The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1896-05-21

W :D-16.
JESUS TEACHING In THE TEMPLE.
Golden Text 1.-THE Stone which
the builders rejected, the same Is
become the head of the corner" Luke
I217.
Time and Place. We have followed
the Saviour through the three periods
Of His public ministry, Judean, Cali
lean, and Perean. Our last lesson
was at the house of Zacheus, in Jeri-
cho. From thence He entered upon
the sad and wonderful scenes of the
eyentful week in Jerusalem. Events
now crowd upon Him in rapid success
sion and with dramatic effect. From
Jericho He goes to Bethany the home
iof lazarus, Mary and Martha, where
Tie rpent the Jewish Sabbath. On the
evening of that day was the supper at
the house of Simon. On Sunday was
the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
offering Himself as the Messiah. On
Monday the second cleansing of the
Temple and the acted parable Of the
fig tree. Tuesday was the great and
last day of His public teaching, on
which the parable Of the wicked hus-
bandmen, our lesson to-day, was given.
/ a conceive Of nothing grander in
all the annals Of human controversy,
than the scenes Of the Temple court on
this day, in which Jesus, single and
alone, met the Jewish authorities "in
all the pomp Of Official costume, and
silenced them at every point.
The sin of the husbandmen. We find
from all the accounts that the parable
was called forth by the challenge of
authority on the part Of the Jewish au-
thorities "By what authority doest
thou these thingsf" He answered
them first by asking a question about
Johns baptism which they dare not
answer. Then in Matthew follows first
the parable of the 1.-Two Sons" omit
ted by Mark and Luke. The figure of
the vineyard runs through the whole
Of the Old Testament, and was n Of
the most significant and familiar to an
Oriental mind. Matthew and Mark
draw a fuller picture than Luke, call
ing the owner q householder and
representing the hedging of the vine
yard, digging the winepress, and
building the tower in the midst.
The whole transaction was a familiar
one to these officials to whom the par
able was addressed. The Letting it
out :" was in one of three ways: For
cash, for a proportion of the crop, or
a definite quantity of the grapes for
wine. The Greek word here means
simply "away from home" rather
than into "a far country"
Now the Interpretation Of the parable
was plain upon its face. and was read
lily comprehended by these church Off
cials for at the conclusion we find
that they would have killed Him, but
for fear of the pople, "for they per.
ceived that He had spoken the parable
against them" God Himself was the
certain man" or householder. "
The vineyard was the Kingdom of God,
represented for the time being by
the Jewish churh, planted and hedg-
ed and furnished by all the appurte'
~nances necessary for fruitfulness' and
security. This planting of the spirit
ual vineyard may be recognized as
occurring under Moses and Joshua,
in the establishment Of Jewish polity
in Palestine. We may see that it wa:
hedged and defended inwardly by thii
"middle wall of partition, F" the Law
that made the Jews a peculiar people,
dwelling alone and outwardly by it'
geographical isolation, productiveness,
and defenses was it made independent
and secure from the surrounding IA
lions.
: The "husbandmen' represents prin
cipally the Jewish rulers under whose
care and supervision the Jewish
church was entrusted for the time.
. The going into "a far country for
l long time represents the more thai
fourteen hundred years after the mir
l aculous deliverance from Egyptian
bondage and the establishment in thu
t promised land under priests and SCRIBE
and other, official classes. during whicl
: God patiently waited to see what tn
result of such planting would be
Y The SERVANTS sent by the household
er Eat the season for the fruit of thu
: vineyard" represent the prophets
whom God sent from time to time t
3 the Jewish church. Every reader o
Old Testament history will readily rec
ognize how nearly the facts CORES
7 pond with the statements in the para
: BILE. See Nehemiah 0:28; 1 King
90 :24-27; Q Chron. "a 1929; Act
Z ;52; 1 Thes. 2 10 Hab. II 1851
From these references we will see HOY
> graphically the parable represented tn
. facts, when it says they beat one
shamefully treated another, wounde
and cast out the third and sent ther
/. all away empty. After such outrage
BUS treatment of His servants the Lor
Q of the vineyard seems to deliberat
o what next to do, and finally decide
: hpon what would appear the wises
course, to send his own beloved so
Q Imposing they would surely "receiv
8 him" but when the husbandme
w him, they reasoned among them
3 .lves, saying. This is the heir com
lot US kill him that the inheritance ma
DO ours" When we keep In mind tn
q TACT these words were spoken only tw
lays before His arrest. and rennembe