The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-05-07


study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures a.
Indicated above! -
INTRODUCTION.
He who realizes the value Of the Bible to
himself will love to teach it to others. lie secs
in it all the hopes and comforts of mankind,
and would have nobody ignorant of its con-
tents.
The father was an infideI the mother a de-
vout Christian woman. He even jested at 70.
lgion in the hearing of his children. Yet she
succeeded IN leading each child to revere God
aui respect the Bible. Que asked her how
she managed, in the face OF so much op-
position, to influence all her children to love
Christianity aud the Sacred Volume She re-
piled:
Because to the authority of father do not
oppose the authority of mother, but that of
God. From their earliest years, my children
have always seen the Bible upon my table.
This Holy Book has constituted the whole of
their religious instruction. / was silent, that
might allow it to speak. Did they propose
question. did they commit fault. did they
perform good action, opened the Bible, and
the Bible answered them-reproyed or encour-
aged them. The constant reading of the Scrip
lures has wrought the prodigy which surprises
YOU"
SUBJECT: THE PARABLE. OF THE POUNDS.
Data.
Surprising this parable different. from that Of
the talents (St. Matt, 25; 1880, we have but
| one account, that of st. Luke. There is such
| similarity, however, that study of the parable
of the talents is helpful to an understanding Of
| that Of the pounds. Again, we find st. Luke
noticing words Of Christ not referred to in the
| Gospels of SITS. Matthew and John, although
| the latter heard the words uttered, while St.
| Luke probably never saw the speaker. There
| is some reason which we do not understand for
such apparent freaks in New Testament reve
lation. One thing is certain, Christs life was
| one busy in deeds and words, which are given
only partially by ali the Gospel accounts com.
bined.
We join with those who hold that the para
bles of the talents and the pounds were spok en-
at separate and different times and places. 1t
| is difficult to explain them as one and keep up
| a unity in our exegesis Some think the two
parallels identical as originally spoken. or else
hold them as practically one, so far as their ex-
| PLANTATION is concerned. DIR. James Strong
makes them parallel in bis Harmony. Meyer,
| De Wette, LANCE Bloomfield, Bengel, Barnes,
| DR.. John Hall make them different as 10 time
and place of utterance. While there arc SINH
| larties. We notice great differences. In the
| parable of the pounds, the man who figures
| principally is from public, royal governmental
life. while in that of tho talents he is an ordi-
nary citizen. > In that of the talents the trusts
are five, two and one. while in that of the
| pounds the trusts are 10, one to each servant
Then there is agreat discrepancy between the
values of talent and pound. DIR. James
Strong gives S92S.43 rs the current value of a
| talent, while pound was worth about $15, or
about one-sixteih the face of a talent The
! parable OF the talents was addressed to the
| Apostles (St. Matt. 24:3). while that of the
| pounds spoken to the miscellaneous COM
| pany gathered at the house of Zaccheus.
Time
The parable OF. the pounds was spoken on
Saturday, March IL, A. ID. 30. The parable of
the talents WAS uttered on the Wednesday fol-
| lowing. Christ was fast approaching the cross.
He was put 70 death within week after our
| lesson. ~
Place.
Christ spoke this parable i'm the house of FAC
| cheus at Jericho, about 16 miles from Jerusa-
lem. st. Luke, 10: 5, g. He was practically
nigh to Jerusalem" V. II.
Critical Notes.
/. "a parable" VII parable is simple
illustration, easily understood. and spoken for
the purpose of making lucid thought more
subjective and intricate. Its use is also to i'm
| press a truth by associating it with well-known
objects
2. We see Christs purpose in uttering this
parable. They thought that the kingdom of
| Heaven should Immediately appear" V. II.
It'll / come" in verse IL, explains. A pro.
longcd time is implied, during which there
would be demand for patience, endurance, toll,
suffering. From verse 8, "This day is salvation
come" might lead his bearers to get idea
Christ's advent was to be immediate. He
wanted to guard against such error, We are
to understand till 4" ". 13) as covering all the
| interval between our lesson and the final judy
ment; to wit, till Christ shall return (V. l5),
or g" at my coming" V. 90.
| We notice the Disciples Of Christ had the
| though their Master was at once to usher in
his Kingdom. Is: a. They imagined them.
selves were actually TO be the prime ministers
of Christ in temporal government. They, as
| we'll as the mscelaneous hearers of this parable
needed to be set right. The Twelve were on
! way to Jerusalem, and might have thought
| their Leader was even then going up to the
| Capital to take throne scepter and regal power
8 a certain nObleman went into far
! country" VIZ. The Roman Government in
| Christ's time was practically universal as
world Kingdom. Provinces existed in Europe
| Asia and Africa. Ambitious men were eager
| to rule in these No one could DO recognized
| as a Governor who did not secure confirmation
| at the seat OF Government. Rome. Hence. men
| backed by some local or foreign influence
| sought interviews at the Roman Capital to be
invested with authority to rule in one and
| another locality. Cases like that supposed by
! Christ were in those days of frequent occur
| renee Subordinate rulers were obliged to re-
ceive from the Emperor a kind of inauguration
or investure OF power So the sons Of Herod
| the Great though by his will appointed as
| Governors 10 succeed him, were necessitated to
| 90 to Rome and be confirmed in their positions
| by the Emperor. HerOd the Great himself
| went to the Capital and got his title direct from
| Cesar Jos. Ant, Ia: Ii. This custom gave
greater weight and dignity to the Governor
ship.
We have cases in history right TO the point.
| When his father Herod the Great, died, he APP
| pointed Archelaus to succeed him as ruler in
| Judea lie was monster very like his father.
| Hence, we read that when Joseph heard Archie
| Iaus had take the place of Herod the Great,
| he wa safrad 10 return to Judea. So the Jews
| hated Archclays. He was hard, austere man.
| Hence, they LID their best to prevent his con-
frmation. Josephps Ant, II IL. The will Of
| his father WAS not enough. He was forced to
go to Rome and secure personal recognition
| from Augustine He set out, noblemap going
into far country tRome) to receive for himself
a Kingdom aud 70 return. But his citizens
| (the people Of Judea) hated him. and sent a
| message (by an embassy of 30 personsl after
him. saying Ito the Roman EMPEROR it is our
| settled wish not to have this man (Anchelau5)
appointed to reign over US. But their efforts
| were uuavailing. Archelaus got the position
OF Governor OF Judea, and returned with full
| power and authority. Christ may have had
this very case in mind when he uttered the
parable of the 10 pounds. The Jews were
| familiar with this practice, and readily under
| stood Ehrists aIIusiop to it, 1t was as much