In this parable the vineyard means the world, and the fig-tree ungodly people whose lives do not produce good works—­do not produce fruit in the service of God.  The Lord of the vineyard, that is, God, would destroy such people, but Christ intercedes in their behalf, that time for repentance may be given.  “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  Christ came and sought to change men’s hearts, and make their lives fruitful for God.  The warning has been given, and when the Lord of the vineyard comes again to seek good fruit the unfruitful trees shall be destroyed.

    Am I a barren tree, dear Lord? 
    A cumberer of the ground. 
    Oh! give me grace to fruitful be,
    And in Thy work abound.

[Illustration:  The unfruitful tree.]

SOWING THE SEED.

A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell by the wayside and was trodden down, and birds came and devoured it.  And some fell upon a rocky place, where there was not much soil, and as soon as it sprang up it withered away, because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns and weeds, and they sprang up with it and choked it.  But other fell on good ground, and sprang up bearing ears, some with thirty, some sixty, some a hundred seeds.

When Jesus had told this parable, His disciples asked Him to explain it to them.  He said that the seed is the Word of God.  The wayside signifies the people who hear the Word but do not understand it, and Satan comes and takes all thought of it out of their hearts as quickly as the birds devour the seeds.  The rocky places without much earth denote those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with great joy and profession of faith; but it never takes deep root in their hearts, and when they are tempted they fall away and the good seed in their hearts is withered up.  The thorns and weeds are the pleasures and riches of this life, which root so deeply and strongly in men’s hearts that the good seed has no chance, and is soon killed off.

But the good ground is the hearts of good people, who remember God’s Word and try, every day of their lives, to do as He wishes us to do, and to live holy and useful lives.  The seed falling upon their hearts becomes strongly rooted and grows up vigorously, bearing good fruit.

What shall be said of your heart, my young friend?  Is it like the wayside? the rocky place? the thorny ground? or like a good field that has been well prepared for the seed?

[Illustration:  Sowing the seed.]

THE ENEMY SOWING TARES.

A certain man sowed good seed in his field, but in the night, whilst men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  When the wheat-blade had sprung up and showed the ear, then appeared the tares also.  So the servants of the householder came to him and said, “Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field?  Whence then come these tares?”