The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-26
INTERNATIONAL S. S. LESSON
May 81, 1900; Matthew XIII, e4-2s,
PARALLELS of the Kingdom.

RarableS OF the tA1uBuOLu'
1t never seemed to be necessary to
ring bell or blow trumpet to gather
an audience for Jesus. He went up into
mountain. ana the people followed
him. and he opened his mouth and said,
.'Blessed." He went down to the sea-
shore. and such u throng pressed upon
him that he stepped into a boat and
used 1t as a pulpit. Speaking" as
some one says, from the bosom Of a
placid lake. emblem Of the peace Of his
own doctrines" 1t was on this latter
occasion that he formed strand OF
pearls out OF his parallels. When he
had dismissed the multitude with his
benedIctlon, he went into some house
which had been opened in loving hos
pItality for the homeless One. Out OF
that great audience there was little
company not content to so away and
say. We have heard good sermon.
Their hearts were touched; they were
intent upon knowing more. They were
not content With admitting the pearl of
the parable; thay wanted to clearly
comprehend the truth which 1T en-
shrinod. These eager souls penetrated
the privacy of the home where Jesus
was entertained. They said Explain to
US the parable of the tares Of the field"
Twenty centuries have had reason to
be grateful for the moral enrnestness of
these searchers after truth. For In an
swer to their request Jesus himself un-
yelled the spiritual truth hidden under
the symbol. 1t must be said,
in passing, that the whole teaching of
Jesus, the whole system of Christianity
Its doctrine, duty. privilege, and des-
tiny-ls u pnrable-a dark saylng-to
the human mind, naturally. One
must bring something to Je-
sus before he can receive from him
faith and the spirit OF obedience. To
him who has that. more shall be given.
and he shall have abundance. But he
who has not that, even his theoretical
Knowledge VIII remain so lmpotent that
II will be as II he had 1t not. Perhaps
there never was a time when theoret-
lcal Knowledge OF Jesus and his teach
ing was so universal as now; but It is
10 be feared 1t is to superficial. The
need Of the hour is an earnestness
which will lead us to do what the dIsci
pies dld-penetrate to Jesus very pres
ence. with the cntreaty that he explain
to us the parable. The open eye, the
attentive ear win lead to an under
standlng with the heart--to CONVEX
sion and healing. Blessed are such
eyes, Blessed such ears! 49,. Per-
haps there is no parable Of Jesus so
fundamental as that commonly chilled
the parable Of the Wheat and Tares II
has been called "a brief and simple
moral history OF the world" Cwhedon).
Here also is tho ground question Of
the philosophy OF all time relating to
the origin Of evil, (stier) And we are
gaycd from all error concerning II by
our Lords Interpretation. 49,. There
seems to be current notion That
somewhere in this world there is res
ervoir OF goedness-llka that from
which city gets rs water supply; ana
that there is also reservoir OF wicked
ness, which. ike the interior OF the vol
cano. ls constantly cruptlng and send
Ing It's streams Of destroying lava
abroad. Jesus corrccts the notion, In
this parable he plainly assarts that
there rs no existence of good or evil In
thla world apart from personality
Moral qualities have human souls as
their only sphere. Virtue and sin root
ond grow aud bring forth frult--ln mon
This Jesus INSERTS when he says The
good good are the children Of the