

We have the latter, for example, in the parable of the sower, where the hearers of the Word are represented under the figure of four kinds of soil ; but these may again be grouped into two, prepared or unprepared, ploughed or unploughed land, for none of the un fruitful soil had been ploughed. Who would plough the wayside ? Who could plough the rock ? It would be useless to do the one and impossible to do the other; and the weeds were a sure sign that the thorny ground had not been ploughed. As we read in Jer. iv. 3, '' Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns."

The two pictures which represent the great feasts tell of three sorts of invited guests, who in various degrees accepted the King's invitation, or professed to do so. Those that were "bidden" had doubtless meant to come when first invited ; just as they had said at Sinai, "All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do." They seemed to accept the invitation, but when finally told that the feast was ready made excuse. They accepted, but did not come. The man that had not on a wedding garment is a sample of another class. He accepted the invitation, came to the feast, but thought his own clothing sufficiently good, and so was not ready to accept the garment provided. The others accepted the invitation, and also the King's provision by which t,hey were made fit for His palace. They knew that the dust of streets, lanes, and highways had made their own dress quite unfit for His presence. From these three classes we learn that it is not enough to say we accept, we must come ; it is not enough to come, we must come in God's way.

We have two varieties of seed in the parable of the tares; two kinds of plants in Matt. xv. 13; two groups of watchers in the parable of the virgins ; two sorts of fish gathered in the net ; and two classes of servants in several parables.

In many of the parables the character, behaviour, or experience of two individuals is contrasted. There are two builders in that of the houses on the rock and on the sand ; there are two suppliants in the story of the Pharisee and the publican ; there are two experiences contrasted in the history of Dives· and Lazarus. Twice over we have a parable about two sons, and there is a good deal of resemblance between the two sets of brothers. The elder brother in Luke xv. reminds us somewhat, in character, of the one who said " I go, and went not ; " while the prodigal had indeed rebelled against his father, and had said, " I will not," but afterward repented. Twice over. also, there are brought before us two debtors.

Ada A. Habershon, The Study Of The Parables