Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-05-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY s.

kill, 1880. 3e-4s-Golden Text. Gal.
| vi. - Memory Verse. 80 - Topic,
Problems Of Good and Evil.
l. The parable Tvs. 24-3O). 1. The
sowing Tvs. "a, 25) "a. Another par.
able" Jesus saw that this mode of
teaching was the safest and most i'm.
pressive method for the general public.
"a man." The man" represents the
Son of Man ". 80. He alone is the
source of all good seed. Good seed"
In the parable of the sower Jesus said
the seed was the word of God, in this
He said, "The good seed are the chill.
dren of the kingdom" (v. 3S). God
sows nothing but truth; His children
are converted through the truth. "In
His field" The field is the world ".
3S). The world is His field. When
Christ comes to take possession of that
which Is His own. 25. "While men
slept" In the night, when evil-dis.
posed persons would try to injure the
property of their neighbors. "When
professors were lukewarm and pastors
indoent." His enemy" 1.-THE enemy
that sowed them is the devil" ". 39).
| Notice that Jesus refers to him as
His" enemy. The devil is not only the
enemy of Christ but of all who follow
| Christ. "SOwed." A kind of injury
frequently practiced in the East, from
malice and revenge. "Tares." This is
literally "darnel," the weed that grows
among the wheat.
| 9. The tares discovered Tvs. 26, 20.
26. brought forth fruit" Their real
! difference was seen when the fruit ap-
peared. Compare Matt. 7:16-2O. There
is a great deal of secret wickedness in
the hearts Of men, which is long hid
under cloak Of profession, but
breaks out at last. 81 "The servants"
The faithful and vigilant ministers OF
Christ. "Said unto Him." They dis
covered the devices of the devil and
came with grief to tell the Lord about
it and inquire into the cause. whence
-tares." Only good seed was sown, and
we may we'll ask how have these tares
| ceme? This is question which has
been asked ever since the days of Job.
3. The harvest Tvs. 2S-30). %. "An
enemy" The teachings of Christ show
conclusvely that there is an active, in
telligent, personal devil. Those are in
error who teach that the devil is only a
principle of evil in man. Hath done
this" God made men, as He did an
| gels, intelligent creatures, and conse-
quently free, either to choose good or
! evil; but lie Implanted no evil in the
human soul. An enemy, with mans
concurrence, hath done this. Darnel
in the church is properly hypocrites
| ard wicked persons which Satan intro
dlices into religious societies in order to
destroy the work of God and thus fur
| ther his own designs. wilt thou"
etc. Here is another question which
| has agitated the church for ages--a
question as to the right of discipline.
Let us remember that rash zeal is as
much to be feared as lax discipline.
20. HE said, nay" Gods thoughts
are not our thoughts; we oftentimes
act very unwisely when we do not ap-
ply to Christ for direction.
30 "Let both grow together" Both
will grow together, and it is God only
who knoweth the hearts Of men and
/ would be able to separate the righteous
from the unrighteous Until the har-
vest" "The harvest is the end Of the
world" ". 39). The judgment day:
|
of the world. A final and complete
separation will certainly be made at
| that time IL will say to the reapers.'
| The angels are the reapers w. 39), but
| they are under the direction of Christ,
into whose hands all things have been
| given. "In bundles" Some writers
| think there is an intimation here that
in eternity sinners will be put togeth-
er according to their sinful propensi-
ties" "TO burn them" The wicked
will he punished.
III. The Interpretation Tvs. 36-49. l..
Jesus alone with His disciples ". 3G).
&C. "Into the house." This had been
a very busy day, and Oh that same eve-
ming Jesus crossed the Sea Of Galilee
with His disciples; but before they did
this they evidently retired to their
place CT abode in Capernaum for rest
and refreshment. When alone they
asked Him to explain the parable.
9. An explanation of terms Tvs. 81
33). 81. "Son of Man" No doubt our
Lord claimed the title Son of Man,
which was already given Him in the
Old Testament Dan. 7:13). 3S. "Field
is the world" This parable explains
the entire structure of the system Of
probation under the Christian dispen-
sation. It describes the struggle with
evil in the world until the judgment
day. Good seed" Clean wheat rep
resenting the truths of the gospel and
also those who embrace those truths.
Gods children are the seed. THE
tares," etc. The wicked are called
children of the devil because their sim
full natures have been brought about
through his agency. 80. "The reap
ers." Those who do the divine will.
3. The end of the world Tvs. 4O-43).
30, "rares-burned." That which is
worthless will be destroyed. Fire is a
common figure in the New Testament
to describe the retributions of the
wicked. The wicked will be destroyed,
but not annihilated. END of this
world" The day of judgment, when
Christ will come and the probationary
state will end.
Al. "His kingdom" The world Is
here regarded as belonging to Christ.
"That offend" Those who cause 9TH
ers to sin, as we'll as those who are
openly wicked, shall be cast into hell.
az. The figures of this verse express
the terribleness of the end Of lost
soul. 43. "Then." When the proba.
tionary state has ended, and when the
wicked aud every evil thing have been
removed. "Shine forth" A picture OF
heaven. "Ears to hear" The one
whose mind is open to the truth, and
who is ready to obey. All have ears,
kut all do not have ears to hear.