The Green Forest tribune., 1918-02-15
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL SUNlGS0lO0L
 LESSON (By E. o. SELLEh,S Acting Director of the Sunday School Course of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.) Copyright 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY IT
JESUS TEACHING FIVE PARALLELS
 -FOUR KINDS OF GROUND.
LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:1-2o.

about sowing seed.
 PRIMARY MEMORY VERSE-Be ye 1oers of the word.-James 1;22.
 Jesus tells us plainly why he taught so much by means of parables { Matt. 13:10-13). The truth had to be taught; hence the parable, that those to whom 1t was given to know the messages of the kingdom, those who sought it, might know and understand, and that to the others it might be hidden (Mark Il, 12) Like all his parables Jesus draws his pictures from the common experiences of life-the field, the home, etc. Paul draws his illustrations chief ly from the city, the army, the market. In studying this lesson we must turn to the parallel account as given by Luke and Matthew to get the full and complete picture.
 What is the seed? Luke says that Jesus told his disciples that the seed was the Word of God Uuke 1S:1D. We get the same thought in verse four teen of the lesson. A great deal is be- ing made today of seed selectiC4. Some wonderful results have been obtained. How much more important for those of us who deal with immortal souls that we select the best seed, i. e., the Word of God
 The second consideration is the sower (v. 4). Notice he went forth not to soar" not is 1t recorded that he was "sore" because the people did not all receive the seed alike. He did not have a grouch; he did not enter into his work that he might receive the adulation of men (Matt. 6:2). It is, however, the "sol' that seems to be most emphasized in both the direct teaching and also the explanation of the parable. There are four kinds of soil. The manner by which the seed came into contact with each kind of soil is significant. Some fell "by" the wayside the path was well trOdden; the ground was preoccupied; e. g., it was used for other purposes than to yield a harvest; it was hard to be broken, and hence 1t was an easy mat ter for the birds of the air (v. 15) to come and pluck 1t away. We need to remember that if men receive with meekness the implanted word, there will, of course, be no such opportunity for the evil one The trouble in this case was that the Word was not i'm planted. Thus it is that one-fourth of the seed is lost The result is deplor- able one as we see from Heb 2 :1-4. Is the soil of our life so hard that God must drive the plowshare clean through 1t ere there is a chance for the seed to take root? CPS. 129 :3).
 The next fell lon" the rocky ground. The first is picture of the hardened, and this is a picture of the superficial hearer For a time they did run well. They even received the Word with gladness (v. 16) but they had no sta bility because they had no root. They were superficial. There was no chance for the seed to get a real grip on their lives. The earth yields it's increase though we do not understand. So God will add his 95 per cent to our per cent The oak tree comes from small seed. As we plant, let us expect great response from our feeble efforts, but we need to expect the times of storm to follow the seed sowing, and unless the seed of the kingdom gets a real grip on our lives there is no chance for a harvest. In which category are wei
 In the third place Jesus speaks of the seed that fell 'among" the thorns. Here Is the worldly soil. It is not so much the character of the soil, 1t is the character of that which already oc cupied the soil ere the sower sowed the seed. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and "other things" had so entered in that the good seed never had a chance in the soil of the human heart. It was choked and yielded no fruit. There was DO real grip of the will, no whole-hearted surrender. The cares of life that keep the housewife or the business man the deceitfulness of riches that snare r,en and choke the word which at one time save such promise in their lives ; the lusts and other things which the evil one knows so we'll how to use keep us from the Word, for Satan knows that by it we are to be saved Uuke IS :12). Are we impulsive? Do we make vows soon forgotten, ties that soon fade away or fall beneath the temptations for lack of root? May God blast and turn up the subsoil of our hearts by strong convictions of sin, and so occupy the soil that there is no opportunity for other things.
 We have thus seen three-fourths of the seed lost Of the remaining fourth, that which fell into" (R. VI the good soil, not all yielded the same return. It all brought forth (v. D ii all yielded it all sprang up, but not all in the same ratio. We need to remem. Der at this point that this parable plainly teaches us that we who receive the implanted Word, we who receive and obey, shall in turn become the seed of the kingdom.
 There are three distinguishing flea. lures of this last kind of hearers: CD They hear the Word. These are the ones who appreciate its value and give good heed to its precepts. (2) They ac cept 1t e. g. they understand Its teach ings. They take 1t into good and hon est hearts. i3) They hold 1t fast Ouke 8:15 K. VQ These are the ones of which martyrs are made.
 Jesus was a great open-air preacher | fvv 2) and like all others he ha, various kinds of hearers the half hearted nearer the shallow-heartef 1 booror Tho way to roach tho masse,