Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-02
SABBATH
SCHOOL LESSON
For December 5-Matt. 13:l-43.
DIR. MARION NTH. HULL
Golden TEXT: "Fret not thyself be-
cause of evildoers." Psa. 37:l.

1
Golden Text: "Fret not thyself be-
cause of evildoers." Psa. 37:l.
We saw last week how Matthew
recorded the growing opposition to
Jesus the King, as shown by the
question of John, the Indifference OF
the cities where He had labored, the
hatred of the Pharisees and. Scribes.
His mother and brethren that He
had lost His mind We saw also
how, because of this rejection of the
King, He had extended His gracious
invitation to all who labored and
were heavy ladoned, irrespective of
race or religion, and included in His
circle of nearest relatives those who
did the will of His father in heaven.
We see now that as a result Of
this rejection of Him as the King,
and which was openly done later, He
changed the form of His teaching.
Now He is speaking in parallels: the
reason for which,, He tells His dis
cfples, is so that those who are in
earnest may understand, while those
not. Unto them 1t was to be grant
ed that they might know the myster-
les of the kingdom of the heavens.
the truths about it which were not
an afterthough on the part of God
(by no means, out which hid been
hidden until now, although all ~"
they had been part of tha eternal
purposes of God. The rejection Of
he King had postponed the estab-
jshment of the Kingdom here
here is no king there can be no
ingdom. 1t had created a gap, not
i ~ y
dispensation of the spirit, Is that
gan ava tile 1ort- O., - ..>'' -
necessitated by the changed condi-
tions are the mysteries or formerly
hidden things now revealed IN the
gives a group of seven. four on tt, the
shore and three in the house; The
first four have to do with the ex-
ternal aspect of the kingdom in this
new form, the last three with. the
internal In studying these, keep
constantly in mind the grouping, and
also that they are speaking OF the
kingdom and not of the church. He
saws: "The Kingdom of the heaven
is like, and etc." never the church
80 ING The First Four
Matthew is always logical in his
grouping, having a definite purpose
in mind; SO let us examine them, the
first four today, and next week the
last three. This is the order. The
parable Of the soil, the seed and the
sewer; I'd, of the wheat an; and tares;
leaven. The first two were inter-
preted by Jesus Himself to the dis
ciples, and give us the principle of
Interpretation for all of the others.
All reveal the startling fact that in
the present form of the kingdom, evil
is predominant.
. The first one shows only one fourth
of the seed bearing fruit. Part fell
by the wayside where the ground
was beaten hard by constant pass
ing, and the birds of the air came
and took them away. Although the
seed, which is the word of the King
dom" (note this particularly, was
be received, it was not, and the evil
one snatched it away. Note that the
birds of the air represent evil, ac-
cording to Jesus own statement
Here the devil is the enemy of the
kingdom. Another part fell on shall
low soil with a rock bottom; and
lack of depth gave it no chance for
root, and it withered in the hot sun;
as some shallow souls take every
thing enthusiastically but don't last. |
There are many beginners, but COM
paratively few continuers. Here the
influence of the flesh is seen to pre-
dominate. A third part fell among
thorns and sprang up; but thorns
grow faster than wheat, and the good |
was choked by the cares of this age |
and the deceitfulness of riches. Here |
the world is the paramount enemy
of the Kingdom. Rather discourage |
ing to the soWer, this story; but a |
fourth part fell into good soil which |
received and nourished it, and it |
yielded ten thousand per cent, six |
thousand per cent, three thousand |
per cent, according to the capacity |
Of the soil. In this parable we find |
nant that we learn that the new |
form of the Kingdom is to begin by |
the sowing of the word of the King |
dom in the world which lieth in the |
wicked one, and that the devil, the |
flesh and the world are still the enc |
mics of the truth.
In the second parable of the group |
the devil is shown in his effort to |
defeat the work of the King. The |
good seed are sown and develop; the |
word of the Kingdom produces sons |
of the Kingdom. But while men
slept-not Christ the King--an enemy |
came and sowed tares. Tares, or
darnel, is so like wheat as it grows
that it is almost impossible to dis
has matured it is poisonous and bit
ter. The DEVILS supreme desire is
to initiate Christ's work. He has
always been a liar, and If he can
produce a counterfeit Christian he
is supremacy happy. And to his
credit it must be said that his work
is often extremely proficient.
The laborers were not allowed to
pull up the tares; wheat and tares
were to grow together until the time
IF the harvest; then the angels are
to separate them, gathering the
-ares into bundles to be burned, and
the wheat to be gathered into the
barn.
Notice that this is the Kingdom
and not the church about which
Jesus is speaking. Paul tells US to
put out of the assembly those who
persist in SHINING; discipline in the
church is not enjoined. But in the
Kingdom in it's new form, since the
King was rejected, the disciples were
taught to expect evil to grow, and
no effort made to separate them. No
men can do this; this is the angels
work, and it is not to be done until
he harvest.
The Mustard and the Leaven
Possibly no two passages of scrip