The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-10-16

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1924.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.
Mark 4:1-20. Read Matt. 1871
So; Luke Sails.
Z The sower soweth the wOrd.-Mark |
4:14.
& ! THE FARMER WITH WORDS
Z How vivid was the speech of Jesus. |
z In the glow of His imagination He
saw Himself as a farmer sowing
Z words into the fields of lives. He had
gathered that group of the Twelve
Z and each was a field that was being
cultivated into which the seed was
being flung and from which He was
expecting a harvest. He was talking
to Himself in this story that is given
here and encouraging Himself in the
4 prospect of results from His careful
work. Possibly His heart went back
to Jerusalem and comforted itself
4 that there would be reaping there
also from the sowing that He had
& been doing. Galilee would yield fruit
1t was a talked out touch of what He
was saying to Himself and had doubt
3 less said many times before it broke
4 over His lips. And He needed to
3 cheer His mind.
3 Having chosen the Disciples after
4 that night spent under the stars and
4 having given them that charter of the
Kingdom we call the Sermon on the
4 Mount, He had felt the sting of the
Z report of the Jerusalem Scribes who
z had come to Galilee to pass on the
z movement under His teaching. They
4 had pronounced it of the Devil and
z condemned it out of hand so that He
& must fight for the chance He needed
4 to complete His plans. He was in
Z tending to send out the Twelve that
e the impact of His word might be in
4 creased and they would face some
z thing of the same hostility that was
9 beginning to be His own reception
= They must be encouraged so they
y would not break under the sight of
Z unproductive fields. The intensity of
4 His disappointment may be judged by
4 His care in forewarning them. SO He
= gave them this farm story to carry
Z with them. He gave the method full
4 trial also because the Scribes were
Z seeking evidence and such a story
& was of little value in any court. What
y did it mean? o, it might mean many
z things and they were matters of in
= depreciation and not Of the form.
4 That three fourths of the seed would
z be in unproductive souls was honest
z facing of events and shows how abso-
Z lutely true Jesus was in His thinking
Z about Himself and His work. The
Z real secret of the farmers failure was
Z in the character of the soil. Both He
4 and His were farming adult minds
z marched over until there were thor
q Oughfares of thinking worn across
i them and not with fresh untracked
2 ones of children. Jesus took the
Z youngest He could but the work done
4 and was of necessity with elders in
= stead of with youth. In that lay
= IluCI VI IT'S uI pIOuuCllNGHCSS.
II THE TRAMPLED MINDED
II Across the fine-soiled field feet had
II travelled until the ground was more
II solid than it had been before being
II ploughed. There had been an up
II heavel; it was not virgin soil but a
| mind that had had unlimited travel
III across it. The burrows that had been
II meant for the reception of Gods seed
II had not received it because it had
ii yielded itself to other feet than those
| Of the Farmer. Careless and indif-
II ferent of the outcome they had
ii tramped across it not caring for
ii ought except their own interests in
II getting where they were going 1t
II had ceased to believe that there were
ii any unselfsh folk in the world but
ii every man was out 'for his" Resent
III ment born of experience with only the
II seamy side of life held full sway
II within it and colored all its thinking
ii It was an Ishmael heritage that felt
II every mans hand to be against it
Ill II HAUL DeeH 1dlIly Treated ana Ine
III sense of injustice ranked for it HAD
III received the plough in high hopes OF
III harvest only to be utterly foiled in
III such intent. Now Galilee was full of
II such folk and America knows them
II also and Jesus knew that in scatter
II ing seed upon such soil it would be
scattered to the winds and that every
II devilish passion would carry it away
ii and leave only the old barrenness
II Only new ploughing and fence OF
II loving watchfulness can bring it tC
II fruit.
II THE SHALLOW MINDED
III Another type all too familiar i:
that pictured in the field where sol
Ii was thin. Any idea may find lodg
. ment and grow for week and day
90 to be withered by the cloudless sun