Morgan County republican., 1912-08-01
LESSON FOR AUGUST 4.
THE WORTH OF THE KINGDOM.

LESSON TEXT-Matthew I3, 4i-53.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Seek ye first his
kingdom. and his righteousness and all
these things shall be added unto YOU"
Matthew $3.50.
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, rs
It Of sufficient value for me to con-
slider or seek to enter 1t, or to possess
TT" In our lesson today there is set
before us four parallels Jesus favorite
way Of teaching) which he gave priv.
ately 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
of 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
rs man observes.
Today's lesson sets forth the pur-
chase OF things of great value, the nc.
QUESTION and disposition of things OF
mixed value. and lastly. the use of
these values after coming into the pos
session Of them.
!. Tho 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 lie 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.
1888.
oyUUouoW OF FcdTl6s
II. The pearl of great price, vs. As,
46. This parable is very much tho
same as the foregoing, yet 1t 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 a 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
Mt all? What is the symbolism Of n
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 1t then illogical for us to
assume that Christ Is the merchant
man who gave all to redeem e. &.
buy back) the lost souls OF mankind
III. The drag net, vs.. 47.50. 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. 1t 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 Il
that one considered in the lesson o
the wheat and the tares, viz, that ul
timately there shall be cast out al
things that do offend. In the flnality
OF all things the kingdom shall bt
without spot or blemish. Hence W.
do not read into this parable empha
sis upon any phase Of evangelism.
| Search the Scriptures.
w. The householder, vs.. 51.53. II
the first of these parallels we had tn,
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 tho Word. Jesus asks hi
disciples II they understand the Wor'
he has spoken to them. Their re
sponse is. "Yes, We do" Then Jesu
shows them what burden of respon
sibility due to possession rests upol
them. Jesus refers to the Scribe
whose work under the Jewish econ
omy was to transcribe and to interpre
and tells the disciples that they in
like manner are to interpret the king
dom to all men. They are to "brin
forth" hidden treasures. We must re
member that Jesus taught IN parable
that "hearing they might not hear,