Chapter 4: Tares

Chapter 4: Tares

"Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also." Matthew 13;24-26.
--"The field," Christ said, "is the world." But we must understand this as signifying the church of Christ in the world. The parable is a description of that which pertains to the kingdom of God, His work of salvation of men; and this work is accomplished through the church.
--The good seed represents those who are born of the word of God, the truth.
--The tares represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles.
--Christ's servants are grieved as they see true and false believers mingled in the church. They long to do something to cleanse the

church. Like the servants of the householder, they are ready to uproot the tares. But Christ says to them, "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest." Matthew 13:29.
*Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church, but He has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us.
--Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart. The tares and the wheat are to grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time.
--There is in the Savior's words another lesson, a lesson of wonderful forbearance and tender love. As the tares have their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain, so false brethren in the church may be closely linked with true disciples. The real character of these pretended believers is not fully manifested. Were they to be separated from the church, others might be caused to stumble.
--The teaching of this parable is illustrated in God's own dealing with men and angels. Satan is a deceiver. When he sinned in heaven, even the loyal angels did not fully discern his character. This was why God did not at once destroy Satan. Therefore the author of evil was spared, fully to develop his character.
--The world has no right to doubt the truth of Christianity because there are unworthy members in the church, nor should Christians become disheartened because of these false brethren. 

Q: How was it with the early church? 

A: Ananias and Sapphira joined themselves to the disciples. 

Simon Magus was baptized. 

Demas, who forsook Paul, had been counted a believer. 

Judas Iscariot was numbered with the apostles.

--Notwithstanding Christ's warning, men have sought to uproot the tares. To punish those who were supposed to be evildoers, the church has had recourse to the civil power.

-Those who differed from the established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture and to death, at the instigation of men who claimed to be acting under the sanction of Christ.

-But it is the spirit of Satan, not the Spirit of Christ,

that inspires such acts.

-*-The Savior does not point forward to a time when all the tares become wheat. The wheat and tares grow together until the harvest, the end of the world. Then the tares are bound in bundles to be burned, and the wheat is gathered into the garner of God.
--The tares closely resembled the wheat while the blades were green; but when the field was white for the harvest, the worthless weeds bore no likeness to the wheat that bowed under the weight of its full, ripe heads. Sinners who make a pretension of piety mingle for a time with the true followers of Christ, and the semblance of Christianity is calculated to deceive many; but in the harvest of the world there will be no likeness between good and evil. 

Then those who have joined the church, 

but who have not joined Christ, 

will be manifest. 

 Christ Himself will decide who are worthy 

to dwell with the family of heaven.

Chapter 3: First the Blade, Then the Ear

Chapter 3: First the Blade, Then the Ear

The parable of the sower excited much questioning. Some of the hearers gathered from it that Christ was not to establish an earthly kingdom, and many were curious and perplexed. Seeing their perplexity, Christ used other illustrations, still seeking to turn their thoughts from the hope of a worldly kingdom to the work of God's grace in the soul.
--"And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Mark 4:26-29.
--The husbandman who "putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come," can be no other than Christ.
--But the sower of the seed represents those who labor in Christ's stead.
*The parable of the seed reveals that God is at work in nature. 

The seed has in itself a germinating principle, 

a principle that God Himself has implanted; 

yet if left to itself the seed would have no power to spring up. Man has his part to act in promoting the growth of the grain. 

-He must prepare and enrich the soil and cast in the seed. 

-He must till the fields. 

-But there is a point beyond which he can accomplish nothing. The life which the Creator has implanted, He alone can call forth. Every seed grows, every plant develops, by the power of God.

--The work of the sower is a work of faith. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand." Ecclesiastes 11:6. The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. 

--The plant must either grow or die.--

The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. It sends down its roots into the earth. It drinks in the sunshine, the dew, and the rain. It receives the life-giving properties from the air. So the Christian is to grow by co-operating with the divine agencies. If we keep our minds stayed upon Christ, He will come unto us "as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:3.
--The good seed may for a time lie unnoticed in a cold, selfish, worldly heart, giving no evidence that it has taken root; but afterward, as the Spirit of God breathes on the soul, the hidden seed springs up, and at last bears fruit to the glory of God.
--The wheat develops "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." The object of the husbandman in the sowing of the seed and the culture of the growing plant is the production of grain. He desires bread for the hungry, and seed for future harvests. So the divine Husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of His labor and sacrifice. The plant does not germinate, grow, or bring forth fruit for itself, but to "give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater." Isaiah 55:10.
*Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.

The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character.

Chapter 2: The Sower Went Forth to Sow

Chapter 2: The Sower Went Forth to Sow

By the parable of the sower, Christ illustrates the things of the kingdom of heaven, and the work of the great Husbandman for His people. Like a sower in the field, He came to scatter the heavenly grain of truth.
--Christ's mission was not understood by the people of His time. The manner of His coming was not in accordance with their expectations. The Lord Jesus was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. Its imposing services were of divine appointment. They were designed to teach the people that at the time appointed One would come to whom those ceremonies pointed. But the Jews had exalted the forms and ceremonies and had lost sight of their object.
*The gospel of Christ was a stumbling block to them because they demanded signs instead of a Savior.
--Christ said, "he shall know of the teaching whether it be of God, or whether I speak from Myself." John 7:17. All who come to Christ for a clearer knowledge of the truth will receive it. 

*He will unfold to them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, 

*and these mysteries will be understood 

by the heart that longs to know the truth.

