to help those who really
wished to learn from him to understand what he was teaching. The
other was that those who were not willing to be taught might listen
to him without understanding what he was saying. These people had
heard him when he was teaching without parables. But, instead of
thanking him for coming to teach them, and of being willing to do
what he wanted them to do, they found fault with his teaching, and
would not mind what he said.

Now, there is a great difference between the way in which we are to
learn what the Bible teaches us about God and heaven; and the way in
which we learn other things. If we want to learn what the Bible
teaches us we must be careful that we are having right feelings in
our hearts; but if we want to learn other things it does not matter
so much what our feelings are. For instance, suppose you have a
lesson to learn in geography; no matter how you are feeling, whether
you are proud, or humble; whether you are cross, or gentle; yet if
you only study hard enough, and long enough, you can learn that
lesson. But, if you want to learn one of the lessons that Jesus
teaches, no matter how hard, or how long you study it, yet while you
are giving way to proud, or angry feelings in your heart, you can
never learn that lesson. And the reason is that we cannot learn these
lessons unless we have the special help of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
But this help can never be had while we give way to wrong feelings in
our hearts. In learning geography, and other such lessons, we do not
need the _special_ help of God. We can learn them ourselves, if we
only try. But we cannot learn the lessons that Jesus teaches in this
way. This is what the Psalmist means when he says:--"The _meek_ will
he teach his way." Ps. xxv: 9. And this was what our Saviour meant
when he said: "If any man will do his will, _he shall know_." St.
John vii: 17. We must be willing to be taught;--and willing to obey;
if we wish to understand what Jesus, "The Great Teacher," has to tell
us.

Some one has well said that truth, taught by a parable, is like the
kernel hid away in a nut. The parable, like the shell of the nut,
covers up the kernel. Those who really want the kernel will crack the
shell, and get it: but those who are not willing to crack the shell
will never get the kernel. The shell of the nut keeps the kernel safe
_for_ one of these persons, and safe _from_ the others.

But, after the time of which we have spoken, Je