The Tupelo journal., 1910-06-17
The Parable Of
the Sewer
S.aday School Lesson fes Jans 10, ls1o
Specially arranged for This Paper

Memory verse. %.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Wherefore putting
away all flthiness and overlooking OF
w~fckedness, receive with weakness the
implanted word which Is able to save
your ~souls."-Jas. 1:21 (R. W.
TIME.-The autumn of A. d. e, SIX
months before the last lesson.
PLACE.-Beside the Sea OF Galiiee.
probably near Capernaum.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
When a Boat Became a Pulpit.-Vs.
1-3a. When was this parable spoken!
1.-THE same day,"-a day of which we
have a conspicuously full record. when
Jesus healed the blind and dumb
demoniac. Matt. 70: 22-45), and had
a discussion with some scribes from
Jerusalem. When his mother and
brothers sought him (Matt. ~: 46-50),
he proclaimed his disciples as his
kindred. Then, leaving the house, he
went on to the seashore, and there
spoke a series of seven parallels.
Who made up Christ's audience?
Great multitudes," "out Of every
CITY," as Luke say Christ had been
teaching and healing in all their cities
duke 8: -, and hundreds must have
followed the great rabbi and miracle
worker, to see more wonders or to
gain new blessings for themselves or
their dear ones. In the crowd were
doubtless workmen from the nearby
fields and vineyards, fishermen just
come from their toll out in the lake,
shepherds from their focks on the
hills, artisans from the busy factories
of the town, men from a caravan pass
ing on the Damacus road, some sol
diers from the barracks, boys on their
way home from school, critical and
sneering scribes from Jerusalem,
eager and loving disciples, old men
leaning on their stats, mothers with
babies In their arms-all the diverse
elements of human life would be rep
resented, and all could find something
for themselves in the simple stories
the Preacher told.
What was Christ's pulpit? The
crowd was SO great that, In order to
gain a vantage ground whence he
could be seen and heard, ur Lord en-
tered a boat.
What was Christ's sermon? HE
spake many things unto them in para
bles." These seven parallels mark
adds an eighty ARE a great whole,
setting forth the mystery Of the king
dom in it's methods of establishment,
Its corruption, it's outward and inward
growth, the conditions of entrance into
1t, and its final puri1cation."-Alex-
ander Maclaren. The first parable is
lttingly an illustration of how the
kingdom gets a foothold-or fails to-
In human hearts and lives. through
good and bad listening. 1t is less "the
parable of the sower" than "the para
BILE of the ground" that is offered TO
the sower.
Four Kinds of Ground.-Vs. 3b-s.
What scene had Christ in mind as the
basis Of the parable? "A sower went
forth to SOW"
What is the first kind of ground on
which the seed fell? 1.-THE way side,"
for grainfields in Palestine are seldom
fenced, and both pedestrians and
beasts of burden use freely the narrow
paths intersecting them. The ground.
of course, is beaten hard, and the seed
that falls there remains conspicuously
on the surface.
What is the second kind of ground?
STONY places, where they had not
much earth"
What is the third kind Of ground!
Some fell among thorns."
How did the seed fare in that soil?
"The thorns sprung up. and choked
them"
What is the fourth kind of ground?
Good ground" rich, responsive and
permanently productive. OF course,
most of the seed fell upon such soil.
How did the seed fare in this
ground! 1T brought forth fruit. some
an h~undredfold, some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold."
Four Kinds of Hearers.-vs. 1923.
Why did the disciples seek an ex.
PLANTATION of the parable? It seems
simple and clear to us only because
we are SO familiar with the interpre-
tation. Really, it was susceptible OF
many meanings.
Who is the sower? Again. as in the
next parable, the Son of man; but he
is the head farmer, and all Christians
are to be farmers under him.
What is the seed? "The word OF
the kingdom" whatever utterance or
act has to do with the coming of the
kingdom Of heaven on earth.
What is the soil? 1t is the heart of
man, which responds to the truth in
many ways.
Who are wayside hearers! Those
that do not understand "the word OF
the kingdom"
What befalls the truth in such
hearts? Then cometh the wicked
one," Satan, the reality Of whose
existence and baneful activity our
Lord SO often avouches. and catcheth
away that which was own
Who are the stony ground hearers!
They make an advance over the first
class, for they receive the word, and
even with Joy; but they obey it only
TO a certain extent and for q short
time. When obedience to 1t gets
them into trouble.
Who are the thorny ground hear
ers? Those in whose hearts the word
Of truth Is choked by the ARE of thil
world, the deceitfulness of riches
and, as Mark adds. "ths lust other
things"
Who are the good ground hearers!
Those that hear the word and take
it in, receive it in an honest and good