Teaching in Parables
11
away from sin and worldly attractions, and toward purity, peace, and
God. Too often the minds of students are occupied with men’s theories
[25]
and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They need to
be brought into close contact with nature. Let them learn that creation
and Christianity have one God. Let them be taught to see the harmony
of the natural with the spiritual. Let everything which their eyes see
or their hands handle be made a lesson in character building. Thus
the mental powers will be strengthened, the character developed, the
whole life ennobled.
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.
And it was because He desired us to do this that Jesus bound up His
[26]
precious lessons with the beauty of natural things. On the holy rest
day, above all other days, we should study the messages that God has
written for us in nature. We should study the Saviour’s parables where
He spoke them, in the fields and groves, under the open sky, among
the grass and flowers. As we come close to the heart of nature, Christ
makes His presence real to us, and speaks to our hearts of His peace
and love.
And Christ has linked His teaching, not only with the day of rest,
but with the week of toil. He has wisdom for him who drives the
plow and sows the seed. In the plowing and sowing, the tilling and
reaping, He teaches us to see an illustration of His work of grace in
the heart. So in every line of useful labor and every association of
life, He desires us to find a lesson of divine truth. Then our daily toil
will no longer absorb our attention and lead us to forget God; it will
[27]
continually remind us of our Creator and Redeemer. The thought of
God will run like a thread of gold through all our homely cares and
occupations. For us the glory of His face will again rest upon the face
of nature. We shall ever be learning new lessons of heavenly truth,
and growing into the image of His purity. Thus shall we “be taught of
the Lord”; and in the lot wherein we are called, we shall “abide with
God.”
Isaiah 54:13
;
1 Corinthians 7:24
.
[28]
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