"PARABLE OF THE SOWER"

Chronicle (Levin), 17 June 1947, Page 2

"PARABLE OF THE SOWER"

ADDRESS BY DR. REES-THOMAS Giving his second . address to an. interested Otaki audience, Dr. K.r Rees-Thomas took for his subject, "The Parable of the Sower." Briefly sketching the back ground of the parable in Matthew 13, the speaker said that the Pharisees had vcome especially tosee and form a judgment on Christ and His Works, and their judgment was that He was- energised by the power of Satan to do His miracles. The speaker then put to. each of his hearers the striking challenge .that they too, as the^ heard the Word of God that night, would have to make a judgment. In this parable the Sower was Christ and the seed the#Word of God. Neither ever altered and the" seed was all good seed. The different results were because of the different ground on which the seed fell, The ground was the human heart. Some fell by the wayside — ground that had, been trampled hard — where the seed had no chance to germinate; on hearts that were hard and callous and the enemy came immediately and snatched away the seed " lest it should soften those hearts. Some fell on stony ground— with just a superficial layer of earth, where the seed germinated rapidly and gave promise of a good harvest. However, the sun soon' withered the plant as there was no depth of soil. In this is pictured the troubled heart turning over a new leaf in order to ease the conscience, with no real change of heart. A troubled conscience is an uncomfortable bedfellow. Satan says, "Let conscience be quietened at all costs;" So he is one of the greatest advocates of turning over a new leaf as this leaves the heart untouched. Other seed fell among thorns — the tares sown by Satan in other days, and when the good seed endeavours to come up these thorns choke it off. These thorns may be pleasures, perhaps perfectly innocent in themselves, but which are allowed to' come betwen us and God and so choke the good seed off. Lastly, some fell on g,ood ground — prepared and softened by the Spirit of God. All hindrances are now gone and all else is counted as nothing compared to eternity. Dr. Rees-Thomas then faced his hearers with a challenge, "Let's face up to things," he said, "and' see into which of the above tcategories we fit. Remember the two who are striving for the mastery of your soul: The Devil who wants to drag you down to share his doom, and the Saviour who left Heaven and came down to die for you." Dr. Rees-Thomas said that it was his sad duty last week to attend a man suffering'from a ierrible caneer, but who had no desire to get ready to meet God. "As I live- so shall I be judged — if there be a God," he said. "Don't speak to me of these things. It will only make me miserable." The Scripture plainly declares, "As it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." The speaker then appealed to any present who were still at enmity with God, and who were still bearing the burden of their sins, to come to Christ and find the peace they so desired.