Article May 1, 1915 Issue

Angel Reapers

EVA S. W. WILLIAMS

One of the deeply significant declarations in the parable of the tares is this: "The reapers are the angels." On referring to James Hastings' "Dictionary of the Bible" I found the following interesting statement regarding the special design of this form of teaching which was so frequently used by our Lord: "In the parable two different planes of experience were brought together, one familiar, concrete, and definite, the other an area of abstractions, conjectures, and possibilities. At the points of contact it was possible for those who desired to do so to pass from the known to the unknown. Imagination was exercised and the critical faculty appealed to, and sympathy was enlisted according to the merits of the case presented. A moral decision could thus be impartially arrived at without arousing the instinct of self-defense, and when the parallelism was once recognized, the bearer had either to make the desired application or act in contempt of his own judgment."

Until human consciousness becomes receptive, spiritual teaching is far too high for acceptance, and plain speaking in the form of rebuke is apt to arouse, as stated, the instinct of self-justification. Nathan's story of the ewe lamb, spoken to David, had the desired effect of drawing forth a judgment upon his own action from which David could not escape, nor did he desire to justify himself when the parallelism had been pointed out to him. Perhaps all who listened to our Lord's parables on the sower, the tares, the hidden treasure, etc., gathered some faint glimpses of the lesson underlying each; but only to the disciples could it be said, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear." This saying is very encouraging to all who honestly desire to see and to hear, for it must have been this desire on the disciples' part which drew forth the Master's commendation.

Their comprehension of his meaning was only partial, as is shown by their answer to the injunction given to them on the very last day of his presence among them: "Lord, behold, here are two swords;" but at least they were willing and eager to receive instruction. For this reason, on the day of Pentecost a much fuller measure of understanding was attained by them, and proofs were many in their healing and life-restoring "signs" of the knowledge they had gained of the Principle underlying their Master's works, and this knowledge they were also able to pass on to others. But later on came a long period of centuries during which literal interpretation took the place of spiritual perception. The Bible was in men's hands (not always in the hands of the laity), and both the words and works of Jesus were familiar; but in spite of the interpretations given they failed to understand the parables, and the so-called miracles were regarded as individual manifestations of power, instead of demonstrations of the divine Principle of healing.

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