Morgan County republican., 1912-07-25
LESSON FOR JULY %
THE WHEAT AND THE TARE9.

LESSON TEXT-Matthew 13:24-3o; Ss-4s.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Gather up first the
| tares, and bind them In bundles to burn
| them; but gather the wheat into my
| barn" Matt. 1920.
The thirteenth chapter Of Mat
thew's gospel is the great kingdom
chapter of the Bible. Seven parallels
In this chapter give us each Of seven
aspects or applications Of the princi-
pies of the kingdom. In this lesson
we are taught the mixed character OF
the kingdom and also of the ultimate
separation Of two classes OF which It
ls composed. "a man." v. "a, goes
out to SOW good seed In his field. This
man We are told In v. 81, is the Son
Of Man, and elsewhere that the field
is the world, the hearts Of men. Then
followed the propagatlng stage. that
period over which man has no con.
troll. During this period while men
ate and slept awaiting the time for
cultivation and of harvest, the enemy
of mems souls came and sowed tares,
the common darnel which SO closely
resembles wheat in its earliest stages.
After this propagating period had
passed the man and his servants went
out one day to find in their field evi.
dence that another had also sown
seed. The test of every life is the
fruit produced. During these earlier
stages the tares had looked 80 nearly
like the wheat as not to be readily
distinguished, but now that the har-
vest time approaches the difference is
all too evident. 1t is significant from
this parable that no blame is laid
upon the servants that they should
have allowed the two to grow up dur
ing this first stage. Surprise, anger
and disappointment stirred the hearts
Of the servants when they discovered
the mixed character of the approach.
ing harvest. The master, however.
clears them Of all blame. for. said he
"Our enemy hath done this" Not an
enemy, as the King James version has
it. Satan Is ubiquitous. but the Son
OF God Is greater than he, see I. Peter
1922.
Parallels He Taught.
II the servants had sought to up
root the tares they would In all likely
hood have done more damage than
good, though this does not imply any
conflict with Jesus words as found In
Matthew 5:29, 80. The seed had the
same environment and In Gods good
time the separation should take place
so "let both grow together" until both
be fully developed Then he will say
to the reapers. gather first the tares
and burn them, but gather the whea
into my barn. Notice the tares die
not evolve into wheat. Like begets
like. Gather into bundles Ia the
command. II we sin together. we mus
expect to suffer together. The whea
was ripe for full salvation, blessing
and q further usefulness. while thu
tares were ripe only for destruction.
After teaching these parallels. O
which this is but one. Jesus sent thu
multitude away and more fully ant
completely taught his disciples thu
inner meaning Of this parable. Th'
field is the world, and II We ask w
shall have the heather for our inherit
ance and the uttermost part OF thu
world as a possession (Ps 2:8). Th'
good seed are the sons OF the king
dom, but the tares are the sons (chil
dren) of the evil ono. Both the SON
Of the good and the sons OF the ba'
grow from, and develop out OF seed
the sons OF the kingdom from th'
good seed.
We must remember the three les
sons We have been studying. TIL
first concerned the nature OF the see,
and the soil; the second deals will
the mystery OF the growth and devel
opment of the kingdom. whereas thi
lesson has to do with the mixed.
World tho Field.
AS the Psalmist puts 1t Q:6), 9TH
ungodly shall not stand In the judG
| mani a p has no standing nor 9iu