The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-02-09
Lesson for February IL
JESUS TEACHING BY PARALLELS
-FOUR KINDS OF HEARERS
LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:1-2O.

LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:1-20.
GOLDEN TEXT-Hcrein is my Fa-
Their glorified, that ye bear much fruit;
so shall we be my disciples. John 1873
PRIMARY TOPIC-A story Jesus
Told.
JUNIOR ToPIc-The Right Way to
Hear.
IC-HOw to Hear.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-Fruitful Christian Living.
In order to understand why Christ
at this time began teaching in par
ables, we must consider the nature
of the hour in his ministry. Oppo-
sitiOn to him was becoming more def
mite and hostile. The parabolic meth
cd 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 him
and attributed his works to the devil
mark 3:22), he denounced them in
scathing terms and began to teach In
parallels in fulfillment Of Isaiah 6:1O.
A great multitude gathered to hear
him at the seaside ". -, so that in
order to escape the pressure of the
crowd he was obliged to enter boat.
From the boat as n pulpit, he taught
many things in parallels. In the par
able now under consideration, the SOW
er 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 of God depend upon the con
dition Of the human heart.
l. The Wayside wv. 4:15).
The wayside means not the road but
the tract between the fields beaten
down by the hoofs of animals and the
feet Of men. Because the soil was
unbroken and uncultivated the seed
could not get underneath the surface,
and therefore was devoured by the
fowls that came along ". ~. The
great truth taught here IS that the
heart unbroken and hard is not fit
soil for the gospel. Such heart 1t
penetrates not. but lies loosely upon
its surface. The gospel is not given
recognition by such hearts as Gods
means for restoring them unto himself.
Because of this condition the evil one
finds some way to snatch away the
truth ". 49,.
II. The Stony Ground wv. 5, 6, 16,
~.
This means not stones mixed with
SOIL but stones with a thin layer of
soil on top of them. With such con-
ditiOn the seed springs up quickly and
likewise scorches quickly because it
has not depth of earth. The great
lesson is that hearts specifically i'm
pressed 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 it. 1t is mellow enough
and has sufficient depth but has not
been cleared of the tkorns. Such
really hear the Word, but 1.-THE cares
of this world. and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things
entering in. choke the word, and 1t
becometh unfruitful" ". 19). The
thorny ground hearers Of this world
are those.
1. Who are so immersed in worldli-
ness, business and anxious cares that
the good seed cannot come to fruit
age.
.. 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 unsusceptiblc to Gods
call to higher things In life.
8. Who are running after the pleas
ures Of life. Many of the enjoyments
Of the world may be innocent in them
selves but they attract so much at
tention and consume so much energy
and time that Bible reading, medita-
tion. and prayer are crowded out. All
these things choke the Word.
w. The Good Ground wv. s. 20).
This ground is different from all the
rest. 1t is soft and mellow, and deep
and moist Therefore, it is capable of
bringing forth fruit-some one hun
bred, some sixty, and some thirtyfold.
This indicates that even the good
ground. the honest hearers. gives forth
different degrees Of frnitfulness. In
the measure that the heart is kept free
from worldliness. riches. and pleas
ure. the good seed natures.
Continuing Love
One cannot think that any holy