Mark 4:33

But Matthew (Mt 13:34) says, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables"; and as Mark records only some of the parables which Matthew gives, we are warranted to infer that the "many such parables" alluded to here mean no more than the full complement of them which we find in Matthew.

OUR blessed Lord had two great objectives before Him in His ministry. The first was to preach the Word to the outlying masses, that out of them He might gather a people to Himself who should be His disciples. This part of His work He carried on with great diligence and perseverance, traversing the Holy Land from end to end and finding here, one, and there, another, but never ceasing to preach the Gospel to the crowds that flocked to Him.

The parable of the mustard seed is one of those parables which partake of the character both of history and prophecy. It seems intended to illustrate the history of Christ's visible church on earth, from the time of the first advent down to the judgment day. The seed cast into the earth, in the preceding parable, showed us the work of grace in a heart. The mustard seed shows us THE PROGRESS OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANITY IN THE WORLD.

The parable of the mustard seed is one of those parables which partake of the character both of history and prophecy. It seems intended to illustrate the history of Christ's visible church on earth, from the time of the first advent down to the judgment day. The seed cast into the earth, in the preceding parable, showed us the work of grace in a heart. The mustard seed shows us THE PROGRESS OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANITY IN THE WORLD. We learn, in the first place, that, like the grain of mustard seed, Christ's visible church was to be small and weak in its beginnings . A grain of mustard seed was a proverbial expression among the Jews for something very small and insignificant. Our Lord calls it "smaller than all the seeds that are in the earth." Twice in the Gospels we find our Lord using the figure as a word of comparison, when speaking of a weak faith. (Matt. 17:20; Luke 17:6.) The idea was doubtless familiar to a Jewish mind, however strange it may sound to us. Here, as in other places, the Son of God shows us the wisdom of using language familiar to the minds of those whom we may address. It would be difficult to find an emblem which more faithfully represents the history of the visible church of Christ than this grain of mustard seed. Weakness and apparent insignificance were undoubtedly the characteristics of its beginning. How did its Head and King come into the world? He came as a feeble infant, born in a manger at Bethlehem, without riches, or armies, or attendants, or power. Who were the men that the Head of the Church gathered round Himself, and appointed His apostles? They were poor and unlearned people — fishermen, publicans, and men of like occupations, to all appearance the most unlikely people to shake the world. What was the last public act of the earthly ministry of the great Head of the Church?

OUR blessed Lord had two great objectives before Him in His ministry. The first was to preach the Word to the outlying masses, that out of them He might gather a people to Himself who should be His disciples. This part of His work He carried on with great diligence and perseverance, traversing the Holy Land from end to end and finding here, one, and there, another, but never ceasing to preach the Gospel to the crowds that flocked to Him. His second objective was to train those who became His disciples, that having gathered them to Himself, He might educate them in the Truth of God. He taught them concerning the Father and His love. He taught them concerning Himself, His work, His death and His Resurrection. And He taught them concerning the Divine Comforter and His indwelling and all else that would make for their progress and profit. While our Lord was here, He gathered the men together who should carry on the work after He was gone. He did not think it enough to make converts—He wished to make disciples! He did not think it enough, even, to make beginners in discipleship, but He would have them advance in knowledge and in holiness, learning till they were able to teach others. To this day this same double work is carried on by the Divine Spirit through the ministers and servants of God. We are to preach to the multitude who make up the outer ring, for our Lord has said, "Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." We are bound to evangelize all, making no distinction of rank or character. To every person with whom we may come in contact, we are to proclaim the Kingdom of God. That being done, however, the minister's work is only begun, for He is now to go on to expound the mystery, to open up the higher doctrine, to lead the dis-cipled ones into the deep things of God that there may be fathers, instructors, and leaders in the Church.

With many such parables - Πολλαις, many, is omitted by L, sixteen others; the Syriac, both the Persic, one Arabic, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, and two of the Itala. Mill approves of the omission, and Griesbach leaves it doubtful. It is probably an interpolation: the text reads better without it. As they were able to hear - Ακουειν, or to understand always suiting his teaching to the capacities of his hearers. I have always found that preacher most useful, who could adapt his phrase to that of the people to whom he preached. Studying different dialects, and forms of speech, among the common people, is a more difficult and a more useful work than the study of dead languages. The one a man should do, and the other he need not leave undone.