Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-06-23
The Parable of
the Tares

LESSON TExT.-Matthew l3:2i-30, S6-43.
Memory verses, 81. 3s.
GOLDEN TExT.-'"Then shall tho
righteous shine forth as the sun in the
kingdom Of their Father."-Ma l3-+a.
TIME.-Autumn Of A. d.. ~.
PLACE.-On the shore Of tho Sea OF
Gaiilee. probably not far from Capsr-
naum.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
This parable helped the disciples to
understand some problems that con-
tinually presented themselves in their
thoughts about the kingdom OF
heaven. II Is a picture Of the con-
tending forces Of good and evil In the
world: and the victory of the good.
The Good Seed.-Vs. "a. 81. 3S.
"The kingdom Of heaven" Is the king
dom which has its origin in heaven.
and which Jesus as king came to es-
tablish on earth; in which the laws
Of heaven are obeyed on earth. so
that earth becomes like heaven.
The Sewer OF the Good Seed.-vs.
"a, 81. The man represents the Son
Of Man." through whom God was man.
ifest In the seed sowing. He is the
source Of all good seed. He began in
the Garden Of Eden. and has been
sowing ever since. Every good man.
wherever found, Is a child of God.
born from above by the Spirit. and
made alive with the life OF God.
The Field Sown.-Vs. "a. 3S. THE
field is the world" It is not the
church, but the whole world: not
Christian lands. but all lands In which
the true church Is the good seed. "In
his field" The whole world belongs
rightfully to Christ. The sowing OF
tares is a usurpation. Christ came
unto his own"
The Good Seed.-Vs. "a, 80. THE
good seed are the children OF the
Kingdom" those who in heart belong
to the kingdom, are filled with It's
spirit. and strive to live according to
its principles.
Gods children are good seed, living
seed. The principle of life, of increase
is in them. Dead seeds do not In.
crease. A dead church does not
grow; and this Is fortunate, for
neither God o man desires an in
e of that kind OF Christians or
churches.
There Is a great variety OF good
seed adapted to all seasons and all
circumstances. producing different
kinds Of fruit at different times.
But remember that Christians are
planted as well as sown, planted
where God desires them to be, "by the
streams of water" lisa. 1:3).
The Enemy Sowing Tares Among
the Wheat.-Vs. 25. 2S. 80. while
men slept" that IL. secretly. when the
good did not realize what was going
on, any more than a sleeping person
could. The beginnings OF evil are
often scarcely discernible. The young
often begin courses Of evil. as uncon-
scious of its tendencies and outcome,
as II they were sound asleep.
"HiB Enemy."-The wicked one. the
devil Tvs. 38, 39). He was the original
source of evil among men. The story
Is truly told In Genesis. God Is not
the author of sin either at first, nor
at any time since. Everything God
does IL toward making men good.
THE tares are the children of the
wicked one" filled with his spirit, liv.
ing according to his principles, and
under his control. They are not a
degenerate form of virtue. but as dis
tinct al virtue and vice. They often
resemble the good till the fruit be-
gins to appear. but they are as differ
| apt m yphnnt ond torno M tht,tln, o.l
roses.
The Wheat and Tares Growing To
gether.-Vs. $500. Let both grow
together until the harvest" Because
at first It is very difficult to distin-
guish between tho wheat and the
tares. The tares are counterfeit
wheat. Because when the distinction
Is clearer, there is danger lest while
We gather up the tares, we root up also
the wheat with Them" for the roots
Of the two are interlaced together.
1t Is absolutely necessary before the
grain Is used in the harvest, ito avoid
the mingling OF the kernels OF the
darnel and the wheat lest the bread
be poisoned.
The Harvest. The Fate OF the
Tares.-Vs. 80. 39-42. LET both grow
together until the harvest, which
takes place at "the end OF the world"
". 39). or age.
Say to the reapers . u. . the an
gels" ". 39). Matt. 1921: 24:31; 3
Thes. 1:7): any beings or powers
which accomplish this work.