57. The discourse in parables. Matthew gives seven parables at this point (xiii.), Mark (iv. 1-34) has three, one of them is not given in Matthew, Luke (viii. 4-18) gives in this connection but one,—­the Sower.  Many think that the Tares of Matthew (xiii. 24-30, 36-43) is a doublet of Mark’s Seed growing secretly (iv. 26-29); so Weiss LX II. 209 note, against which view see WendtLJ I. 178 f., and Bruce, Parabolic Teaching of Xt, 119.  Matthew has probably made here a group of parables, as in chapters v. to vii. he has made a group of other teachings.  The interpretation of the Tares, and of the Draw-net (xiii. 40-43, 49, 50), may indicate that these parables were spoken after Jesus began to teach plainly concerning the end of the world (Mk. viii. 31 to ix. 1), Luke gives the Mustard Seed and Leaven in another connection (xiii. 18-21), and it may be that Matthew has taken them out of their true context to associate them with the other parables of his group; yet in popular teaching it must be recognized that illustrations are most likely to be repeated in different situations.  On the parables see Goebel, The Parables of Jesus (1890), Bruce, The Parabolic Teaching of Christ, 3d ed. (1886), Juelicher, Die Gleichnissreden Jesu (2 vols. 1899), and the commentaries on the gospels.

58. The instructions to the twelve.  Mt. ix. 36 to xi. 1. x. 1, 5-14 corresponds in general with Mk. vi. 7-11; Lk. ix. 1-5.  The similarity is closer, however, between x. 7-15 and Lk. x. 3-12—­the instructions to the seventy (see sect.  A 68).  The rest of Mt. x. (16-42) is paralleled by teachings found in the closing discourses in the synoptic gospels, and in teachings preserved in the section peculiar to Luke (ix. 51 to xviii. 14.  See SB sects. 88-92, footnotes).  It is probable that here the first evangelist has made a group of instructions to disciples gathered from all parts of the Lord’s teachings; such a collection was of great practical value in the early time of persecution.

59. Did Jesus twice feed the multitudes?  All the gospels record the feeding of the five thousand (Mt. xiv. 13-23; Mk. vi. 30-46; Lk. ix. 10-17; Jn. vi. 1-15), Matthew (xv. 32-38) and Mark (viii. 1-9) give also the feeding of the four thousand.  The similarities are so great that the two accounts would be regarded as doublets if they occurred in different gospels.  The difficulty with such an identification is chiefly the reference which in both Matthew (xvi. 9, 10) and Mark (viii. 19, 20) Jesus is said to have made to the two feedings.  The evangelists clearly distinguished the two.  In view of this fact the differences between the accounts become important.  These concern the occasion of the two miracles, the number fed, the nationality of the multitudes (compare Jn. vi. 31 and Mk. vii. 31), the number of loaves and of baskets of broken pieces (the name for basket is different in the two cases, and is preserved consistently in Mk. viii. 19, 20; Mt. xvi. 9, 10).  See GilbertLJ 259-262, Gould, and Swete, on Mk. viii. 1-9; Meyer, Alford, on Mt. xv. 32-38.  WeissLX II. 376f., BeysLJ I. 279f., WendtLJ I. 42, Holtzmann Hand-comm. I. 186 ff., identify the accounts.  See also SandayHastBD II. 629.