October 1924
642
T H E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
because they forgot or wanted to play. (Teachers make the application, as you know your pupils). The seed is the Word of God. Is it growing in your heart? m OCTOBER 26, 1924 THE STILLING OF THE STORM Golden Text: “ What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:41. Lesson Text: Mark 4:35-41, (Read Matthew 8:18, 23-27; Luke 8:22-25; Mark 4). Devotional Reading: Psalm 107:23-32. P RESENCE OF / ~ \ e 7 c ? £ f L r U D “Peace of God which passeth knowledge” The first picture which this narrative reveals to our inquiring eye is that of a weary Christ. Mark notes the time when this incident occurred. It was on “ that’ day” when He had'preached the wonderful parables. From morn till eve He had been engaged in the absorb- LESSON ing work of teaching and preaching. I t . EXPOSITION was a great physical and mental strain. F W Farr Preaching is no pleasant pastime to be done with a smiling face and a light heart. It is hard work. It costs blood and sweat and tears and agony. As the Saviour preached, “ virtue went forth from him” leaving Him weary to the point of exhaustion. They took Him “ even as he was” and set sail for the other side of the lake. On the hard boards of the fishing boat, our Lord slept the deep sleep of a tired-out man. The roar of the wind and the dash of the waves did not wake him. He was utterly spent. His whole life was sacrificial. Before He shed his blood upon the cross He lavished upon needy men His loving sympathy and boundless compassion at a cost beyond compare. He can sympathize with the weary and heavy-laden because of His experience. The next picture that presents itself to our view is that of an apparently heedless Christ. A furious and sudden squall had arisen and the boat was filling with water. We may be sure they did everything in their power to keep afloat, but all the while they were fighting for dear life Jesus was lying fast asleep, seemingly indifferent to their danger. When they aroused Him there is a hint of reproach in their question, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” There are times when it seems to the heart of unbelief that’ Jesus does not care. (Matt. 15:22 R. V., John 11:6 R. V .). This indifference is only seeming. Jesus was amazed at the panic of His disciples. “ Why are ye fearful? Have ye not yet faith?” (v. 40 R. V.) Not yet! They were dull scholars. They should have known that they were safe while He was with them. He knows and cares. His eye is ever on us. He hears our sighs and counts every tear. His presence is a pledge of safety. The last picture that the story shows us is that of a mighty Christ. When the terrified disciples besought His help, He arose and rebuked the wind, saying to the sea, “ Peace, be still.” Literally it is, “ Be muzzled” as if He were addressing Satan as the roaring lion responsible for the storm. The winds and waves heard His command and obeyed. “ There was a great calm.” “ He maketh the storm
The Garden of The Heart Mark 4:1-9. Memory Verse.— “ The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8 : 11 . Approach.— Bring to class a box lid, divided into four parts and filled with the four kinds of soil, hard packed, shallow or stony, thorny, and good. “ Birds” may be *cut from cork, with pins for legs. Scatter seed over the ground, and tell story. Make the applications ELEMENTARY of the lessons to life. (Peloubet’s Mabel L. Merrill Notes). Lesson Story.—Now this morning before we begin our story time, we are going to bow our heads and repeat softly and slowly, the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, and we are going to think of the meaning of those wonderful words as we repeat them, and mean them from our hearts. When we pray if we just say the words and do not mean them from our hearts, it does not mean anything at all, and God does not hear us. In our story today Jesus is down on the beach, on the shore of Galilee, and there were such great crowds of people gathered around Him, that He got into a boat, for the people crowded around Him so closely, he could not talk to them. Now do you think a boat was a queer pulpit? Well, we will see it was a pretty good one, and He preached a wonderful sermon that day to the people as they stood on the shore. Jesus spoke a parable to them. Now a parable is a story which has a meaning to it, and which helps us to under stand and remember what we hear. A farmer went out into his field to sow his seed, and he scattered it by handfuls over the ground. Some of the seed fell on the hard, beaten path, that ran along by the edge of the field, and the birds flew down and ate it. Some fell on shallow or stony places, where there was only a little earth. There it sprang up quickly, but because there was not much earth for the roots, it soon withered and died. And some of the seed fell where briars and weeds were, and was soon choked out. And the rest of the seed fell upon good ground that had been ploughed and made ready to receive it. And the rain and sunshine made it grow, and it bore a hundred times as much as the farmer had planted. When Jesus was alone His disciples came and asked Him to( explain the story to them. Now listen, boys and girls, for the real garden is our hearts, and let us see what kind of soil we have. Jesus told them the seed was the words which He had spoken to them. God’s word the seed. Some people do not listen or care to understand, and Satan comes and makes them think Of other things, and the words are snatched out of our1hearts as quickly as the birds ate the seed. The shallow or stony ground hearers, are those who remember God’s words for a little while, but when troubles come, they give up, and wither away like the seed. That which fell among thorns, are the people who hear and are glad, but soon afterwards they think more of their own houses, and money and play^and soon forget the words of Jesus. But there were some who listened carefully to all Jesus said, remembered in their hearts, and obeyed His words. This was the seed that fell on good soil, took root and grew and bore a hundred times as much as the farmer had planted. What kind of a heart garden have you? Now in this little book I hold in my hand are the names of each boy and girl in the class, and it shows just how many Sundays you have been here during the year. Each Sunday you were present you have a star after your name. You see there are a good many stars. Some were absent
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