--"Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them"; "some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."
--"The sower soweth the word." Christ came to sow the world with truth. Ever since the fall of man, Satan has been sowing the seeds of error.
--The word of God is the seed. Every seed has in itself a germinating principle. In it the life of the plant is enfolded. So there is life in God's word. Christ says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." John 6:63.
--The seed sown by the wayside represents the word of God as it falls upon the heart of an inattentive hearer. Like the hard-beaten path, trodden down by the feet of men and beasts, is the heart that becomes a highway for the world's traffic, its pleasures and sins. Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13. The spiritual faculties are paralyzed. Men hear the word, but understand it not. As the birds are ready to catch up the seed from the wayside, so Satan is ready to catch away the seeds of divine truth from the soul. He engages the mind with worldly schemes. He excites criticism, or insinuates doubt and unbelief.
--The seed sown upon stony ground finds little depth of soil. The plant springs up quickly, but the root cannot penetrate the rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth, and it soon perishes. Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers. Like the rock underlying the layer of earth, the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt.
--The gospel seed often falls among thorns and noxious weeds; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart, if old habits and practices and the former life of sin are not left behind, if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be choked. Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated.
--The sower is not always to meet with disappointment. Of the seed

that fell into good ground. The good-ground hearers, having heard the word, keep it.
--Throughout the parable of the sower, Christ represents the different results of the sowing as depending upon the soil. In every case the sower and the seed are the same. Thus He teaches that if the word of God fails of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives, the reason is to be found in ourselves.
--There are very many who claim to serve God, but who have no experimental knowledge of Him. Their desire to do His will is based upon their own inclination, not upon the deep conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their conduct is not brought into harmony with the law of God. Many feel a sense of estrangement from God, a realization of their bondage to self and sin; they make efforts for reform; but they do not crucify self.
--In our day, as of old, the vital truths of God's word are set aside for human theories and speculations. Many professed ministers of the gospel do not accept the whole Bible as the inspired word. The word of God is made to appear mysterious and obscure in order to excuse transgression of His law.
--Christ's favorite theme was the paternal tenderness and abundant grace of God; He dwelt much upon the holiness of His character and His law; He presented Himself to the people as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
--Instead of discussing erroneous theories, or seeking to combat the opponents of the gospel, follow the example of Christ. Let fresh truths from God's treasure house flash into life. "Preach the word." "Sow beside all waters." "Be instant in season, out of season." 2 Timothy 4:2; Isaiah 32:20.
--Skeptical sentiments are interwoven in the matter placed in school books. Thus the seeds of doubt are planted in the minds of the youth, and in time of temptation they spring up. To this cause may in great degree be attributed the widespread iniquity in our world today. Men sow to the flesh, and of the flesh they reap corruption. In turning from God's word to feed on the writings of uninspired men, the mind becomes dwarfed and cheapened. "We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty." 2 Peter 1:16.
--Cares, riches, pleasures, all are used by Satan in playing the game of life for the human soul. The warning is given, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye s, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:15, 16. The Spirit of God is ever seeking to break the spell of infatuation that holds men absorbed in worldly things, and to awaken a desire for the imperishable treasure. 

The garden of the heart must be cultivated.
*The knowledge of God is as high as heaven and as broad as the universe.

Love must be the principle of action. 

Love is the underlying principle of God's government 

in heaven and earth, 

and it must be the foundation of the Christian's character.

Chapter 1: Teaching in Parables

Chapter 1: Teaching in Parables

Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers.
--In Christ's parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. God was made manifest in the likeness of men.
--So it was in Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar.
The Scripture says, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; . . . that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Matthew 13:34, 35.
--Christ brought the mind of man in contact with the Infinite Mind. He did not direct the people to study men's theories about God, His word, or His works. He taught them to behold Him as manifested in His works, in His word, and by His providences.
--In His teaching from nature, Christ was speaking of the things which His own hands had made, and which had qualities and powers that He Himself had imparted. So wide was Christ's view of truth, so extended His teaching, that every phase of nature was employed in illustrating truth.
*In their original perfection all created things were an expression of the thought of God.
--The earth is now marred and defiled by sin. Yet even in its blighted state much that is beautiful remains. God's object lessons are not obliterated; rightly understood, nature speaks of her Creator.
--In the days of Christ these lessons had been lost sight of. Men had well-nigh ceased to discern God in His works; and instead of manifesting God, His works became a barrier that concealed Him. Men "worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator."

Thus the heathen "became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Romans 1:25, 21. 
--He gave the lesson, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow [in the simplicity of natural beauty]; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Matthew 6:28,29.
--Christ did not deal in abstract theories, 

but in that which is 

essential to the development of character, 

that which will enlarge man's capacity for knowing God, 

and increase his efficiency to do good.

--The book of nature is a great lesson book, which in connection with the Scriptures we are to use in teaching others of His character, and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God. As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction that logical reasoning produces; but unless the mind has become too dark to know God, the eye too dim to see Him, the ear too dull to hear His voice, a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime, spiritual truths of the written word are impressed on the heart. In these lessons direct from nature, there is a simplicity and purity that makes them of the highest value.
--Christ's purpose in parable teaching was in direct line with the purpose of the Sabbath. God gave to men the memorial of His creative power, that they might discern Him in the works of His hand. The Sabbath bids us behold in His created works the glory of the Creator.
--So in every line of useful labor and every association of life, He desires us to find a lesson of divine truth.

Let them learn that creation and Christianity have one God. 

Let them be taught to see the harmony

 of the natural with the spiritual.