International Lessons Brief Thoughts for Busy Teachers By J. H. S. Sunday School
dividual Edens. Everyone who sees t he f r u i ts of t he Spirit springing in his own h e a rt may be exceeding glad, for it is a sure sign t h at t he heavenly Sower h as passed his way. But t he Lord, also, sows by proxy, by His agents, His ser- vants. 2. T he disciple. He who spreads t he Gospel sows the seed. In "Go ye i n to all t he world, a n d p r e a ch t he Gospel" (Mk. 1 6 : 1 5 ), Christ sends forth His sowers to sow. III. THE SEED. 1. T he Wo r d. The seed is t he Wo rd (Lk. 8 : 1 1 ). " T he sower soweth t he Wo r d" (Mk. 4 : 1 4; 1 Pet. 1 : 2 3 ). Seeds a re alive. The Wo rd is alive (Heb. 4 : 1 2 ). Seeds a re ma t t er and life mys- teriously united to produce life. The Wo rd is letter and spirit. Because of the Spirit the words a r e "spirit a n d life" (Jno. 6 : 6 3 ), and beget life, "He a r, a nd your soul shall live" (Isa. 5 5 : 3 ). Wood- en n u tme gs cannot grow. Wi t h o ut t he Spirit, t he Wo rd would be as fruitless. How God h as multiplied t he seed sown (2 Cor. 9 : 1 0 ) ; a world full of Bibles, be- lievers, and blessing. 2. Sow t h is seed. Of believers it should be said, mo r n i ng by mo r n i ng "Behold, a sower we nt out to sow." We should go bearing t he precious seed. We should h a ve seed in ourselves (Gen. 1 : 1 1 ) ; in our pockets, our heads, our hearts. Should a sower go f o r th with- out seed? IV. T HE GROUND. 1. Men's h e a r ts a re g r o u nd on which t h e seed is to be sown. The Lord n ames four kinds, represented by " t h e way- side," " t h e stony places," t he thorny ground', and the "good g r o u n d ." He does not seem to have t a k en an "opti- mistic" view of t he field. He does not mention t he fact t h at t he faulty ground h as itself to b l ame for wh at it is. Men a re to t h at degree self-made t h at they a re responsible for wh at they are. " I am a self-made ma n ," said a tipsy physi- cian to a statesman on t he street in Washington. " T h at relieves t he Al- mighty of a great responsibility," was t he response. (1) The seed by t he wayside. The wayside h e a rt is one long and willingly a t h o r o u g h f a re of t he world, t he flesh
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER LESSON II. Ma rk 4:1-20. J u ly 14th. Tote: Another seaside sermon. The popular preacher again crowded n the beach " s at (on the ship) in the Before H i m—t he fields crossed beaten paths; thin-soiled rock here t h e re p r o t r u d i ng t h r o u gh t he sur- | deep rich soil as well; the sower tering seed as he strides along, fol- ed by countless "fowls of t he a i r ." THE NEW METHOD OF TEACHING. . He t a u g ht t h em by parables. Sto- of secular things revealing spiritual, a child p ut it, " E a r t h ly stories of venly things." The seen embodies unseen. The world of things and world of t h o u g ht are. so related t h at t h i nk in things. There are "ser- ns in stones, and books in r u n n i ng oks." Deeds a re seeds, and results harvests. Even God "is a sun and eld." . Wh y H e t a u g ht in parables. Wh en n ma de h a rd their hearts, He made d His teachings. They were wil- ly blind to t he clear sayings which y would not see, so He " u t t e r ed d a rk ings" (Psa. 7 8 : 2) t h at they should see ( 4 : 1 2 ). It was a just judgment, e Bible, nature, providence, rest on principle. They a re full of mys- and paradox. T he disobedient unible a t " t h em (1 Pet. 2 : 8 ). To cere souls " t h e invisible things of d a re (mo r e) clearly s e e n" (Rom. 0) in parable and paradox. These see I a dmi re t r u th and wisdom, where ers find occasion for unbelief. The prophets t a u g ht in parables in t he •lier apostasy (see Isa. 5:1-17; Eze. 1-18, etc.). We mu s 't be t r ue to see ith. THE SOWER. 1. Jesus. " He t h a t soweth t he good d is t he Son of Ma n" (Mat. 1 3 : 3 7 ). Him it was written (Psa. 1 2 6 : 6 ), Ie t h at goeth f o r th w i th weeping, bear- y precious seed, shall doubtless come ain ( t he second coming) with rejoic- , bringing His sheaves w i th H i m ." came with heavenly seed to produce heavenly harvest yet to come on earth, i h as but little garden plots now; in-
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