the desire of ages-第125节

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　without　adornment　or　display。　His　garments　were　travel　stained；　His　face　was　pale；　and　expressed　a　patient　sadness；　yet　written　there　were　dignity　and　benevolence　that　contrasted　strangely　with　the　proud；　self…confident；　and　angry　air　of　the　high　priest。　Many　of　those　who　witnessed　the　words　and　deeds　of　Jesus　in　the　temple　from　that　time　enshrined　Him　in　their　hearts　as　a　prophet　of　God。　But　as　the　popular　feeling　turned　in　His　favor；　the　hatred　of　the　priests　toward　Jesus　increased。　The　wisdom　by　which　He　escaped　the　snares　set　for　His　feet；　being　a　new　evidence　of　His　divinity；　added　fuel　to　their　wrath。

In　His　contest　with　the　rabbis；　it　was　not　Christ's　purpose　to　humiliate　His　opponents。　He　was　not　glad　to　see　them　in　a　hard　place。　He　had

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an　important　lesson　to　teach。　He　had　mortified　His　enemies　by　allowing　them　to　be　entangled　in　the　net　they　had　spread　for　Him。　Their　acknowledged　ignorance　in　regard　to　the　character　of　John's　baptism　gave　Him　an　opportunity　to　speak；　and　He　improved　the　opportunity　by　presenting　before　them　their　real　position；　adding　another　warning　to　the　many　already　given。

〃What　think　ye？〃　He　said。　〃A　certain　man　had　two　sons；　and　he　came　to　the　first；　and　said；　Son；　go　work　today　in　my　vineyard。　He　answered　and　said；　I　will　not：　but　afterward　he　repented；　and　went。　And　he　came　to　the　second；　and　said　likewise。　And　he　answered　and　said；　I　go；　sir：　and　went　not。　Whether　of　them　twain　did　the　will　of　his　father？〃

This　abrupt　question　threw　His　hearers　off　their　guard。　They　had　followed　the　parable　closely；　and　now　immediately　answered；　〃The　first。〃　Fixing　His　steady　eye　upon　them；　Jesus　responded　in　stern　and　solemn　tones：　〃Verily　I　say　unto　you；　That　the　publicans　and　the　harlots　go　into　the　kingdom　of　God　before　you。　For　John　came　unto　you　in　the　way　of　righteousness；　and　ye　believed　him　not：　but　the　publicans　and　the　harlots　believed　him：　and　ye；　when　ye　had　seen　it；　repented　not　afterward；　that　ye　might　believe　him。〃

The　priests　and　rulers　could　not　but　give　a　correct　answer　to　Christ's　question；　and　thus　He　obtained　their　opinion　in　favor　of　the　first　son。　This　son　represented　the　publicans；　those　who　were　despised　and　hated　by　the　Pharisees。　The　publicans　had　been　grossly　immoral。　They　had　indeed　been　transgressors　of　the　law　of　God；　showing　in　their　lives　an　absolute　resistance　to　His　requirements。　They　had　been　unthankful　and　unholy；　when　told　to　go　and　work　in　the　Lord's　vineyard；　they　had　given　a　contemptuous　refusal。　But　when　John　came；　preaching　repentance　and　baptism；　the　publicans　received　his　message　and　were　baptized。

The　second　son　represented　the　leading　men　of　the　Jewish　nation。　Some　of　the　Pharisees　had　repented　and　received　the　baptism　of　John；　but　the　leaders　would　not　acknowledge　that　he　came　from　God。　His　warnings　and　denunciations　did　not　lead　them　to　reformation。　They　〃rejected　the　counsel　of　God　against　themselves；　being　not　baptized　of　him。〃　Luke　7：30。　They　treated　his　message　with　disdain。　Like　the　second　son；　who；　when　called；　said；　〃I　go；　sir；〃　but　went　not；　the　priests　and　rulers　professed　obedience；　but　acted　disobedience。　They　made　great　professions　of　piety；　they　claimed　to　be　obeying　the　law　of　God；　but　they　rendered　only　a　false　obedience。　The　publicans　were　denounced　and　cursed　by　the　Pharisees　as　infidels；　but　they　showed　by　their　faith　and　works　that

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they　were　going　into　the　kingdom　of　heaven　before　those　self…righteous　men　who　had　been　given　great　light；　but　whose　works　did　not　correspond　to　their　profession　of　godliness。

The　priests　and　rulers　were　unwilling　to　bear　these　searching　truths；　they　remained　silent；　however；　hoping　that　Jesus　would　say　something　which　they　could　turn　against　Him；　but　they　had　still　more　to　bear。

〃Hear　another　parable；〃　Christ　said：　〃There　was　a　certain　householder；　which　planted　a　vineyard；　and　hedged　it　round　about；　and　digged　a　wine　press　in　it；　and　built　a　tower；　and　let　it　out　to　husbandmen；　and　went　into　a　far　country：　and　when　the　time　of　the　fruit　drew　near；　he　sent　his　servants　to　the　husbandmen；　that　they　might　receive　the　fruits　of　it。　And　the　husbandmen　took　his　servants；　and　beat　one；　and　killed　another；　and　stoned　another。　Again；　he　sent　other　servants　more　than　the　first：　and　they　did　unto　them　likewise。　But　last　of　all　he　sent　unto　them　his　son；　saying；　They　will　reverence　my　son。　But　when　the　husbandmen　saw　the　son；　they　said　among　themselves；　This　is　the　heir；　come；　let　us　kill　him；　and　let　us　seize　on　his　inheritance。　And　they　caught　him；　and　cast　him　out　of　the　vineyard；　and　slew　him。　When　the　lord　therefore　of　the　vineyard　cometh；　what　will　he　do　unto　those　husbandmen？〃

