the small questions--on which the central verity does not at all
depend--shall be answered and settled before they cast themselves
upon that.

Another of the blunders of these disciples, in which they show
themselves as our brethren, is that they fling up the attempt to
apprehend the obscurity in a very swift despair. 'We cannot tell what
He saith, and we are not going to try any more. It is all cloud-land
and chaos together.'

Intellectual indolence, spiritual carelessness, deal thus with
outstanding difficulties, abandoning precipitately the attempt to
grasp them or that which lies behind them. And yet although there are
no gratuitous obscurities in Christ's teaching, He said a great many
things which could not possibly be understood at the time, in order
that the disciples might stretch up towards what was above them, and,
by stretching up, might grow. I do not think that it is good to break
down the children's bread too small. A wise teacher will now and then
blend with the utmost simplicity something that is just a little in
advance of the capacity of the listener, and so encourage a little
hand to stretch itself out, and the arm to grow because it is
stretched. If there are no difficulties there is no effort, and if
there is no effort there is no growth. Difficulties are there in
order that we may grapple with them, and truth is sometimes hidden in
a well in order that we may have the blessing of the search, and that
the truth found after the search may be more precious. The tropics,
with their easy, luxuriant growth, where the footfall turns up the
warm soil, grow languid men, and our less smiling latitude grows
strenuous ones. Thank God that everything is not easy, even in that
which is meant for the revelation of all truth to all men! Instead of