Expositions of Holy Scripture : St. Matthew Chaps. IX to XXVIII — A Reader’s Guide

Repetition as a Homiletic Anchor

Maclaren’s use of repetition is one of the most noticeable features of his style. In the opening sermon on Matthew 9:2, he isolates the phrase “Son, be of good cheer” and then traces its occurrences across the Gospels, noting that it is “only once employed in the Gospels by any other than He.” This method—collecting instances of a single expression—becomes a structural principle. Later, in the sermon on Matthew 18, he returns to the same rhetorical move, emphasizing the disciples’ question about greatness and Christ’s answer about becoming like a child. The repetition of key phrases (“be of good cheer,” “little child,” “greatest in the kingdom”) creates a cohesive thread across expositions that might otherwise seem disconnected. Maclaren does not simply comment on a verse; he builds an entire discourse around a verbal anchor, then expands outward into theological reflection and practical application.

Metaphors of Inversion and Flow

Maclaren’s figurative language consistently inverts worldly expectations. In the exposition on Matthew 18, he writes that “rivers run in the hollows; the mountain-tops are dry,” and that “God works with broken reeds.” These metaphors are not isolated; they recur in different forms throughout the volume. The image of flowing water—rivers, hollows, dryness—suggests a natural law of spiritual gravity: grace collects in low places. Similarly, the “broken reeds” metaphor echoes the Beatitudes’ emphasis on poverty of spirit. Maclaren uses such figures to make theological points about humility and divine power without abstract argument. The metaphors are concrete, drawn from everyday experience, and they carry the reader from the text to the sermon’s application. They also reveal Maclaren’s preference for dynamic, process-oriented language: things flow, sink, rise, and break.

Shifts in Pace Between Doctrine and Exhortation

Maclaren’s sermons exhibit a marked change in pace between doctrinal exposition and pastoral exhortation. In the passage on Matthew 18, he begins with a careful parsing of the disciples’ question and Christ’s answer, moving step by step through the Greek text and the logic of conversion. The sentences are long, with multiple clauses and qualifications: “That ‘becoming’ is impossible without a revolution in us.” Then, abruptly, the pace quickens. Maclaren shifts to short, imperative sentences: “We must be made small ere we can enter that door.” The rhythm becomes staccato, almost aphoristic: “We rise by sinking.” This alternation between analytical density and punchy application is a deliberate rhetorical strategy. It mirrors the movement from Scripture reading to sermon application, and it keeps the reader engaged by varying the cognitive load. The same pattern appears in the sermon on Matthew 9, where careful exegesis gives way to direct address: “Son, be of good cheer.”

Readers approaching Maclaren’s expositions will benefit from attending to his rhetorical habits: the repeated phrases that serve as thematic anchors, the vivid metaphors that condense theological arguments, and the deliberate shifts in sentence rhythm. These features are not incidental; they are the means by which Maclaren transforms biblical commentary into spoken-word persuasion. The volume rewards those who read aloud, as the cadences of the pulpit are never far beneath the surface.

Rain pooled on the windowsill while I lingered over Maclaren’s insistence that grace bends toward the bruised reed. Later, restless, I reached for the older volume, half-expecting different country. Yet there it was—the same patient God, shaping wilderness into sanctuary. His voice doesn't change; it simply echoes farther back. Expositions of Holy Scripture: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers — Background and Themes felt less like another book than a long-awaited answer to a question I hadn't known I'd asked.