Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-05-19

iStry. This week occupies seven chapters OF
Matthew. FIVE Of Mark, five of Luke, and
eight of John; in all. twenty-five chapters,
against three for the first year. twenty for the
second and twenty-three for the third.
The events of this week should be learned
by heart, and by drill and by blackboard they
should be impressed on the memory In viva
pictures.
Their bearing on the work Of Christ should
be clearly pointed out. The first three days,
which are included in to-day's lesson, were
employed in one great and powerful eHore'
eXerted in every possible way to induce the
Jewish nation to accept Jesus as their Mes
siah, and thus become that glorious nation.
blessing the whole world, for which they had
been set apart. Jesus rode into Jerusalem as
the Prince of Peace. The populace hailed
him as Messiah. He entered the temple as It's
Lord and drove out the rloney-changers from
his Fathers house. He presented the truth
in parallels
To-day's lesson includes Luke, 20: 9-f9
Q. "A certain man." representing God him
self, the owner of all things. Planted vine
yard" Palestine was country OF vineyards,
and Jesus took his illustration from most
familiar occurrence. Isaiah uses similar IL
lustration. And let 1t forth to husbandmen.
1t is customary IN the East, as In Ireland ana
in other parts of Europe. for the owner to
let out his estate to husbandmen, l. e., 10
tenants. 'And went into far country !:
rather, as in the r. ", another country. lie
went abroad. He left his tenants in charge
with everything needful for their work and
thus by his absence tested their faithfuness.
and gave them opportunity to develop their
characters and fulfil their duties. This was
for long time"
TO- "And at the season. not any definite
time, but every occasion when God had rea-
son to expect the results. He sent serV-
ant" The prophets and all faithful priests
and teachers. THE husbandmen beat him.
The next one they not only beat, but entreat-
ed him shamefuly. The fruit the Lord had
a right to expect. the people did not give him.
The nation as whole were very disappoint-
ing 10. My beloved: dear to him as his
own self. This is said to sho" the greatness
of Gods love to man John 3: l6).
H. This is the heir" Christ Is the heir
Of all things QIeb. 1: %. The Jewish nation
should have been his 10 rule. while they
obeyed him, the Messiah, in love. Let us
kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
This aludes to the Eastern custom, that
II an owner was not to be found. and the
occupier pays the taxes for six years, he can
claim the property. The owner, in this case
was in q far country. and had sent servant
after servant, but had not enforced his rights.
When the legal heir appeared they were
alarmed for their tenure, and hoped that by
killing him, unless his father came in per-
son. the estate would become absolutely their
own. Canon Tristram.
49, HE shall come and destroy these hus-
bandmen." Since every possible method OF
saving them had been rejected. The tree that
no culture will enable to bring forth fruit
must be cut down. The wicked man whom
nothing can make better must perish. In
the summer of A. d. 20. forty years after
this parable was spoken, Jerusalem was de-
stroyed and the temple was burned and laid
in ruins by the Roman army under Titus, aft
er the most terrible siege on record; $1,000
were taken prisoners, and LOO, 900 persisted
Yet these Jews, IL they had been faithful,
might have been the leading nation in the
world, walking as kings and princes among
men, the Joy of the whole earth, shedding
the light of Gods truth and Righteousness over
the nations. But they would not: they re-
iected the Messiah and persisted. And shall
give the vineyard to others" The others
were the Christian church. the new kingdom
of heaven. which took the place OF the Jew
ish nation after the destruction OF Jerusalem.
II. This then that is written" in Psalm
us: %, ga psalm which the Jews applied
TO the Messiah. Peter twice applied it TO
him Acts 4: Il: Pet 2; y. The stone
which the builders rejected" In the primary
meaning OF the psalm the illustration seems
to have been drawn from one OF the stones.
cuarried hewn and marked. away from the
Site of the temple, which the builders, ignor-
ant OF the head architects plans. or finding
on 1t no mark such as recent explorations in
Jerusalem have shown to have baen placed
on the stones OF Solcmons temple in the
place where they were quarried, ID indicate
their position in the future structure of the
fabricl, had put on one side as having no
place in the building. but which was found
efterw ards to be that on which the complete
ness OF the structure depended-on which. as
the chief cornerstone, the two walls met
and were bonded together. "-Plumptre. The
stone rejected was Jesus the Messiah, and the
Kingdom and its blessings which would come
with him. lis become the head OF the cor
ner." The cornerstone on which the super
structure rests. The most important stone in
the building. The Messiah is to succeed and
reign, his Kingdom is to come, no matter who
opposes.
IS. whatsoever shall fall upon that stone"
stumbles at the humiliation OF Jesus. and
so does not accept his claims. Shall be
broken" shall suffer great injury. but may
yet be saved by repentance and faith. But
on whomsoever it shall fall" in final judg-
ment and punishment, lit will grind him to
powder" in complete and irremediable de-
Gtructon. This was fulfilled In the destruc-
ton of Jerusalem. a type Of the ruin OF those
who reject Christ's principles. atoning love
and guidance.
H. And the chief priests" seeing that the
parable applied to them, thought to defeat the
prophecy, and make the words to be impossi-
bic to BIO fulfilled, by destroying Jesus. But
II was his death that wrought victory for
him.
Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh.
HN..A A