Evening star., 1924-10-18
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
THE PARABLE OF THE
SOWER.-Mark iv.1-20.
SOWER.-Mark, iv.1-2O.
Soweth the Word.-Mark, iv.l4.

preacher had aroused the bitter 10
tllity or His foes. He gave Himself
up more and more to the work ~
.eacning. seeking to fit His apostles
tor tnelr coming task. His own family
nad peen aroused by the rumor that
ne was beside Himself and in their
rove for Him came to Capernaun In
an effort to turn Him aside from His
mission. Among some of His fol-
towers there could be seen tho evi-
uence OF Wavering. 1t was this con-
dition that probably had moved the
depressed John to send from Inrison
an inqutring commission to Jesns to
learn whether He was the Messiah
or should they look for another one
Christ had long and exhaustive day
IN Capernaum. when He turned to-
ward the seaside seeking rest and rs-
pose in retirement
Ihe multitude followed Him He
answered their call for message by
utilizing fiSherman's boat for a
pulpit, which enabled Him to see the
great audience that had assembled
on the shore and be easily seen by
them. He increased His effectiveness
as preacher by using the boat as
a seaside pulpit. The water aided
ms delivery and enabled Him to
speak with greater power. Probably
behind the crowd the Master noticed
farmer sowing seed on his un-
fenced farm with its hard -trodden
path, bare of fruit. running through
the fields along the rocky hillside.
The shallow soil with it's withered
growth was easily seen by the
preacher. He could detect a patch
filled with a cluster of thorn bushes
choking out all other life. He saw
beyond this patch fertile section
hlled with a bountiful crop. 1t fur
nished Him material for a sermon
that marked a new method in His
teaching.
Jesus was a master in the use of
illustrations. He had used them to
help men to grasp His direct mes
sages of spiritual truths. The Jew
ish rabbis were fond Of using riddles
and fables. stories and illustrations,
as impressive methods of indirectly
presenting truths. Christ followed
the customary rabbinical method in
adopting the parable to illustrate and
enforce the truth He wished to i'm
press upon the minds of His apostles.
The Masters change of methods
caused His disciples to inquire of
Him as to why He had adopted a
change of style in His preaching. The
message by which He had sought to
strengthen their morale, because Of
the disappointing results of His pub
lie ministry, had failed to grip them.
They were not impressed by His
pointing out that the distractions to
the establishment of the Kingdom
of God among men were due to men
tai processes. which agree in a
remarkable degree with the con-
clusion of modern psychology, as
much as they were by the change
of style He had adopted in
His preaching Jesus consid red
it SO important that He pointed
out to His apostles the meaning of
this parable, which He did not do in
reference to any other one of His
parallels.
Purpose of Parabolic Preaching.
Jesus changed His method of
preaching because He saw that IL He
did not He would hasten the COM
ing of the cross long before His apos-
ties would be prepared for His de-
parture. 1t was a strategic move on
the Masters part to substitute for
His direct, pungent presentation OF the
gospel that indirect method of para
bolical preaching. 1t was popular
move The illustrations contained the
truth in a compact compass. They
would be understood by His followers
because their spiritual character
would enable them to grasp their sig
nificance. If not Immediately they
would sooner or later grasp the mean
ing because of their powers of per
hend the spiritual truths which would
not be perceived by a materialistic
person.
The use of the parable prevented
His opponents from understanding
Him. Its truths were protected from
the scoffer by the withdrawing of its
light from those who were not spirit |
ually minded. 1t is evident that this
was to be only temporary, for the |
Master expected His hearers to ul-
timately scatter His gospel among
light of Gods redeeming love. Ac-
cording to Matthew, Jesus held that
He was fulfilling the prophecy of
Isaiah.
Three factors would naturally en- |
ter into consideration of the diff
cuIties encountered in the commenc- |
ing Of His kingdom, and its final
triumph. They were illustrated by the |
sower, the seed, and the soil. The |
sower illustrated His experience. He
sowed the Word in His expositions OF
the truth of religion, redemption and
the kingdom of God. He is the sub |
of truth"-the 'incorruptible seed"
by which men are born again. 1t is
only as men accept the Lord Jesus
Himself, not truths about Him, that
they become "children of the king |
dom" While this lesson is entitled
the Parable of the Sower,' it would
be a better title If it were called
the Parable of the Soils" for each |
variety of soil suggests a definite
type of hearer Of the Word OF God.
Types of Hearers.
In response to His disciples re-
quest, the Master interpreted the
meaning of-the parable assigned for
our study. He showed them that the
story of the different conditions or
the soil, which was identical in the
four different parts OF the nelo, was
a study in spiritual life. He meant
to teach them the perils and posi-
bilities that each soul faced by Its
attitude toward the implanted word"
with it's power to save. Jesus point
ed out that the apparent failure of
His public ministry was due to the
failure of three types of hearers to
understand His message due to their
lack of perception. =
The hardened footpath that ran
across the field represented the
worldly souls, who, even while hear
ing His word, were busy planning
some personal projects. Bodily pres
ent, but mentally and spiritually alb
sent from the service through mat
tention, Satan makes them gospel
hardened" through their frequent
hearing and failure to obey the
gospel precepts. Ruskin points out
the condition of the wayside hearer
when he said that "every duty we
omit obscures some truth we nigh:
have known" If, by our sin, sensu-
atty and selfishness we shut out the