The Yale expositor., 1903-08-28
ROnR
Doina Gods Will.

Doing COOS VIII.
whether 81 them twain ala the will OF
hiS fathvrs-St Matthew, All, Il.
Here Is a man who has two Sons.
lie b. also the owner OF vineyard.
After the habit OF the times his sons
are supposed 90 work In the vineyard.
And he himself also from time 10 time
Joins them I'm their labors.
The day has dawned. and tho father
summons his sons 20 their work. These
Fons we're apparently comparatively
young There are two words used in
our Lords parallels for "sons'-one
suggesting that the son has come OF
age; the other that he Is In his
minority. The former words is en-
ployod by Christ in the parable 81 the
prodigal son; the latter is used here.
A. being youthful II may have been
necessary to remind them Of their
duties. Wise parents train their call
dron by keeping them 20 their duties.
Under ordinary circumstances II had
been sufficient for the father 90 say;
"Now. my sons. let us go 10 work In
the vineyard or. II he was not to az
Now. my sons. S Is time to begin
work In the vineyard" But YOU OBJ
serve here more peremptory tone:
"Sons. go work today In my vine
yard" II Is possible that this more
decisive tone Is adopted In the parable
60 set forth In more striking form the
obligatory nature Of the direction
given.
And It's decisiveness of tone has this
great advantage; Il Is Enthusiastically
explicit. See, there Is here some
thing to be done. son. 80 work.
That word Is the vurning point Of the
parable. Thcre Is no authority in the
universe equal 10 that Of father.
This is. indeed. the ultimate basis of
Gods own authority over us-thaj he
s. the God ard father OF us all When
one IS addressed as son be is re-
minded that he who ~ entitled 10 eau
him his son has "a supreme claim 10
his obedience.
BUT now did these two sons receive
this reasonable patcrnal mandate? The
first answered bluntly and dchanily
Il will not" II L. true he afterwards
repcutcd and went. BUT his verbal
answer. whatever happened after
wards. must ever stand against him as
the evidence of an uufilial and rcck
less disposition. The second answered
biandly and respectfully, y go, sir
But his conduct shows the honowncss
or tho irsilCcrity OF his profession ~
obedience. For DEE did not move
step Co go
This is tho picture Christ draws ~
two classes 90 people with whom ac
camc into contact or this time. Au1
we have DO difficulty iu identifying
the classes Of people bore GrscrIhet,
lie was being boscI Ly tbc chief priests
and elders of the people. And their
standing rpproach aEairst him was
that ne was q friend ol pUhllcaVs and
sinners" which brings these people ia.
60 view IN connection with the priests
and Cldcrs. So Christ pictures these
two classes under the figure OF these
two sons. The publ.cans and harluts
were those who said IN deeds n net In
words. Il Will not" Aad though tLcy
afterwards. many Of them, repeated
anu ANAAkfN AAfAA AlNN' W NV AffitN
subsequent repentance can In no wise
excvse their primary defiance. The
chief priests and elders were those
who said so promptly and so fuently
Il 10. sir" hut the emptiness Cf
these professions % obedience g.
shown in the absence OF any action
con- csponding to them.
And Christ Judges between there two
classes And he leaves us In 10 doubt
which Of these he considered the bet.
ter. lie expressly says To- the chief
priests and elders. The publicans and
harlots 20 into the kingdom ~ God
before you" Neither OF these two
sons. neither OF these two classes.
were To be- commended for what they
had done The conduct OF both was
highly roprehensible But the one
who. first OF all refused compliance
with his fathers commands. but after.
wards regretted his refusal and com.
piled with them. was "a better mana
more hopeful Chamberlain he who
was go profuse in professions OF obcd.
fence and So absolutely wanting In
performance Of n. This Is a wcighiy
judgment OF Christ.