Jesus　addressed　all　the　people　present；　but　the　priests　and　rulers　answered。　〃He　will　miserably　destroy　those　wicked　men；〃　they　said；　〃and　will　let　out　his　vineyard　unto　other　husbandmen；　which　shall　render　him　the　fruits　in　their　seasons。〃　The　speakers　had　not　at　first　perceived　the　application　of　the　parable；　but　they　now　saw　that　they　had　pronounced　their　own　condemnation。　In　the　parable　the　householder　represented　God；　the　vineyard　the　Jewish　nation；　and　the　hedge　the　divine　law　which　was　their　protection。　The　tower　was　a　symbol　of　the　temple。　The　lord　of　the　vineyard　had　done　everything　needful　for　its　prosperity。　〃What　could　have　been　done　more　to　my　vineyard；〃　he　says；　〃that　I　have　not　done　in　it。〃　Isa。　5：4。　Thus　was　represented　God's　unwearied　care　for　Israel。　And　as　the　husbandmen　were　to　return　to　the　lord　a　due　proportion　of　the　fruits　of　the　vineyard；　so　God's　people　were　to　honor　Him　by　a　life　corresponding　to　their　sacred　privileges。　But　as　the　husbandmen　had　killed　the　servants　whom　the　master　sent　to　them　for　fruit；　so　the　Jews　had　put　to　death　the　prophets　whom　God　sent　to　call　them　to　repentance。　Messenger　after　messenger　had　been　slain。　Thus　far　the　application　of　the　parable　could　not　be　questioned；　and　in　what　followed　it　was　not　less　evident。　In　the　beloved　son　whom　the　lord　of　the　vineyard　finally　sent　to　his　disobedient　servants；　and　whom　they

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seized　and　slew；　the　priests　and　rulers　saw　a　distinct　picture　of　Jesus　and　His　impending　fate。　Already　they　were　planning　to　slay　Him　whom　the　Father　had　sent　to　them　as　a　last　appeal。　In　the　retribution　inflicted　upon　the　ungrateful　husbandmen　was　portrayed　the　doom　of　those　who　should　put　Christ　to　death。

Looking　with　pity　upon　them；　the　Saviour　continued；　〃Did　ye　never　read　in　the　Scriptures；　The　stone　which　the　builders　rejected；　the　same　is　become　the　head　of　the　corner：　this　is　the　Lord's　doing；　and　it　is　marvelous　in　our　eyes？　Therefore　say　I　unto　you；　The　kingdom　of　God　shall　be　taken　from　you；　and　given　to　a　nation　bringing　forth　the　fruits　thereof。　And　whosoever　shall　fall　on　this　stone　shall　be　broken：　but　on　whomsoever　it　shall　fall；　it　will　grind　him　to　powder。〃

This　prophecy　the　Jews　had　often　repeated　in　the　synagogues；　applying　it　to　the　coming　Messiah。　Christ　was　the　cornerstone　of　the　Jewish　economy；　and　of　the　whole　plan　of　salvation。　This　foundation　stone　the　Jewish　builders；　the　priests　and　rulers　of　Israel；　were　now　rejecting。　The　Saviour　called　their　attention　to　the　prophecies　that　would　show　them　their　danger。　By　every　means　in　His　power　He　sought　to　make　plain　to　them　the　nature　of　the　deed　they　were　about　to　do。

And　His　words　had　another　purpose。　In　asking　the　question；　〃When　the　lord　therefore　of　the　vineyard　cometh；　what　will　he　do　unto　those　husbandmen？〃　Christ　designed　that　the　Pharisees　should　answer　as　they　did。　He　designed　that　they　should　condemn　themselves。　His　warnings；　failing　to　arouse　them　to　repentance；　would　seal　their　doom；　and　He　wished　them　to　see　that　they　had　brought　ruin　on　themselves。　He　designed　to　show　them　the　justice　of　God　in　the　withdrawal　of　their　national　privileges；　which　had　already　begun；　and　which　would　end；　not　only　in　the　destruction　of　their　temple　and　their　city；　but　in　the　dispersion　of　the　nation。

The　hearers　recognized　the　warning。　But　notwithstanding　the　sentence　they　themselves　had　pronounced；　the　priests　and　rulers　were　ready　to　fill　out　the　picture　by　saying；　〃This　is　the　heir；　come；　let　us　kill　him。〃　〃But　when　they　sought　to　lay　hands　on　Him；　they　feared　the　multitude；〃　for　the　public　sentiment　was　in　Christ's　favor。

In　quoting　the　prophecy　of　the　rejected　stone；　Christ　referred　to　an　actual　occurrence　in　the　history　of　Israel。　The　incident　was　connected　with　the　building　of　the　first　temple。　While　it　had　a　special　application　at　the　time　of　Christ's　first　advent；　and　should　have　appealed　with　special　force　to　the　Jews；　it　has　also　a　lesson　for　us。　When　the　temple　of　Solomon

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was　erected；　the　immense　stones　for　the　walls　and　the　foundation　were　entirely　prepared　at　the　quarry；　after　they　were　brought　to　the　place　of　building；　not　an　instrument　was　to　be　used　upon　them；　the　workmen　had　only　to　place　them　in　position。　For　use　in　the　foundation；　one　stone　of　unusual　size　and　peculiar　shape　had　been　brought；　but　the　workmen　could　find　no　place　for　it；　and　would　not　accept　it。　It　was　an　annoyance　to　them　as　it