Profitable Hearers of the Word

 Profitable Hearers of the Word

Matthew 13:23.1 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

This parable of the sower and the seed is one of the most notable of Christ's parables that we have account of; and it being so, 'twill not be improper in this place a little to inquire into the reasons why Christ so commonly taught in this way. 

The following reasons may be given:

In the first place, 'tis an engaging way of instructing. It engages the attention of the hearers, when any doctrine is taught in an allegory and by way of story. It is a most familiar way, as a parent would instruct a child. Christ condescended to the weakness and childishness of the people, and instructed by easy and familiar comparisons and similitudes.

And then it is a very instructive way. The reason of the thing many times will presently be seen by an apt comparison, that otherwise is difficultly explained.

And another reason why we are so often instructed in Scriptures in an allegorical way, in Christ's parables and elsewhere, is that we might have some exercise for our understandings to find out the truth contained in them. Our understandings were given us to be used, and above all to be exercised, in divine things. Therefore God teaches us in such a way that we shall have some exercise of meditation and study. God gives us the gold, but he gives it to us in a mine that we might dig for it and get in a way of our own industry.

And then, when the truth is found out, it makes a greater impression, is much more pleasing. If truth was revealed in such a way that we could understand it as well without study or diligence as with, and fools could understand as much as wise men, truth would be despised.

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If gold were thrown plentifully before every man's face, and everyone could have it without any labor or industry, it would not be prized as now it is. But God gives it to us in mines; we must dig for it, if we get it, and that makes it precious. So God gives us divine truth as it were in mines—in allegories and parables and types—where we must dig for it to come at it.

'Tis for the same reasons that abundance of the Scripture is obscure and difficult to be understood. 

The prophecies were delivered in dark similitudes. It was not Jesus Christ in the flesh that first brought in this way of teaching. God always used it, and especially under the old testament, where all things are in types and shadows; and these types were not only for the Jews' sakes, but also for the church to the end of the world. 

This is not only God's method in Scripture, but his method in nature also. The works of God are hard to be understood, that they might be "sought out of all them that have pleasure in them" (Psalms 111:2).

For the same reason, the prophets were often appointed to do such and such things for a sign.

This reason also may be given that Christ spoke so much in parable: that many of that people were not capable of receiving gospel truths plainly declared. It would be like putting new wine into old bottles. For the same reason also, the gospel was preached to the Jews under a veil; they were not able to look upon Moses' face except there was a veil put over it.

But the principle reason seems to be that which Christ himself gives to his disciples when they asked him, beginning with the tenth verse, "And the disciples came, [and said] to him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." 

It was that those that had honest hearts and had pleasure in the truth and sought it out might understand it, but that others might not understand it. Those that had a love to divine truth would be likely to know, but others would be ignorant. 

Therefore we may observe that Christ seldom speaks to his own disciples in parables, and seldom speaks to the multitude without a parable. This may serve something to enlighten us with respect to the reason of Christ's using so many parables.