Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-01
In The Religious World;
(REv1Ew OF SUNDAY SCHOOL LEssoN)

from the villagers of Syria and Meso
potamia.
So this parable Of the husbandmar
who found treasure hidden in his
field, and then sold all that he had
that he might buy the field, seems
very natural to one who possesses
even superficial knowledge Of the
orient. Mother Earth has been the
great banker of Asia. Even to this day
some Of the native Indian princes
bury their treasure.
The point Of the parable Is that the
Kingdom of Heaven is treasure be-
yond measure, and that it may become
upon unexpectedly. The farmer
| thought only to get grain, when he
suddenly found gold. The treasure
was more than he had ever dreamed
of. Fortunately, he had the wisdom
to see it's value and to secure It, 1t Is
always good investment to find the
kingdom at any price. 1t Is a treasure
that grows richer with possession.
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither hath entered into the heart OF
man, the things which God hath pre-
pared for them that love him."
The Gem That Needs No Art.
Alone among precious stones, the
pearl needs no aid from the art OF
man. 1t has always been synonym
for beauty and pricelessness. Even
the polished diamond has not the soft
and lovely lustre of a perfect pearl.
So Jesus cited the parable Of the pearl
merchant, who found that there was
to be had one pearl OF great price,
surprising all others that he had
known. Therefore he sold all that he
had and bought 1t.
This is a picture of the man seek
ing the kingdom who goes diligently
out in pursuit of the very best. Other
religions may be like lesser pearls,
but the kingdom which Christ
preached was the great pearl for
which all others should be sold. There
about comparative religions, and the
equality of ethnic faiths; and about
any religion being good enough II a
man only believes it. In this parable
we have the mind of Christ upon this
subject. The Kingdom Of Heaven Is
the pearl of great price The teach
ing of the Master was, Seek We first
the Kingdom No other interest in
life, material, social or spiritual,
should be allowed to stand In the way
of the search for that treasure which
once glimpsed makes the soul thence
forth dissatisfied with lesser pearls.
Sorting the Catch.
Somewhat like unto the lesson
studied in the parable of the tares,
was the third one told by Jesus, in
which he likened the Kingdom unto a
net which was cast into the sea and
gathered in of every kind Of fish.
When it was drawn to shore the fish
erman sat down and gathered ~the
edible and marketable fish into their
boat, and threw the others overheard
again.
This is somewhat missionary
parable, for in its beginnings the
church does gather in all sorts of peo-
pie There must be testing, here as
we'll as hereafter. Thus in Korea at
the present time the Christian church
is being tested by fire and by prison
and by death. Only those who are
willing to endure persecution for the
names sake will care to continue to
wear the name of Christian. 1t is
notable fact concerning missions, how
ever, that up to the present. SO far as
reports have come to this country, no
Christian among all the hundreds Of
Koreans who have undergone persecu-
ton, has expressed any desire to give
up his faith.
The parable of the net is remind
er Of the comprehensiveness Of the
Kingdom. No one sect, no one church,
no one creed, no one people, is suffi-
cient to comprise the Kingdom Of
Heaven The spirit which rules out
other faiths and other disciples is not
the spirit of Christ. The religious
charlatans who come along with Pc
culiar interpretations of scripture, say
ing to their deluded followers, you
alone are the elect, you alone have
wisdom to see the whole truth, you
alone are the people," are running
counter to the genius of the teaching
of Jesus
One more point the parable Of the
net has for us: : 1t takes two worlds
to set things right In this universe.
While we rejoice over the ameliora
ton Of social conditions here and now,
we yet cannot get away from the truth
that it needs heaven to straighten out
earth's tangles. The adjustments are
made at the end Of life's long day.
The Wise Householder.
To his intimate friends who
caught the meaning of these teach
ings, Jesus said that they, as instruct
cd teachers of the Kingdom of Heaven
we're like unto the householder who
produced from his treasurers things
new and things old. That Is to say, |
The teacher of the Kingdom. needs all
the new truth that divine wisdom can
mpart, but he also needs to hold fast /
o the old Our times want all things |
new; novelty is the passion of this |
age. People have itching ears. They |
hink that it is not the old gospel that
will satisfy them, but the newest OF
lew teachings. But he who is quail |
led Kingdom scribe brings forth from I
lis stores both the old and the new.
The truth OF this in the case of the
disciples was SHOWN by their subse- |
luent experiences. Several Of them |
,ecsme authors Of books of the New /