The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-09-07
The
School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 4.
Subject: Two Parallels Of Judgment,
Matt. 21:33-fG-Co:nmit
Verses 40, 20.

be taken from YOU" Matt. 21-43.
TIME.-Monday, April g., A. D. 80.
PLACE.-Jerusalem in the temple.
EXPOS1TION.-I. LonS-Sufcring
Goodness, $3.50. This parable was
spoken to the people duke 20:9).
Jesus emphasized the Importance Of
the parable by the irst.word Of v. SO.
The form OF the parable was suggest
ed by Old Testament imagery Cps.
8~0:S-11; Is. 81, 2; Jer. 2:21). In
the Old Testament the vineyard is the
kingdom of God. which is no longer
identified with Israel. but taken away
from Israel and given to the Gentiles
". 49,. The householder represents
God. By his digging the wilepress,
ETC., is set forth the truth that he had
done for his vineyard everything that
needed to he done, Or could be done
Us. $40. Each detail is significant.
The fence about his vineyard was the
law (Eph. 2:14). When God had
fully equipped His vineyard He put it
in the hands of men (irst of all
Israeli and left the care of it to them.
The husbandmen were the people Of
Israel ". 43). To them first Of all
God committed the charge of His
kingdom. To-day He commits the
charge Of it to believers in Christ Il
Pet. 4:1O. These h~usbandmen did
not own the vineyard, neither do we,
though we sometimes act as though
we thought we did. Having put the
vineyard into the hands of the hus-
bandmen, the proprietor withdrew
from it, and so God w~ithdraws, in a
sense, from direct activity in His
kingdom and works through men.
We are similarly taught in the New
Testament that Jesus Christ has
withdrawn from the administration Of
His kingdom and committed it to us
Matt. 25:14, IS; Mark 1894; Luke
1912. The absence of the proprie-
tor did not in any wise lessen his own
ership of the vineyard nor the respon-
sibility of the husbahdmen; and
Christ's absence does not in any ways
lesson our responsibility to Him.
When the time for fruit anne the pro-
prietor justly sent to receive the
fruits Of his vineyard, and so God will
demand of each Of us the fruits Of
His vineyard. The servants who were
sent to demand the fruits of the vine
yard were the Old Testament prophets
g Chron. 36:15. 1G; Jer. 25:4). The
fruits demandeGA repentance,
righteousness and benevo-
lence e Kings 17:13; Zech. $500.
The servants whom God sends to the
present husbandmen are His divinely
called and commissioned ministers.
The fruits they demand are the same.
The husbandmel miStreated all the
servants of God. This was historically
true of I~srael's treatment Of their
prophets (ch. SIP; 2 Chron. 36:16;
81; 1877, 10; Jer. 26:21-24;
Acts 7:52; Neh. 9:26; l Kings 1874,
13; 1872, 10; 1926, 2T. The way
in which Israel treated their prophets
proves conclusively that these pro-
phets were not 1.-The product Of the
Semitic natural character and genius"
but God-inspired and God-commis-
men. It is no wonder that
such a people should reject their an
ointed King when He came. The
world uses cody men in the same way
to-day e Tim. 3:12), and thus re-
veals its hatred to God John 1918,
10; 17:14; ~; Rom. SD. The
househclder's last resource was the
sending Of His own Son. OF course,
this Son represents Jesus Christ.
While all the prophets, even the
greatest, we're simply servants, Jesus
was a Son. an only Son (cf. Mark -:
r d " ual 9 & II
seems uncomfortable that the wicked
ness of the ~husbandmen should reach
such a point that they would even kill
the son and heir ". 81; CT. Jer. 36:3;
80. The Jewish leaders did
not, with perfect clearness, recognize
in Christ the Messiah, and deliber-
ately plan to get His kingdom from
Him duke 1884; Acts 3:17; / Cor.
2:S), AID yet there was a recognition
more or less clear on the part of the
leaders Of who Jesus was, and a de-
termination on their part not to yield
to Him lest they lose their own pre-
emineGce and power John 11:47,
49,.
III. Gods Relentless Severity To-
ward Those Who Despise His Good
ness, 4O-1G. 1t was q tremendously
searching question that Jesus put to
the Jews in ". 40. 1t suggests anoth-
er question that God puts to us in
Heb. 1928, 20. BY their answer ".
41) they declare their own doom. AS
an historic fact God did "miserably
destroy these miserable men" This
doom was executed in the destruction
of Jerusalem (Luke 1~9:41-44; CT.
Matt. 22:G, Z: 2~3:35-3S; 24:21, 22),
the most appalling siege in the worlds
history. A similar doom awaits those
who now reject Christ (Heb. 1920.
Israel, having been destroyed, the
kingdom is transferred to the church,
chosen out from the Gentiles. nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof (cf.
Acts 1914; l Pet. 2:9; Rev. SD.
Jesus confirmed His teachings by an
appeal to the Old Testament Scrip
lures ". 40: CT. Ps. l1S:22). Jesus
Himself IS the stone whom the build
ers rejected Us. 2S:1G; J. Pet. 2:6, Z;
Acts All; Eph. $40; l Cor. Bid.
The Jewish leaders were the bungling
builders, but God Himself made the
rejected stone the head of the corner.
Even to-day God often gives a place
in His building to a stone which men
reject Il Cor. 1926, 2O. Whoever
stumbles at Christ will be broken to
pieces, but on whomsoever He falls
he shall be scattered as dust; two
classes are represented by this, those
who stumble and are broken and come
afterward to believe and are saved,
and those who persistently reject and
are crushed to powder (cf. Ps. 2:12.