The Yale expositor., 1910-06-24
The Parable of
the Tares
unday School Lesson for June rs, lsl
Specially Arranged for This Paper

Memory verses. 81. 80.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun I'm the
Kingdom OF their Father."-Matt l3-43
TIME.-Autumn OF A. d. 2s.
PLACE.-On the shore OF the Sea Of
Gaiilee, probably not far from Caper-
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. It 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. SO.
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, SO. 1.-THE
field is the world" 1t is not the
church. but the whole world; not
Christian lands, but all lands in which
the true church is the good seed. I'm
his field" The whole world belongs
rightfully to Christ The sowing of
tares is usurpation. Christ came
unto his own"
The Good Seed.-Vs. "a, 38. 1.-The
good seed are the children OF the
kingdom" those who in heart belong
to the kingdom, are filled with its
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 nor man desires an in
crease of that kind of Christians or
churches.
There is 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" Elsa. 1:3).
The Enemy Sowing Tares Among
the Wheat.-Vs. 25, %, 80. while
men slept" that is, 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 It's tendencies and outcome,
as II they were sound asleep.
His Enemy."-The wicked one, the
devil Tvs. 3S, 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
Toes is 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 as virtue and vice. They often
resemble the good till the fruit be-
gins to appear, but they are as differ
emit as wheat and tares. as thistles and
roses.
The Wheat and Tares Growing To
yether.-Vs. $3.50. Let both grow
together until the harvest" Because
at first it is very difficult to distin-
guish between the 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
iarnel and the wheat lest the bread
be poisoned.
The Harvest. The Fate OF the
fsres.-Vs. 80, 39-42. Let both grow
together until the harvest, which
takes place at "the end of the world"
". S9). or age.
Say to the reapers the an
gels" ". 800, Matt. 1921; 24:31; 2
Thes. I'D; any beings or powers
which accomplish this work.
ITO burn them" So as to destroy
heir power of evil. and to keep them
from spreading. They shall gather
out of his kingdom all things that Of
fend" W. Az, that cause others to
stumble In the path of righteousness
The Harvest. The Blessedness OF
the Righteous.-Vs. 80, 43. Then.
when separated from evil. "shalI the
righteous shine forth as the sun"
Here are found hope and cheer amid
times OF opposition and the flourish
ing of evil. Make the evil help the
good.
| Christians themselves ara aducotad