Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-02-22
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY "a.
JESUS TEACHES BY PARALLELS
THE GROWTH OF THE KING.
DOM.

]
! GOLDEN TExT--The earth shall be
iull OF the knowledge Of Jehovah. as the
waters cover the sea.-Isa. 1l:s,
DEVOTIONAL READING--Isa 1lI-l0
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
i TEACHERS-Matt 13:2i75O wv 81 32);
lsa, 2:3-4; Eek. F:l-l2. Rev 2lI-s, 22-27;
( Chap 2I-6 Rev. 2l1-s,
! PRIMARY TOPIC--Jesus telling story
about sowing.
! MEMORY yERSE-Jesus advanced In
wisdom and stature and In favor with
God and man,-Luke 2:52.
/ INTERMEDIATE TOPIC--The import
ance Of small beginnings
Jesus Is now revealing TO his dlsci-
pies the kingdom In secret which they
were later to reveal In public. Moth
Ing which he now reveals should he
hid and he Is also teaching that. II
we do not use that what Is committed
to us. We lose IT,
| !. Hearing wv. 2l.25). 1t is an oh
legation resting upon ench Of us Who
has the light Of truth hat he should
so set II before men that It can be
seen that men mny he enlightened.
cheered and served by II (Matt. 5:l4.
10: Phil. 1:15.18). The secret things
Of our lives will be brought to light
some day Ears are given with which
we are to hear, and possession Of hear.
Ing Involves the resi- onsibllty as to
what we hear. 1.-THE Gospel Is the
power OF God unto salvation to every
one that bellevetho (Rom. :i8), but
believing comes through hearing"
(Rnnl. 10.17). In this there Is a mis-.
slonary suggestion for our teachers.
but there Is also a caution ns 10 what
and how we hear. take heed what
we henr." Many today are being swept
into all kinds Of dnmnlng here
sizes because they do not follow this
warning e Tim. 3:l-l3). Not only are
we to be good listeners. but we must
he doors as well (Jas. :22). This
parable OF the lamp follows closely
upon the parable of the sOwer In
our last lesson. Sod who first Gre
nted light, and Christ, In whom was
life. and the life was the light OF
men," both together are ones whom
we are equally obliged to see and
hear and obey. To impress the duty
of this seeing, hearing and using OF
light upon his disciples, Jesus reminds
them OF some familiar things. A can.
die Is not placed under a bushel nor
under bed. but on candle stick
where II may be seen Of all. II our
virtues go not forth from u.s. It will
he as though we had hidden them
from the world. "ro him that heareth
right shall more be given" w. 2i)
but for him that hath not and seeth
not, from him shall be taken. He
that hath not Is he who negleclS his
opportunlties. and from him shall be
taken even TINT which he hath In
this we see spiritual multiplication
and also q spiritual attraction, de-
terioration.
II. Growing. ~ Secrecy W. 26.29O.
This IL a parable Of faith and hope,
found only In Mark. Again the good
seed Ia referred to. but In this case
unseen growth receives the emphasis,
for the seed will spri ag and grow up,
though we know not how. II Is com
forting to think that. II we SOW the
true seed, It grows while we sleep
". 27) The best selected seed (the
holy word) Is essential for results. All
of our seed must have this silent pc.
Rod for growth. 1t Is the earth That
brings forth the fruit OF herself
through the energies and powers with
which God endows II. These powers
are wonderful. We do not understand
them. hut there Is order and symmetry
In growth. First the blade, then the
eor. and after that the full corn In
the pnr. Then Is the harvest, the
purpose of the seed having been ac-
complished. Mark alone gives us THIS
parable. and II Is given IN close reln-
ton to the parable of the sower ana
of the wheat and tares. Jesus Is the
great harvester ". 29), and knows the
right time to reap the GRIM the mo-
ment when II Is "rlpe" ". 20 II. w.
Then he putteth In the sickle.
(2) There Is also a marvellous out
ward growth Of the Kingdom wv 30
32). There Is the closest relation he
tween the parable Of the mustard
seed and the two parallels that pre-
cede. In Matthew the parable OF the
mustard seed is used In relation to The
kingdom Of heaven. which Is the
sphere of the Christian profession.
Here It Is used Of the kingdom of
God, which is spiritual Why Is II used
of both? The explanation. according
IN Doctor Scofcld, Hes In the fact
that the Kingdom Of God In this nge
and the kingdom Of heaven have this
in common. that from an insignificant
beginning they had rapid growth
0
On the day of Pentecost, for example
the first day when the Gospel was
preached in the power of the Hnlr
Shirt, 1900 were added to the church
that is. 1000 really and truly believed
and were therefore brought into the
kingdom Of God. This corresponds
with the rapid growth Of the mustard
tree from the smallest seeds. but In all
the details of its meaning the para
HE Of the mustard seed should moi be
lnterpreted of the kingdom Of God.
The central thought In both eases OF
this parable is stated-the rapid
growth from n small beginning.
II the abnormal growth OF this
common garden shrub illustrates d.
vine increase. why Is 1t not more glori-
Gus? There is not here anything
like the greatness Of the Assyrlan and
Bnbylonian empires. Geek. 81 81;