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THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NES S February, 1942 INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard. Lesson Children's Division Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration By B. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By H elen F razee -B ower By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earce Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C la in , President of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind.
MARCH 1, 1942 THE PARABLES BY THE SEA M atthew 13; M ark 4 :1 -3 4 ; L uke 8:1-18
IH. T he P earl (Matt. 13:44-46) • This section presents several pic tures. One of them is that of the true church, gathered from the sea. The “ sea” in Scripture is a type of the nations. The members of the true church are gathered from all nations; -they become one in Christ, without national or other distinctions. In that church there is neither Jew nor Gen tile, bond nor free (cf. Gal. 3:27, 28). The “ pearl” is “of great price,” and the finder is the" Lord Jesus Christ. To possess the pearl, He was required to pay a price beyond the ability of man to calculate, a price demanding His own life blood (cf. Eph. 5:2, 25; Gal. 2:20). From the Lord’s standpoint, the pearl is already complete when found, . with nothing to be added to it (cf. Acts 20:28; Eph. 1:3).. In the sight of the Lord, the church is a complete whole, all the members composing a unity which ycannot be broken. In spite of the havoc caused by men’s futile attempts to cast out evil and retain only good in the church, and in spite of schisms induced by per sonalities, the true church abides as one undivided whole in the sight of Him who gave His life for each in- . dividual member. IV. T he D rag N et "(Matt. 13:47-50) This parable presents a picture of . the end of the age (“world” in v. 49 is properly rendered “age” ), when the final separation between the good and the bad will take place, and then it will be manifest who'are the ones who belopg to the Lord and who'do not. The separation will be decided by the possession or the non possession of eternal life received by simple faith in Jesus Christ (cf. 1. John 5:11, 12). The met will be cast into the “sea,” or the nations, and a great host gathered. Until that day/ there will ever be a mixed company in Chris tendom, composed of mere professors and actual possessors of eternal life. But in that day the rejectors of Christ’s salvation will be apparent and they will be cast into a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Their tortures will come' upon them because of their determined rebellion against the true God.
God alone can draw it' out into multi plied life. Man might make a seed with the exact form, color, and pro portions of a living seed, but the- mysterious something called “ life” wouid be absent.' The growth is silent and so slow that it would appear that there is no progress at all. But the growth is sure, and at last it is complete and the sower may put in the sickle and gather the,results of his labor. There is required proper obedience for the sowing, much patience for the ripening, and real toil for the reap ing (cf, Jas. 5:7, 8). II.' T he M ustard S eed (M k. 4:30-32) This parable presents a picture of the outward manifestation of Chris tendom, as God views it. This partic ular seed has an abnormal growth and rapidly becomes a monstrosity among plants.. What should be a mere herb/ in the earth, grows into a large tree. The tree becomes so large that fowls are sheltered in its branches. Bigness is not necessarily greatness; and Christendom, striving for bigness, has lost much of its greatness/ Therefore it finds itself too weak to transform, or get rid of, the evil things (typified by the birds) that find lodgment in it (cf. Matt. 13:4, 32; Rev. 18:2).
M a tth ew 13:44 A g a in , th e k in g d om o f h ea ven is lik e u n to trea su re hid in a fie ld ; the w h ich w h en a m an hath fou n d, he h ideth , and fo r jo y th e re o f goeth and selleth a ll th a t he hath, and b u yeth that field . 45 A g a in , the k in g d om o f h ea ven is lik e u n to a m erch an tm an , s e e k in g g o o d ly p ea rls : 46 W h o , w h en he h ad fou n d on e pearl o f g r e a t p rice, w en t and sold a ll th a t he h a d ,' and b o u g h t it* 47 A g a in , th e k in g d om o f heaven is like, u n to a n et, th at w as ca st in to the sea, and g a th ered o f e v e ry k in d : . ' '48 W h ich ,, w h en It w a s fu ll, th ey d rew t o shore» and sat d ow n , and ga th ered the g o o d in to vessels, bu t ca st the bad aw ay. 49 So sh a ll it be a t th e end • o f the w o r ld : th e a n gels shall com e fo rth , and sever th e w ick ed , fro m am on g th e jiist, 56 And sh a ll ca st them in to th e fu r n ace o f fir e : th ere sh a ll b e w a ilin g and g n a sh in g o f teeth . M ark 4:26 , A nd he said, So is the k in g d om o f G od, a s i f a m an should ca st seed Into the g ro u n d ; 27 A nd sh ou ld sleep, and rise n ig h t and d a y, and the, seed should sp rin g and g r o w up, he 4cnow eth n ot how . 28 F or, the ea rth b rin g e th fo rth fru it o f h e r s e lf; firs t th e blad e, then the ear, a fte r th a t the fu ll corn in the ear. 20 B ut w h en th e fru it is b ro u g h t fo rth , Im m ed iatelv he p u tteth in th e sick le , b e ca u se the h a rv est is com e. 20 A nd he said, W h e re u n to sh a ll tve lik e n th e k in g d om o f God?, o r w ith w h at com p a rison sh a ll w e com p a re it? 31 It is lik e a g ra in o f m u stard deed, w h ich , w h en it is so w n in the ea rth , Is less th a n a ll th e seeds th at be in the e a rth ; 32 B ht w h en it is sow n , it gro w e th u p ; and be'com eth g re a te r than a ll herbs, and sh ooteth ou t g re a t b ra n ch e s: so th at th e fo w ls o f th e a ir m a y lo d g e un d er the sh a d ow o f iti LESSON T E X T : M att. 13:44-50; Mk. 4:26-32. GO LD EN T E X T : “ N eVer m an spa k e lik e this m an” (J oh n 7 :4 6 ). D E V O T ION A L R E A D IN G : Joh n 21:lS-23. Outline and Exposition I- T he G rowing S eed (M k . 4:26-2?) B IFE IS in the seed; man has only to sow it in the ground, then J wait for God to cause it to , grow. The growth is too mys terious for man to understand. No one knows how the seed germinates. God alone puts the life within it, and [ Lesson material is based on outlines of International Sunday School Lessons topyrighted by the International Coun cil of Religious Education and is used by its /permission. Scripture portions quoted are from the King James Ver sion'unless otherwise stated.\
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