Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-14

the word" Mark Al.
Toward the latter part of the sec
ond year of our Lords public min
istry He changed His attitude
toward His work. Up to this time
He had been limiting His work to
Israel. He would not let His disci'
pies go unto any but to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel, you re
member, when He sent them out
He had come to offer Himself to
Israel as their king. Now they have
rejected His offer; they have charged
Him with being in league with
Beelzebub, the prince Of demons,
when they could not explain away
His miracles. His mother and His
brothers even think He has gone
crazy, and try to get Him away
from the curious crowd that is still
following Him. SO He changes His
attitude and His method. Hitherto
it has been to Israel, associated with
miracles, and public teaching. Now
He begins to take in whatsoever"
will do His will, to use parallels
that only those who want to know
may know, and increasingly He
draws in, His circle until only His
own are included.
The growing consciousness OF HIS
rejection as king by Israel is the
background of the first of His
parallels. And this first parable is
the foundation of all the others,
,.tia ,.ly I0 hA
hidden secret" of the kingdom of
Heaven. Matthew gives seven in
this series; and the background and
foundation must be remembered if
f$he truth He taught is to be prop
frly understood.
The Sewer
You recall the simplicity of the
parable: a soWer sets forth to sow;
he broadcasts the seed; some falls
on the paths hardtrodden and is
eaten by birds; some falls on thin
soil and is scorched by heat; some
falls on thorny ground and is
choked by the rank growth of
weeds; some falls on good ground
and bring forth varying degrees of
fruitage.
The important thing for us to see
first is the method. Not organiza-
ton, but seed sowing Jesus never
erected or projected great organ
1zation for the propagation of the
truth which He came to give. That
IS the way we would have done;
that is the way we do today When
we want to put anything across
we must have a great organization
president, executive secretary,
treasurer, various committees, and
an pXpn1tiun ;,,t
locking directorate. Then there must
be a paid publicity man, etc, and
so on. The wheels go round so hard
that you cannot hear anything but
the noise; and often it takes so
much steam to run the wheels that
there is none left for the real work
How different and how quiet
Jesus method. Just seed-sowing:
broadcasting the seed, and waiting
the harvest time. That is what He
did. Just to Il little group: then de-
pending upon each of them wit
Messing to others: and these others
TO others until you heard it; and
then for you to witness to all YOU
can! He is depending on you: don't
tail Him. You are not responsible
Tor tRe results, but you are respon-
slble for the sowing
The Sewer is the Son of Man
was and is; for it is only as you and
lie are identified that you can sow
the seed properly. Ali there's the
rub. so many are attempting to do
the thing in their own way instead
of just letting go and letting God
nave His way. He waits for your
complete yielding, so that He may
use you. Will you let Him?
The Seed
THE sower soweth the word"
Ihls is the test of the true sower.
the one identified with Christ. The
soWer soweth the word"-not the
latest novel. nor King Lear. nor
Plutarch's Lives Not eartickIing
phrases, nor sociological sermons.
nor political addresses, even though
they may deal with moral reforms.
Not the latest scientific discoveries.
nor the Vagaries of the evolutionary
hypothesis. Not pretty descriptions
of natures wonders, nor even the
doubts and question marks of de-
structive criticism. The true. sower
soweth "the word"
Could you imagine Jesus Christ
standing before q congregation of
men and women, boys and girls, sim
nerS in need of a Saviour, saints in
in need of instruction and direction
could you imagine Him standing
before such a congregation and de-
failing the story of the latest novel,
or describing the beauties of Ian
guage of one of the poets. or laudmg
the energy and success of Abraham
Lincoln or the military genius and
piety of Robert e. Lee? Could you
imagine Him taking those precious
minutes to denounce the Ku KluX
Khan or to tell the comparative vir-
tuk and vices of the Democratic or
- Republican party? Could YOU
me Him speaking to that CON-
)4ErWtion or class of sciences latest
discovery, or of evolution's latest
guess? Could you imagine Him tell
ing them what this mere man or
that one surmises about the probable
author or date of q certain chapter
or book. and unsettlinG their faith in
eTw FrzV