The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-16

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conveyed his claim as the Son of God
By reference to the parallel record in
Matthew (2128-32), we find Jesus first
speaking to the deputation parable OF
man having two sons, whom he COM
manded to work in his vineyard. One
son replied that he would not go; yet he
went. The other said he would go; yet he
went not. By this parable Jesus taught
that the priests and scribes, though
professed believers and servants of God,
we're really disbelievers and opposers;
while the multitude, though not pro-
Tossing faith or faithfulness, were be-
levers and doors of Gods word. He re-
minded them that it was the professedly
irreligious class. rather than religious
Pharisees. who had believed in John
the Baptist. He spoke to his self
righteous judges these sharp and terri
BILE words of judgment: Verify 1 sag
unto you, that the publicans and the
harlots go into the kingdom of God be-
fore you.
Then, as Luke tells us, Jesus directed
his speech to the multitude. But he is
still. we must understand. also speaking
indirectly to the scribes and priests, in
answer to their question as to his war
rant for the authority he has assumed.
1. The Servants Rejected
vs.. 1919.
A man planted a Uineyard, and let 1T
out to husbdndnae1s. and aUent into an
other country for a long time. Eagerly
must all have listened to this story
drawn from Judean life, story that
touched all loyal Jews where they were
most sensitive 1t is matter of course
that for political reasons many estates
in Judea were confscated by the Ro-
mans. 1t could not have been unusual
for Roman nobleman to plant vine
yard in Judea, and complete it in the
manner described by Matthew, by set.
ting hedge about it and tower in the
midst and drilling a wine-press in
hillside rock; and then lease it to ten.
ants and himself return to his bone in
Rome. Such leases" says Edersheim.
''were given by the year or for life;
sometimes the lease was even hereditary,
passing from father to son. There can
scarcely be doubt that it is the latter
kind of lease which is referred to in the
parable, the lessees being bound to give
the owner a certain amount of fruit in
their season."
At the season he sent unto the has
bdndnlen q servant that then should
gtUe him Of the fruit of the vineydrd:
but the hatsbdndnen beat him and sent
HIM daedy empty The tenants had per-
suaded themselves, in the prolonged alb
sence of their landlord. that they were
the rightful if not legal owners of the
vineyard. When. therefore, the owners
agent appeared demanding the stipu-
lated rent, they resented his demand as
impertinent. That there should be
such resistance OF an absentee landlords
claims in Judea is by no means incredi
BILE, when we recall that such resistance
is common today in Ireland and has
been known in America. The send
ing of another agent for the rent, and
yet third, in the story. is an implica-
ton that the owner of the vineyard was
exceptionally forgiving and forbearing
toward the undeserving men to whom
he had leased his vineyard.
In application Of the parable to
the chief priests and scribes, Jesus in
dicates that they always rejected the
prophets, and had but recently rejected
the Baptist, the greatest prophet of all.
z. The Son Killed,-vs. 1915.
The Lord of the vineyard said, What
shall l do9 I aviU send mig beloved son !:
1t mag be they ,oiH reverence him: Thus
the absentee landlord is imagined to
have reasoned. This is suggestive of the
divine explanation of the mission of
Jesus.
But aohen the husbandnaen saw him,
they reasoned one aoih another, saying
THIS is the heir: let as Kill him, that the
Inheritance mag be ours. Cooper. in
his Redskins" imagines the actual heir
Of certain leased lands in the upper
Hudson Valley coming from Germany,
on an errand similar to that of the son
to these ancient anti-rent tenants; and
Cooper represents that the anti-rent
farmers Of New York reasoned like these
husbandmen OF old; and furthermore
that they, like the husbandmen of old,
attempted to secure their inheritance
by numbering the heir.
The story, when brought to the
test of facts. accords with human ma
ture. The upper ranges of human
character are represented in the forgiv-
ing and forbearing absentee landlord;
the depraved human nature in the anti
rent husbandmen.
THAT there may have been in
Jesus days in Judea we'll known MUIR
ders of the heirs of absentee landlords
is not improbable.
The Pharisaic chief priests and
scribes are now answered; Jesus claims
to exercise the authority, not o: Goa's
priest or Gods servant, but of Gods
Son.
3. The Husbandmen Judged.