congratulation for those who, characterized by qualities often despised, were yet heirs of God’s kingdom.  The thought then passed to the responsibility of such heirs of the kingdom for the help of a needy world.  Next, since much in the words and works of Jesus hitherto might have suggested to men that he was indifferent to the older religion of his people, he carefully explained that he came, not to set aside the old, but to realize the spiritual idea for which it stood, by establishing a more exacting standard of righteousness.  This more exacting righteousness Jesus illustrated by a series of restatements of the older law, and then by a group of criticisms of current religious practice.  The sermon closed with warnings against complacent censoriousness in judging other men’s failures, and a solemn declaration of the vital seriousness of “these sayings of mine.”  The righteousness required by this new law is not only more exacting but unspeakably worthier than the old, being more simply manifested in common life, and demanding more intimate filial fellowship with the living God.

137.  The teachings included in the sermon by the first gospel, but placed later by Luke, supplement the sermon by bidding God’s child to lead a trustful life, knowing that the heavenly Father cares for him.  That Luke has omitted much which from Matthew’s account clearly belonged to the original sermon may be explained by the fact that Gentile readers did not share the interest which Jesus’ hearers had, and which the readers of the first gospel had, in the relation of the new gospel to the older law.  Hence the restatement of older commands and the criticism of current practice was omitted.  Similar to the teachings which the first gospel has included in the sermon, are many which Luke has preserved in the section peculiar to himself.  It is not unlikely that they belong also to the Galilean ministry.  They urge the same sincere, reverent life in the sight of God, the same trust in the heavenly Father, the same certainty of his love and care; and they do not have that peculiar note of impending judgment which entered into the teachings of Jesus after the confession at Caesarea Philippi.

138.  In the story of Mark, which is reproduced in the first and third gospels, the use of parable was first introduced in a way to attract the attention of the disciples, after pharisaic opposition to Jesus had become somewhat bitter and there was need of checking a too speedy culmination of opposition.  He chose at that time a form of parable which was enigmatic to his disciples, and could but further puzzle hearers who had no sympathy with him and his message.  Mark (iv. 12) states that this perplexity was in accordance with the purpose of Jesus.  But it is equally clear that Jesus meant to teach the teachable as well as to perplex the critical by these illustrations, for in explaining the Sower he suggested that the disciples should have understood it without explanation (Mark