Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-10-16
Lesson for October 10
THE PARABLE or THE sowER

THE PARABLE OF THE SoWER
LESSON TExT--Mark 4:1-20
GOLDEN TExT--The sower soweth
the word.-Mark 4:I4
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 l 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
Gerful 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 fulilIment Of
Isaiah 6:10. The parabolic method of
teaching makes clear the truth to
, those who love ii and conceals it from
/ those who dislike it,
A great multitude gathered to Him
at the seaside ". y, 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 Waysde wv. 4; 15l.
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
4 therefore was devoured By the fowls
that came along w. A.. The great
truth taught here is that the heart I'M
1 broken and hard is not fit soil for the
1 Gospel. Such a heart it penetrates
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).
ig ~ The Stony Ground wv. 8, 8; is,
17).
/ This means not stones mixed with
soil, but stones with 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
! specifically impressed receive the
/ Word with Joy, but when affliction or
/ persecution arises for the Words sake,
/ Immediately they are offended. They
wither away and die.
III. The Thorny Ground wv. Z; IS,
19).
In this case the ground is good, but
has thorns in 1t. 1t is mellow enough
and has sufficient depth, but has not
been cleaned Of the thorns. Such
really hear the Word, but "the cares
IF this world, and the deceitfulness OF
riches, and the lusts of other things
entering In, choke the Word, and 1t
becometh unfruitful' ". 1917. The
th0ray ground hearers of this age are
these:
/. 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.
3. Who are running after the pleas
ures of life Ali 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 anc
time that one has not time for Bible
reading, meditation and prayer.
Nv. The Good Ground wv. 8; 20).
This ground differs from all the rest
II is soft and mellow, deep and moist
therefore, is capable of bringing fortl
fruit. some an hundred, some sixt!
and some thirty-fold, indicating differ
emf degrees of fruitfulness even of thu
good ground. In the measure tina
; The heart is kept free from worloii
ness riches and pleasure, the goot
seed natures
, NJ