The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-16
JESUS TEACHING IN THE
TEMPLE.
May "a, 1896.
Lesson vIII.-Luke xix; 1877.
INTRODUCTION.

now affiicts Ireland and OF which one Sec
ton of America has had touch. is the
historical root of the Parable of the Vine
yard.-AbOut the middle Of the eigh-
teenth century the English crown coded
to certain Dutch PATRONS, or land
holders, for military service against the
Indians, extensive tracts of wild land on
the shores of the Hudson above Albany
These grants we're subsequently sur
veyed, and divided into farms; in some
cases the farms were sold to pioneer set
tiers; in other cases they were leased to
settlers on low terms for "three lives,"-
that is, as long as three designated per-
sons continued to live; or, popularity
speaking, for three generations. The
settlers, holding the land by this uncer-
tain tenure, improved it as if it had
been their own. Meanwhile many Of
the landowners returned to their ances-
trail estates in Europe. When they sent
agents to collect the rents for the long
leased farms, trouble began. The ten
ants, having in many instances lived on
their farms undisturbed all their lives,
contended that their farms were their
own. They refused to pay rent to for
eign landlord. The Ambient War. of
the early part of the nineteenth century,
was then inaugurated. Cooper in THE
Redskins tell how one OF these land
lords when he attempted to collect
American rents, was assaulted by Ameri-
cans disguised as Indians, and barely es-
capped with his life. The original land
grants were sustained by American
courts; in our own day there is a
collectable land-rent levied on valuable
estates held under perpetual leases in
Albany and Troy and vicinity. The
Anti Rent rising was quelled by military
force; but rebellion against absentee
landlordism has not yet subsidized in the
upper Hudson valley.-This modern
side light, shining into the old para
BILE makes the parable more easily I'M
derstood. The landowners of Judea, in
many cases being Romans, resided in
Rome. That there should be Jewish re-
bellion against the legal claims of these
absentee landlords, is no more strange
than that there should be American re-
bellion against the same order of things.
Absentee landlordism. for any commu-
nifty, can never cease to be undesirable.
LESSON STORY.
to scholarly conjecture, is the Court of
the Women in the temple Into this de-
partment of the temple-area the Jews,
both women and men, could enter; be-
You'd this court, toward the temple, the
women could not go.
The time when the parable we are to
study was spoken was early in the busy
Tuesday of Passion Week; perhaps the
busiest day of the whole ministry of
Jesus. From early morning, when the
journey was made by the Master and
his Twelve with the object lesson of the
whitening fg-tree on the way, to the
gathering of the evening shadows, when
he Left the temple never again to enter
it, and afterwards as he fingered on the
brow of Olivet, this day was given to in.
tense striving and instruction.
Early in the day delegation of the
temple authorities. composed of chief
priests, scribes and elders. had waited on
him with the question: Tell as: By
achat authority doest thou these things?
or acho givest thou this authority9 1t
was a deputation from the Sanhedrim.
Such a deputation had three years be-
fore been sent to John the Baptist in
the Jordan Valley John 1:19-27), asking
him to name his authority for calling
the Jewish nation to repentance. A
similar commission had been sent to
Jesus himself, during his ministry in
Galilee to observe and report upon his
work Matt. ISL, 2; Mark 7:1). The
public entry of Jesus the day bsfore
into Jerusalem, and his assumption Of
authority in driving from the Court of
the Gentiles the money changers, had
given legal right to the temple au-
thorities to institute an investigation
into his credentials. This they did, how
ever, not with candor or with the de-
sire to do justly by the new Reformer.
but as an adroit scheme to make a legal
charge against him.
The way Jesus parted this treacher-
GUS query exhibits his courage and saga
city. I lciu ask you a question; and
tell me: The baptism of John, rcas it
from heaven. or from men? 1t was
we'll known to these chief priests and
scribes that the Baptist, three years be-
fore, had testified of Jesus that he was
the Coming One. the Messiah. Could
they say that the Baptist's mission was
without divine warrant? The multi
tude, which they were now trying to
wheedle. would cry against them IL they
rendered such judgment. They rea-
soned Nth themselves. saying. If lce
shall sag, from heaUen; he lciH sag,
Why did ye not belieUe hims BY
choosing this horn of the dilemma they
would involve themselves in the logical
necessity of couceding the claim of
Jesus to the Messiahsbip. But If ace,
they continued, shall say From men.