The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-01
The Lesson Text in Everyday Dress.

to establish--is like a tiny mustard
seed, which we are accustomed to
think OF as the smallest of seeds,
which a man sowed in his garden and
which grew up to be a great shrub,
even tree large enough to shelter
the birds which came TO lodge ir- it's
branches. Or, 1t may be likened to
a tiny bit of leaven which woman
hid away in great quantity Of dough
and which by and by leavened the
whole lump"
Thiss parable, together with the
parable of the Sewer and the Tares
Jesus spoke to the people at the sea-
side. Later, after he had returned
to his lodging in the city. he explained
the parable of the Tares to his dis
ciples and then gave them several
other parallels. First. ne likened the
kingdom-his religion--Chr-stianit
to a treasure which man found hid
den in a field Realizing the enor-
mour value of the treasure, the man
marked the spot and hurried away
and sold all that he had that he might
buy the field and obtain the treasure.
Next he likened his religion to pearl
of great price which a merchant in
search of pearls found one day In a
shop. perhaps in a lot of Inferior
gems The pearl merchant seeing at
once that ho had found perhaps the
most precious gem In the world. went
and sold everything he had In order
to buy it.
1t may have been at this moment.
or II may have been just after ex-
planning the parable OF the Tares,
that Jesus spoke the parable of the
drag-net. which is closely related to
the parable of the Tares. The king
- no IA n Ia {Fr1a
he apparently referred to the visible
rather than the invisible kingdom, his
church. organized Christianity-the
kingdom OF heaven in the final day
will be like the drawing in of the
flsherman's net. The net catches all
sorts of fish, but when the fishermen
come ashore they separate the good
from the bad and throw the bad
away. So 1t will be in the last day.
The angels OF God shall separate the
wicked from the righteous and the
fate OF the wicked will he unspeak-
able.
Have you understood what have
been telling you?" asked Jesus
Yes" answered the disciples. Very
we'll, then" said Jesus. Il will add
yet another parable: Every teacher
who has been taught in the things
Of my KINGDOM may be likened unto
a householder WHO makes use not
only Of new things. but brings forth
out of his treasure many old things
as well.
The Heart of the Lesson.
Jesus was an optimtst He believed
in infinite possibilities and priceless
values. He believed In the final out
pesS!Haist examines an acorn
to see If he can find a worm. An
optimist examines 1t to find an OAK
Jesus always looked for the oak. And
he always found it.
You and I need TO be optimists--
like Jesus We are go easily discour-
aged The seeds are go small ana
the growth Is so slow, and while we
are waiting we grow very uncertain
as to the value OF II all. We wonder
If it ie worth while. IT is nard 10
wait on a mustard seed in day when
men touch button and electrlcity
does the rest 1t Is hard to see the
value OF hidden pearl IN an age
that fairly dazzles men with Its ma
terial splendor. Jesus looked upon
the mustard seed lying in his hand
and saw thrifty shrub six feet hlsh
and rich in foliage. and birds sing
ing in It's branches. Jesus looked al
Peter-a great, rough. hot-blooded'
half-made man-and saw mlsntS
spiritual force winning three thou
sand souls for the kingdom In a Gin
gle day. Jesus looked into n" HaFt
or a disreputabie tax collect" 'f"p-
ned a seed there and saw the "noIe
world snow-showered with the "hitt
Oh Gets Of Matthew's gospel.
IT makes no difference how small
the beginning. says Jesus to MS; as a
tiny seed will one day become tree,
e heaven
the whole lump so the Word of God
sown in the world will eventually
spread throughout the world; so the
GOSPEL leaven hidden away In the
heart Of a man viii eventually ieaven
the whole man. Let US not he dis
couraged because men are SO slow TO
be transformed into the image OF Je-
sus: the Ieaven will do its work. Let
us not be discouraged because the
start we have made In China Is so
small: the seed has already sprouted
Let us not be discouraged because we
do not understand how 1t Is all 10
come about--how that boy so full of
faults is to become decent Christian;
how that nation SO stepped in ininuity
is ever to become a land Of light
II Ia God who works the miracle OF
the mustard seed and the leaven
Let us be optimists. like Jesus. Let
us look into the heart of the mustard
seed and see IL we can find tree.
Let us lean down close to II and lis
ten for the singing birds in its
branches Let us learn again the les
son our mothers taught us in baby
hood, to believe in the little drops OF
water that make the mighty ocean
and the little grains of sand that make
the beauteous land. For when we
have learned this lesson we shall go
further. When we believe In infinite
possibilities we shall believe In infinite
values When we really believe in
our religion--in its power to grow and
spread and transform-we will realize
that ii Is infinite in value-that II Is
as q treasure a man finds in a field !
that ii is pearl of infinite price for
which a man can AFFORD to~sell all that
h ehas II he may obtain It, Our re-
ligion, says Jesus, Is worth infinitely
more than all ii costs. Christianity Is
worth infinitely more To the world |
than all the world has paid or ever |
can pay for 1t. 1t Is so foolish to i
talk about our labors and trials In I
spreading the gospel and in trying to 4
realize the power of the gospel In our
own lives. All that we have ever
done and all that we have ever suffer
ed is not worthy to be mentioned by
the side OF the pearl of great price. /
There Is absolutely no sacrifice, SAYS I
j Jesus, that a man cannot afford TO !
make for the sake OF the priceless
pearl. And Jesus believed what he /
said. Do you and I believe II?
The Lesson Illustrated.
Here is q village of two hundred /