Evening star., 1928-05-26

Memorial Sunday recalls the memory
Of the heroes who offered their lives
so that "a government OF the people,
tor the people and by the people should
not perish from the earth They have
handed on to us the torch OF freedom
The battlefieids. made sacred in our
land and throughout the world by the
blood they shed when democracy was
imperiled, calls for us to re-consecrate
ourselves to live and labor so that
America may utilize her privileges, posi-
ton and power for the glory OF God
and the uplift OF all mankind. The
words of the Lord Jesus. spoken in the
Temple in connection with last weeks
lesson and assigned for our conSidera-
ton In this weeks study. warned Israel
OF her rapidly approaching danger
because of their misuse of their
privileges as nation. They contain
message for the individual. modern
society and our own Nation. II we
fail to do Gods will. we. too. will be
condemned and be destined to perish
from the earth.
The point of the parable lies in the
quotation made from the psalm which
clinches His argument. THE authori-
ties were accused of making the same
tragic miscalculation that they made
at the beginning OF the Maecabean
movement. AS the priests then pooh
poohed the Maccabean reformers and
sought to ignore them as useless for
the work of Judaism, and, as history
proved this policy was an error, so
would 1t be "at that moment" The
authorities thought that they knew
what was best for the structure of
Judaism To put Jesus out of the way
seemed to them TO be the best thing
to do, and they considered that 1t
would be a real service 10 Jehovah,
Christs spirit was a rebuke to their
selfishness, and their worldly temper
could find no use In His gospel He
warned them of their mistake and
short-sighted policy. assuring them
that 1t would end In their being super
ceded and completely overthrown.
In the parable of the Wicked Hus-
bandmen" our Lord odtlined the his
tory OF Israel In few words. using a
vineyard. that was a familiar Old
Testament symbol for the Hebrew
nation interviewer In their history
is the relation that exists between
Jehovah and the Jewish people for His
covenant with Abraham was the center
OF their national life II dominates
their literature. music. ideals and
hopes as people. They we're Gods
chosen people. His guiding hand was
10 be seen In every event In this
tinal interview that Jesus held with His
enemies. our Lord fearlesSly pointed
out that priest and people had forgotten
why God had exalted them. Jehovah's
idea was to Use Israel, whom he had
placed In the strategic site OF Palestine.
10 lead all other nations to know Him
and worship Him as the one God. In
the seed of Abraham all the other
nations we're to be hlesseI, They had
failed in their mission They considered
that they we're the chosen, and all
others we're rejected, and that they
were superior people.
Jehovah, who had planted Israel In
the promised land. had carefully
watered His vineyard. He sent prophets
In times past to rebuke their short
comings and 10 lead them 10 the
broader view OF their opportunity. but
In vain. Some were stoned, some put
10 death. and all unheeded Like the
husbandmen of the parable, they had
been given a vineyard 10 produce fruit,
but the fruits we're only arrogance and
self-righteouaness Now God has sent
His Son TO awake them by His message
and life Christ warned them that His
was Gods final and last appeal. HE
predicts His death at their hands. but
He closes the parable" with quota
ton taken from the psalms that was a
prophecy Of His coming triumph,
Death would not mean His defeat, for
He would be like the stone rejected by
the builders, but which became the