The Raymer enterprise., 1912-08-01
LESSON FOR AUGUST a.
THE WORTH OF THE KINGDOM

1SSSVN tOu AOOOSI
THE WORTH OF THE KINGDOM.
LESSON TEXT-Matthew Il. A-sa.
Kingdom. and his Righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you. /"
Matthew 6:aa.
We have studied some Of the prin.
ciples that are to obtain in the es-
tablishing and the working out OF this
new kingdom Jesus. came to found,
and the question naturally arises, "Is
1t OF sufficient value for me to con.
slider or seek to enter 1t, or to possess
It" In our lesson today there is set
before US four parallels (Jesus' favorite
way OF teaching) which he gave priv.
ntely to his disciples and not to the
multitude, that ought to answer any
such questioning in our hearts.
The first two have to do with the
great value OF the kingdom, the sec
ond Its mixed character and final sepa.
ration. and the last, the great respon.
sibility Of those who possess its
truths. In this entire group Of par.
ables found in the thirteenth chapter
or Matthew are four that are for men
who are careful to observe the out
ward development. and four others
that are for those men OF faith who
see beneath the surface the hidden
things Of the kingdom. Those men
who view the kingdom in each par.
ticular age as God sees rather than
as man observes.
Today's lesson sets forth the pur.
chase Of things of great value, the &C.
quisition and disposition of things of
q mixed value, and lastly. the use Of
these values after coming into the DOS.
session Of them.
l. The hidden treasure, v. A. Per.
haps more properly this should be
termed the parable of the bought field.
We need to remember that in all of
these parallels the Master himself is
the important parsonage. He is the
one who sows the seed. etc. Hence
we understand that he is the one
who discovers this great treasure hid.
den in the field. He has already told
us that the field is the world" (Matt.
1889.
Symbolism Of Pearls.
II. The pearl Of great price, VS.. as,
IS. This parable is very much the
same as the foregoing, yet It adds great
strength and force to this study in
values. We ought to be very clear in
our study and application. The pearl
OF great price may perhaps be taken
as symbol OF our salvation. but II
so for us to interpret the merchant.
man as the commonality OF man would
be for the sinner to purchase his own
salvation. thing as far as possible
for the New Testament teaching.
Why does Jesus speak of pearls to
the Hebrews who did not esteem them
at all? What is the symbolism of
pearl? The pearl is the one precious
stone that is the result OF living
organism: It is the result of an injury
done to the life of the oyster. 1t has
always stood for purity and for in.
nocence. Is It then illogical for us to
assume that Christ is the merchant.
man who gave all to redeem (e. e..
buy back the lost souls of mankind?
III. The drag net, VS.. 1850. This
parable is another that deals with the
mixed character OF the kingdom here
upon the earth and Of the final separa.
tion incident thereto. II is noticeable
that this Is collective, not individual,
fishing. There will be many move
ments that will ostensibly be for the
gathering Of men into this kingdom,
but the principle here laid down is
that one considered in the lesson OF
the wheat and the tares. viz, that ul
timately there shall be cast out all
things that do offend. In the flnality
Of all things the kingdom shall be
without spot or blemish. Hence we
do not read into this parable empha.
sis upon any phase OF evangelism.
Search the Scriptures.
". The householder, VS.. 51.53. In
the first Of these parallels we had the
Word as the seed Of this new kingdom.
In this the eighth OF the kingdom par.
ables We revert as It were to the mat.
ter OF the Word. Jesus asks his
disciples II they understand the Word
he has spoken to them. Their re.
sponse is, "Yes. We do" Then Jesus
shows them what burden OF respon.
sibility due to possession rests upon
them. Jesus refers to the Scribes
whose work under the Jewish econ.
omy was TO transcribe and to interpret
and tells the disciples that they In q
Ike manner are to interpret the king.
dom to all men. They are to bring
forth" hidden treasures. We must re.
member that Jesus taught In parallels
that hearing they might not hear"
etc, hence We are to search the
Scriptures and bring forth these hid.
den treasures OF truth as We 60 about
doing our part.
Are we wiling to pay the price for
the sake Of the pearl? Are We willing
to pay the price Of the field that 9th.
ers may possess the great treasure Of