The Glenwood post., 1924-10-16
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' Lesson '
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Lesson for October 10
THE PARABLE OF rAE sowER
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LSSSO0 IOr OCt0D01 10
THE PARABLE OF rAE sowER
LESSON TNxT-Mark A:l-sa.
GOLDEN TEXT-The sowsr sowsth
the word.sMark 4:14.
PRIMARY ToPIc@Ths Garden Of
the Heart.
JUNIOR ToP1o-aood Soil for Good
Seed.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
ToP1c-How to Receive and Use Gods
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
ToPIC-How Nay Improve the Soil
Of My Hearth
The method of teaching BY parallels
was not employed by Jesus until the
rulers had set their hearts against
Him. When. In the light Of his won
derful works, they turned against Him
and attributed His works to the Devil
(Mark 3:22) He denounced them in
scathing terms and began to teach
them by parallels In fulfllment Of
Isaiah 8 10. The parabolic method Of
teaching makes clear the truth to
those who love 1t and conceals 1t from
those who dislike 1t.
A great multitude gathered to Him
at the seaside ". ~, SO that, in order
to escape the pressure Of the crowd,
He was obliged to enter boat. From
the boat as pulpit He taught many
things in parallels. In this parable. the
sower and the seed are the same in all
instances, but the results are entirely
different. The difference lies In the
condition of the SOIL The central pur-
pose of the teaching Of this parable is
to show that the results Of preaching
the Word depend upon the condition
of the human heart.
!. The Wayslde wv. 4; 15).
The wayside means the track beaten
down by the hoofs Of animals and the
feet Of men. Because the soil was un-
broken and uncultivated the seed
could not get beneath the surface,
therefore was devoured by the fowls
that came along ". ~. The great
truth taught here is that the heart un-
broken and hard Is not fit soil for the
Gospel Such heart 1t penetrates
not, but lies loosely upon the surface.
It is not recognized as Gods means
for restoring them unto Himself.
| While in this condition the evil one
finds some way to snatch away the
truth. The fowls that devour the seed
represent the agents Of Satan ". 15).
II. The Stony Ground wv. 8, 8; 16,
10.
This means not stones mixed with
soil, but stones with a thin layer of
soil on them. With such conditions a
seed springs up quickly and likewise
scorches quickly. as it has not much
depth. The great lesson is that hearts
superfcially impressed receive the
Word with joy, but when affliction OF
persecution arises for the Words sake
Immediately they are offended. They
wither away and die.
III. The Thorny Ground wv. q; 1S
19).
In this case the ground is good, but
has thorns in It. 1t Is mellow enough
and has sufficient depth, but has not
been cleaned of the thorns. Such
really hear the Word, but "the carea
Of this world, and the deceitfulness Of
riches, and the lusts Of other things
entering in, choke the Word. and II
becometh unfruitful" ". 10Y. The
thorny ground hearers Of this age ART
those:
/. Who are 80 immersed In worldli
ness, business and anxious cares that
the good seed cannot mature.
2. Who are rich. Anxious care In
business brings riches and the effect
Of riches IL to blunt the spiritual per
csption ef men and women, thereby
rendering them unsusceptible to the
call Of God, to higher things in life.
3. Who are running after the pleas
ures OF life. All these things choke
the Word. Many Of the enjoyment
Of the worid may be innocent In them
selves, but they attract 20 much atten.
tion and consume 20 much energy and
time that one has not time for Bible
reading, meditation and prayer.
w. The Good Ground wv. 8; 20).
This ground differs from all the rest
It IL soft and mellow, deep and moist ;
therefore, Is capable Of bringing forth
fruit, some an hundred. some sixty
and some thirty-fold, indicating differ
ent degrees Of fruitfulness even of the
good ground. In the measure that
the heart is kept free from worldli-
ness, riches and pleasure the good
seed natures.