The Red Cloud chief., 1912-08-01
LESSON FOR AUGUST 4.
THE WORTH OF THE KINGDOM.

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LESSON TEXT-Matthew 13, 4l-53
GOLDEN TEXT-"Seek ye first hiA
singdon. and his righteousness; and all
these things shall DO added unto you"
Matthew 633
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
1t Of sufficient value for me to con.
slider or seek to enter It, or to possess
it?" In our lesson today there Is set
before us four parallels Jesus favorite
way Of teaching) which no 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 It's mixed character and final sepa.
ration. and the last, the great respon.
sibility Of those who possess It's
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
as man observes.
| Today's lesson sets forth the pur.
chase Of things Of great value. the &C.
QUESTION and disposition OF things Of
n mixed value, and lastly. the use OF
these values after coming into tho pos.
session Of them.
!. 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 ia
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. w. IS
l6. This parable Is very much the
same as the foregoing. yet It adds great
! strength and force to this study ir
I values. We ought to be very clear II
our study and application. The pear
{ Of great price may perhaps be takei
as q symbol of our salvation. but I
{ 80 for us to interpret the merchant
man as the commonality of man woult
J. be for the sinner to purchase his owl
Z salvation. thing as far as possible
for the New Testament teaching.
Why does Jesus speak of pearls Il
: the Hebrews who did not esteem then
at all? What Is the symbolism Of ,
= pearl? The pearl is the one precious
stone that Is the result of q livint
; organism: It Is the result OF an injur!
!! done to the life Of the oyster. It hal
! always stood for purity and for In
nocence. Is It then illogical for us Il
assume that Christ Is the merchant
man who gave all to redeem (e. &
. buy back) the lost souls Of mankind
y III. The drag net. vs. 1850. Thi
parable Is another that deals with tn
mixed character of the kingdom her
upon the earth and of the final separs
tion incident thereto. It Is noticeabl
y that this Is collective. not individual
y fishing. There will be many move
- !. ments that will ostensibly be for tn
y gathering Of men into this kingdom
!. but the principle here laid down
7" that one considered in the lesson {
the wheat and the tares, viz, that u
- timately there shall be cast out a
~ things that do offend. In the hnalit
Of all things the kingdom shall b
" without spot or blemish. Hence "
10 not read into this parable emph
=. Ms upon any phase of evangelism.
A Search the Scriptures.
u ". Tho householder. vs.. 61.53.
,s the first OF these parallels we had th
ID Word as the seed Of this new kingdom
re in this the eighth of the kingdom pa
I'd ables we revert as It were to the ma
ter OF the Word. Jesus asks h
m disciples II they understand the Woi
n. sponse ID, Eyes. We do" Then jest
7 shows them what burden Of respo
I sibility due to possession rests upc
an them. Jesus refers to the Scribe
M whose work under the Jewish eco
re omy was to transcribe and to interpr'
~ and tells the disciples that they In
!. like manner are to interpret the kin
~ dom to all men. They are to "brir
hs forth" hidden treasures. We must r
AZ member that Jesus taught In parable
that hearing they might not hear
Ar
N Scriptures and bring forth these hi
:. ~ den treasures of truth ~ we 60 abo
an doing our part.
=. Are we willing to pay the price &
~ the sake of the pearl? Are we williI