The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-06-24
The Parable of
the Tares

Specially Arranged for This Paper

righteous shine forth as the sun In the
kingdom of their Father."-Matt. 13-43.
TIME.-Autumn OF A.. ID. 2S.
PLACE.-On the shore OF the Sea of
Calilee. probably not far from Caper-
naufn.
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, 38.
"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
fest in the seed sowing. He Is the
source of all good seed. He began In
the Garden of Eden, and has been
sowing Eel 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. I'm
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, 3S. 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 nan desires an in
crease of that. kind of Christians or
churches.
There is a great variety of good
seed adapted to all seasons and all
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS pIOuuCiu6 ulltItut
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. rs, 2S, 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-
scr is OF its tendencies and outcome.
as If 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
does 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
ent as wheat and tares. as thistles and
roses.
The Wheat and Tares Growing To-
gether.-Vs. $3.50. Let both grow
together until the harvest" Because
at first 1T 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
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), Oh age.
Say to the reapers the an
gels" ". 800. Matt. 1927; 24:31; Q
Thes. 40: any beings or powers
which accomplish this work.
To burn them" So as to destroy
their power of evil, and to keep them
from spreading. "They shall gather
out of his kingdom all things that Of
fend" ". Al, 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. shall 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.