1163 soil, or ground, in which the -seed is planted. Jesus preaches to the people again in a parable. He told them about a farmer who went out into his field to sow his seed, and he scattered it by handfuls over the ground. As there were no fences built around the fields in those days, there were beaten paths all around and across where people walked. Some of the seed fell on these hard paths, and the birds flew down and ate •it. Some fell upon stony places, Where there was only a little earth. This seed came up quickly, but because there was not enough earth for the roots, in a few days it withered away and died. Some of the seed fell along the side of the field where briars and weeds were growing, and the briars and weeds grew up and choked it. But the rest of the seed fell upon good ground that had been plowed and made ready to receive it. The rain and sunshine did their part, and the seed grew so well that it brought forth thirty, sixty and a hun dred times as much as the farmer had planted. When Jesus was alone, His disciples came and asked Him to ex plain this parable to them. Would you boys and girls like to hear what Jesus told them? Jesus said the seed meant the words which He had preached. Some of the people who heard Jesus preach did not understand His words, and did not care enough to ask. Then Satan made them think of other things, and took Jesus’ words out of their hearts as quickly as the birds ate .up the seed that fell on the hard path. Some of the people heard His words and re membered them, and tried for a little while to obey them. But it was only for a little while. As soon as they had trouble, or some one made fun of them because they were keeping Jesus’ words, they stopped doing as Jesus had told them and soon forgot His words. This was the seed that fell on the stony ground, and that sprang up at first, but in a few days withered away. And some heard Jesus preach and were glad to
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS v. 55. Is not this the carpenter’s son? These particulars of our Lord’s human history constitute the most valu able testimony, first to His true and real humanity, for they prove that during all His first thirty years His townsmen had discovered nothing about Him different from other men. Secondly, to thé di vine character of His mission, for these Nazarenes proclaimed both the unparal leled character of his teaching and the reality and glory of His miracles as transcending human ability. Thirdly, it shows His wonderful humility and self denial in that when He was such as they now see Him to be, He yet never gave any indications' of it for thirty years because His hour was not yet come.—Jamieson. His brethren. Prob ably sons of Joseph and Mary. Two other theories have been advanced. One, the brethren were His cousins, be ing sons of Cleopas and Mary, a sister of the virgin Mary. Two, they were sons of Joseph by a former marriage. Neither of these theories derives any support from the direct words of Scrip ture and some facts tend to disprove them.—Camb. Bible. m Sowing in good ground. Matt. 13:1- 9, 18-23. Memory Verse: “Others fell upon gpod ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matt. 13:8. Approach: What do you suppose I have wrapped up in this paper? Now every one will be able to tell me what it is when you see it. A slice of bread. Helen, can you tell BEGINNERS me what this was be- AND PRIMARY fore it was bread? Mabel L. Merrill Yes, it was flour, and the flour was. wheat before it was ground. (Review last week’s lesson). We learned last week how careful we must be to sow good seed, and to sow just the kind of seed we wanted to grow, for our mem ory verse taught us that we will reap just exactly what we sow. Prayer. Lesson Story: We have been learn ing about good seed and bad seed, and today we are to hear about the kind of
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