The Tupelo journal., 1906-05-04
PARABLE OF
THE TARES
Sunday School Lesson Tor May s. 1906
Specially Prepared for This Paper.
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

LESSON TExT.-Matt. 1a:24-so. ss-4s.
Memory verse, 80.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap Gal. 6:7.
TIME.-Autumn, A. y. rs. the same as last
lesson.
PLACE.-On shore OF Lake of Galilee,
probably near Capernaum.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. - New
Testament picture of Devil: Matt. Al;
1919: Luke :2:31; John 1872; 2 Cor. 2:l1; u:S,
IA; Eph. GIL; / Thes. 2:1S; 2 Tim. 2:26; ! Pet.
SIS, 9; Rev. 2:10; 1873; 20:1-3. 7-lO. Compare
1.-THE field is the world with Nal. Ill; Matt.
Sill; 13:31-33; 2S:19; Mark 1915; john lo:lo'
3:16; Acts is: Rev. 5:13. Angels: Luxe ~,
Heb. TIA; Matt. 1910; AS; 24:Sl; Cor. w.
ITO; Col. 2:1S; Rev. 22:S, 9; Matt. 2S:2-o.
Day of Matt. 1927; chaps. "a,
25; 2 Cor. $40; 2 Tim. Al: 2 Pet. 3!; hev.
2O:12, 13. The destruction Of the tares by
fire: lisa. 5:24; 1915. II; NAL. Al; Matt. a'lo'
v. "a. PUT He forth" Better, SCI
before them." as one spreads a meal
before mis- guests. "The kingdom OF
heaven is likened unto" A perplexing
hindrance to the growth OF the king
dom may be discerned by considering a
not uncommon occurrence by wnlch
the growth of wheat in a field was Mn
dered. Good seed" Pure seed or the
grain he wished to raise, unmixed with
seed Of any other kind.
V. rs. while men slept" During
the night, or while those in charge OF
the field were forgetful. Enemy
sowed tares." A more diabolical device
for %wreaking vengeance upon an enc
my can scarcely be imagined. "Tares."
The original has a particle indicating
that this sowing was over, or, on top
of, what had previously been sown.
V. 26. Brought forth fruit" Be-
gan to head. Not until that stage OF
growth was reached did any difference
between the two kinds of shoots APP
pear.
V. q. "Didst thou not sow?" A
form of question, assuming that an at
firmative answer is expected. Whence
hath it tares?". A few stray tares
would have been carefully welded out,
as they are in that land to this day;
but such an abundance of them was
found in this field that even the serv-
ants questioned the advisability OF
this.
V. 29. NAY -. lest we root up the
wheat" The roots of the two sorts OF
plants were by this time so interwined
that any attempt at separation would
be sure to cause death to the wheat.
V. 80. The harvest" The time for
cutting the ripened grain. Gather D..
first the tares." This would be q
matter of no small difficulty. Burn
them" This would be done in an
oven.
v. Sc. Then . into the house"
1t seems probable that the multitude
dispersed Grew. Ver.) because Jesus,
having left the boat, went at once
with the twelve and other earnest dis
ciples into the house-His own or that
of some disciple-from which He mad
come when He set out for this walk
to the sea. Declare (explain)
the parable" This request was evil
dence that the hearts of these, like
good ground, were eager to receive
and retain the truth. Jesus had as
sured them (V. III, as He assures us,
that to those who earnestly desire and
seek to understand spiritual truth, it
will be made plain. "Of the tares OF
the field" They had seized the char
acteristic feature of the teaching, as
their words show.
W 81 90 "IIa fhof cOuyoth tho
Son of Man." Jesus uses of Himself
an accepted Messianic title. 1.-THE field
-. the world" We are apt to mar
row our conception of the field. The
whole of this material globe on which
we live, with all its races of men, is
the field God loves to cultivate. Good
seed children of the Kingdom"
In the earlier parable the good seed
represented the word of God. Here 1t
represents those who have received
the Word into their hearts. Not all
read Gods truth from the Bible, but
all judge of it from the lives of Chris
tians. Jesus is called the Word OF
God John u, and surely each Chris
tian should work out in his life the
truth which his heart receives, and
thus pass on the Heavenly Fathers
message to others. Children of the
wicked one." Such as have so yield
ed their hearts to evil influences that
they exhibit characteristics of wicked
ness in their lives John S:44).
v. 80. The enemy Is the devil"
Jesus always recognized the devil as a
real person. 1.-THE end of the world"
The end of this present age. The word
here translated world" is not the one
thus rendered in v. SO. That refers to
the physical world; this, to the COM
pletion of an era. "Reapers are the
angels" Gods messengers Of another
order than man.
V. 40, Al. "Tares gathered and
burned" The burning of the tares
pictured the final destruction OF all
evil" "All that offends." Literally.
cause stumbling"-that is, whatever
causes any to fall into sin. Each OF
us is either a stepping-stone helping
others to rise Godward, or a stumbling
block.
Practical Points.
v. "a. We should continually work,
watch and pray for the coming OF the
Heavenly Kingdom upon earth.-Matt.
6:1O.
v. rs. When men are spiritually
- 49,