Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-06-16
The Parable of
the Sewer
Sunday School Lesson for June 10. 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT.-Matthew 1919. 1873,
Specially Arranged for This Paper

away all flthiness and overlooking Of
wickedness. receive with weakness the
implanted word which IL able to save
your souls."-Jas. 1:2l Or. w.
TIME.-The autumn Of A. d. q. six
months before the last lesson.
PLACE.-Beside the Sea OF Galiiee,
probably near C~apernaum.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
When a Boat Became a Pulpit.--vs.
LA. When was this parable spoken7
THE same day,"-a day Of which we
have q conspicuously full record, when
Jesus healed the blind and dumb
demoniac. Matt. ~: 22.45). and had
a discussion with some scribes from
Jerusalem. When his mother and
brothers sought him Matt. 10: 46-5O),
he proclaimed his disciples as his
kindred. Then, leaving the house. no
went on to the seashore, and there
spoke q series of seven parallels.
who made up Christ's audience?
Great multitudes." "out OF every
CITY," as Luke says. Christ had been
teaching and healing in all their cities
duke g.: ~. and hundreds must have
followed the great rabbi and miracle.
worker. to see more wonders or 10
gain new blessings for themselves or
their dear ones.
What was Chrlst's pulpit? The
crowd was 80 great that, in order to
gain a vantage ground whence he
could be seen and heard, our Lord en-
tered a boat.
What was Christ's sermon2 "He
spake many things unto them In para.
bles." These parallels mark
adds an eighth are a great whole,
setting forth the mystery of the king
dom in its methods of establishment,
its corruption, its outward and inward
growth, the conditions of entrance into
It, and It's final purifcation."-Alex.
ander Maclaren. The first parable Is
fittingly an illustration of how the
kingdom gets a foothold-or fails to
in human hearts and lives, through
good and bad listening. 1t ia less 1.-THE
parable of the sower" than the para
BILE Of the ground" that is offered to
! the sower.
Four Kinds Of Ground.-Vs. 3b-9.
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? "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, beaten hard, and the seed
that falls there remains c~onspicuously
OF 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? ut brought forth fruit, some
an h%undredfold. some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold."
-Four Kinds of Hearers.-Vs. 1928.
Why did the disciples seek an ex-
PLANTATION of the parable? II seems
simple n clear TO us only because
we are so familiar with the interpre.
tation. Really, 1t vas susceptible Of
many meanings.
Who is the sower? Again, nc 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? II is the heart OF
man. which responds to the truth In
many ways.
Who are wayslde 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 catchetl
away that which was sown.
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 1t only
to a certain extent and for a short
time. When obedience to It gets
them into trouble.
Who are the thorny ground hear