The Pleasantville press., 1924-10-18
Lesson for October 19
THE PARABLE OF THE sowER

THE PARABLE OF THE soWER
LESSON TExT-Mark 4:1-20.
GOLDEN TExT-The sower soweth
the word.-Mark Ala.
PRIMARY ToPIc-The Garden of
the Heart.
JUNIOR ToPIc-Good Soil for Good
Seed
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
ToPIc-How to Receive and Use Gods
Word.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
ToPIC-How May | Improve the Soil
of My Heart?
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 Hial
and attributed His works to the Devil
Mark 3 3:22) He denounced them in
scathing terms and began to teach
them by parallels in fulfillment of
Isaiah 6:10. The parabolic method of
teaching makes clear the truth tc
those who love it and conceals 1t from
those who dislike it.
A great multitude gathered TO Hin
at the. seaside ". u. 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 al
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 IL
to show that the results of preaching
the Word depend upon the condition
of the human heart.
!. The Wayside (vv. A; 15).
The wayside means the track beater
down by the hoofs of animals and the
feet of men. Because the soil was un
broken and uncultiyated the seec
could not get beneath the surface
therefore was deyoured by the fowl
that came along (y. A.. The greai
truth taught here is that the heart un
broken and hard Is not fit soil for the
Gospel. Such a heart it penetratei
not, but lies loosely upon the surface
1t 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. 5. 6; 16
1O.
This means not stones mixed witt
soil, but stones with thin layer Of
soil on them With such conditions g
seed springs up quickly and likewise
scorches quickly. as it has not mucf
depth. The great lesson is that hearts
superficially 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. 7; IS
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 cares
of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things
entering In, choke the Word, and it
becometh unfruitful' ". 19). The
thorny ground hearers of this age are
those:
1. Who are so 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 Is to blunt the spiritual per-
ception of men and women, thereby
rendering them unsusceptible to the
call of God, to higher things in life.
8. who are running after the pleas
ures of life All these things choke
the Word. Many of the enjoyments
of the world may be innocent in them
selves. but they attract so much atten-
ton and consume so much energy and
time that one has not time for Bible
reading, meditation and prayer.
Nv. The Good Ground (vv. 8; 20).
This ground differs from all the rest.
It is 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.