Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

Matthew XIII. 36-43; 33. 497
the mustard seed itself, and of the plant growing out of it, which is
imployed to illustrate the kingdom of God. In Luke this parable,
and the following one of the leaven, also occur, but in another con-
nexion, which we shall afterwards consider more at length. (In
the parable the fnnporepoi; and the fie'i^ov, with the genitive following
them, have certainly the force of the superlative, only too much
stress in this respect must not be laid on them. Adxavov, = pn;,
vegetables, cabhage-like plants generally. The Trrretva -ov oipavov,
birds of heaven, appear here in a connexion wholly different from
that at Matth. xiii. 4, as representing all those who seek protection
and refuge in the kingdom of God, according to Ezek. xvii. 23,
which passage seems to lie at the foundation of this whole compa-
rison. As in various classes of objects various characteristics are
expressed, so in the parabolic language of Scripture, they may ex-
press a variety of conceptions.) The idea set forth in this parable
is obviously this—that in the unfolding of the kingdom of God, its
commencement and consummation stand in reversed relation to
each other. Starting from invisible beginnings, it spreads itself
abroad over an all-embracing sphere of action. But as the kingdom
of God itself may be conceived now in its aggregate character,
now in special relations to single nations, or individuals, so also with
the parables which set forth and illustrate its separate features.
The rich thoughts deposited in them possess the same truth for the
whole body, as for the private members, because truth is univer-
sally alike and consistent with itself.
Ver. 33.—The foudli parable of the leaven is closely aUied to
the foregoing, illustrating like it the all-pervading power of the
heavenly element, and the efficiency of which does not depend on
the extent of the mass on which it may have to act. The two parables
differ simply in this, that, in the former, that of the mustard
seed, the divine kingdom is exhibited as manifesting its powers (nitivardly;
in that of the leaven as unseen, as working in secret. The
leaven shows it at the same time acting on another element which
it strives to draw, and transmute into its own nature, while the
mustard seed illustrates the single point of its growth. (Zt'/x;/, leaven,
is used, Matth. xvi. 6 ; 1 Cor. v. 7 ; Gal. v. 9, in a bad sense, with
reference to the passover feast, Ex. xiii. 3. Its pervasive, seasoning
power, forms here the single point of comparison with that divine
element which wisdom, the heavenly mother, deposited in humanity,
to leaven and hallow it. The word IjKpvTTreiv, hide, indicates its
secret invisibly-acting influence. 'AAeipov, stands for the substance
of the (pvpa^a, the meal, of which the dough was to be formed. The
measure od-ov, according to Josephus [Antiq. ix, 2], contains fxadiov
Kai Tjiiiov 'IraXiKrjvS' The mention of the particular measure indivi-
Vol. I—32
* Nearly 1^ peck English— [K.
.