The Red Cloud chief., 1912-07-18
INTERNATIONAL
SUNlXSC[1OOL
LESSON
,By +. q. SELLERS, Director OF Eve.
ming Department. Tho Moody Biblo
Institute Of Chicago)
LESSON FOR JULY II
THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM.

LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:2j-32. Matt. 10.
s..
GOLDEN TExT-'"rhy kingdom come
thy will he DONE as IN heaven 40 or
earth."-Mutt. 6:l0.
Last week we observed the fact |
that the genesis of this new kingdom |
Jesus came to establish was to be |
the life. his life, when was as seed. |
Tho reception of the seed In various
sorts of soil, however. made vast diff
terence as 10 the ultimate outcome.
Today We may observe from these
words Of the Master what are to be
the processes Of the establishing Of
the kingdom. for we do not read into
this parable record Of the final con-
sumation. but rather that these para.
bles reveal different aspects Of the
same general process.
While II is true that this first para
BILE is only recorded by st. Mark It 10
in reality a complement Of these para.
bles about the kingdom found in the
| thirteenth Of Matthew and elsewhere
We have already noted that the seed
ia the word, Luke 8-11, and that the
soil Is the hearts OF men, but here
Jesus tells us that in the spiritual
as in the material universe man
"knoweth not how" the life principle
propogates itself. It Is a helpful
thought TO every Christian worker
that he is not to be held accountable
for that part Of the process; his part
Is to be that of the man who shall
| lao ipto h.
upon, but Into" ". 26). Having
thus planted the seed let him sleep
and rise again" 9. e., let him trust a
wise God to see to It that the seed
germinate and bring forth. All of
your worrying and mine cannot hasten
the process nor change the result once
the seed is sown, so let us BE- care.
full to SOW them right and as far ne
possible be sure We plant It in proper
ly prepared soil.
Process 10 Gradual.
Again let us beware OF prenumptu
BUSINESS "he knoweth not how" Can
you, my reader. define life? Can you
explain the transmission, the develop
ment, the propagation Of life? We &C.
| CCpI tuc ACouiI6 vi thCoo thlh6S IA
ture without questioning. why stagger
at similar things In the spiritual
realm? Why question the reality Of
the Christian life when we see all
about us Its results? In verses % and
23 of this same chapter we are ad.
monishcd that II we have ears "let
him hear" "a positive injunction) and
almost the very next word tells us
to take heed what we hear" Going
on down to verse 2S of the lesson
We see clearly the reason for these
words, for our lives will grow and will
reproduce each after its own kind. II
we sow wheat we reap wheat. II we
allow tares to be sown In our liyes
We shall reap tares.
The process is a gradual one. but a
sure one. First the blade, then the
ear. and then the full corn In the
ear" The harvest will not take place
until the process be completed. 1t Is
not till the fruit Is ripe that the hus.
bandman puts forth his sickle. We
are not to bother ourselves SO much
with the process as We are to guard
the source. Sow good seed and God
will see TO it that 1t shall bring forth.
Let us not expect the "full corn" OF
ripe experience from the tender
blade Of early Christian life. Let us
have patience TIL these young Chris.
tians have time to reach the full MA.
turity Of their powers. Jesus the har'
vester Of this parable knew when ia
put In the sickle. viz, when the fruit
10 "ripe," ". 20, r. W.
The Main Truth.
Looking back over history his was
indeed less than all the seeds In the
sarth," yet he set into motion those
principles and powers that have
. caused his kingdom to become great
In the earth lisa. 9:7.) Under the
branches Of this kingdom have lodged
the weary and the stricken ones. The
birds Of the air symbolic the gather
ing together of the nations OF the
earth that they may take refuge un
der the shelter and shadow Of the
. kingdom of God, see Eek. II, DAME
4. etc. We must beware of fancifu
interpretations or applications. The
, main truth is that almost without ex
, ception tho beginnings of all great
movements In the kingdom Of Goo
have been like mustard seed, small
, hut exceeding great In their growth
, Witness such moral developments al
the slavery question. Compare tho
present day temperance agitation will
what It amounted to one hundred. yes
| twenty-five years ago. The same car
be said of countless other move
, ments."
{ For the third parable that OF thu
leaven which q woman hid In tn,
three measures OF meal we need to re
Ter to Paul's inspired words as record
ed in Cor. 6:5-7 and Gal. $3.50. Herr
! Paul explicitly tells us that leaven I,
a type of sin. That we who are II