Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1942-02-26

thew 13:44-5O.
GOLDEN TEXT-Never man spake
like this man.-John TAG.
PARALLELS as means of conveying
truth reached perfection in the
hands of the Master Teacher, Jesus.
Taking short stories of well-known
events or facts from daily life. He
presented profound truth in the
most simple and attractive form.
Except for the parable of the
four kinds of seed which He inter-
preted (Matt. 13:18-23), He left it to
His listeners to make their own ap-
plication. This has led to some diff
ference of opinion, but in general
the parallels are received as excel
lent and helpful portions of Gods
Word.
In the two passages of Scripture
assigned for our lesson, we have FIVE
parallels, each with a distinctive
message. yet together pointing out
that there is a time of growth lead
ing to harvest and judgment, and
that our gracious God has at great
cost provided way of redemption.
l. Normal Growth Is Blessed
MARK 4:26-29).
God is patient He awaits the
normal, healthy, steady growth of
the seed. Man is so impatient he
must have forced growth. artificial
stimulation, and even artificial
ripening of the fruit.
The same attitude enters INTO his
care of his children. They must get
ahead in school beyond their years.
They must get out and make a lv-
ing long years before they have
learned to make life. Why not let
them mature in the orderly, God
given way?
The same is true in the work of
the church. There must be imme-
diate tangible" results or he will
not give his support. Anyone with
judgment knows that spiritual life
takes time to develop, and that
spiritual results cannot be judged
by physical or tangible standards.
Seedtime, growing time, normal
ripening, then harvest - that is
Gods order and it is good one.
II. Abnormal Growth Is Danger
Gus MARK 4:30-32).
Normally the mustard tree is q
small plant, and when it grew into q
great tree something abnormal had
taken place. Birds (which always
denote something unclean in Scrip
ture) came to lodge in its branches.
Just so, Christianity was never in
tended to be made up Of a nominally
Christian world empire in which un-
cody men (the dark birds of the
evil one. Matt. 1870 should find
comfortable Judgment Unfortunate
y. that is just what happened to
Christianity in the so-called conquest
OF the Roman empire at the time Of
Constantine. The results were dis
astrous. The same principle is evil
dent today in the control Of much
of the church by worldly men.
III. Redemption Is Costly (Matt.
13:44-46).
While it is true that our redemp-
ton is worth more than anything
else in all the world and that the
Christian would gladly set aside Tor
would he?) everything for Christ's !,
sake. yet that does not fulfill the
thought Of this parable. After all,
what has sinner twhose own right
eousness is described in Scripture
as filthy rags") to sell in order to
obtain redemption? And is it for
sale? (See Eph. 2:8.)
Obviously we here have the Sa-
viour with His all-seeing eye and
loving heart noting in fallen human
ity the pearl of great price. His own
Church. He then gives up all the
glory He had with the Father,
comes to the earth, and even be-
comes sin for US that He may bring
us to God.
Salvation in Christ is no little
thing. not something which was pur-
chased with gold or silver, but
with the precious blood Of Christ.
We ought to value it highly, and
because we are bought with a price
we ought always to glorify God Il
Cor. 6:28).
Nv. Judgment is Certain (Matt.
13:47-5O).
ALI kinds OF FISH were in the net,
and until the cord was drawn and
the net emptied they looked much
alike and enjoyed much the same
standing as citizens" Of the sea.
But when they faced the fisherman
there was quick division, and a
final judgment upon the bad ones.
It is true that in Gods kingdom
las il is now manifested in ''mys-
terry in the Church) there are
many who have come in by false
profession, through carelessness of
pastors or church officials, etc. They
go through the motions, they look
and act much like Christians Cal
though even here they create ques
tons in the minds of true followers
of Christi. The day is coming. how
ever, when they shall stand in judg-
ment before the Christ whom they