20 which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go ye into the vil30 By foreseeing these various cirlage over against you; in the cumstances, Jesus gave ample proof which at your entering ye to his disciples that He was God. shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as they went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be 38 They thus expressed their faith the King that cometh in the in Him as the promised Messiah. name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would im 38 41 How tenderly He wept in the mediately cry out. 41 And when he was come near, he prospect of his country's fall. beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. "For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought: "say day, the things which belong unto 43 This was literally fulfilled. The Romans surrounded the city by a deep trench, which hemmed in the besieged, like sheep penned for the slaughter. 46 46 It was his early and his late care ing unto them, It is written, that his Father's house of prayer rence. My house is the house of should be kept with all holy reveprayer but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, and could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him. CHAPTER XX. MARCH 9, JULY 8, Nov. 4. 3 AND it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and scribes came upon him with the elders, and spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave 3 Our Lord had bid his disciples thee this authority? And "be wise as serpents, and harmless he answered and said unto as doves." He here exemplifies his them, I will also ask you one own precept. Never was an attack more skilfully parried. thing; and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered, And Jesus said unto that they could not tell whence it was. them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 'Then began he to speak to 9 God planted his Church, and the people this parable; A placed it in the care of the Jews. certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: bandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. sent another servant: and they beat him also, him shamefully, and sent him away empty. sent a third and they wounded him also, and cast him out. 13 Then said the lord of the 13 At last He sent his Son, Jesus vineyard, What shall I do? Christ; but Him they slew. 10 He looked that they should give the fruit of a holy life, and sent his prophets, at different times, to direct their labours. but the husAnd again he and entreated And again he I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husband men saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be our's. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? 16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And God forbid. 17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 19 And the 19 Conscience taught them this apchief priests and the scribes plication of the parable. 16 The Jews were punished by the destruction of their city, and the dispersion of their nation. The Gospel was given to the Gentiles. when they heard it, they said, 17 What if Jesus was despised and rejected of men? He is now the chief corner-stone, by which the whole Church is fitly framed together. the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye 24 me? Shew me a penny. 24 By bringing the matter to the test of a recognised principle of right and wrong, He left them at once themselves to judge it; and so condemn their own detected cunning. 25 Are not we sealed as God's own? Take we heed to render Him his Then Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Cæsar's. 25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which dues. (See Matt. xxii. 17, note.) be Cæsar's, and unto God the things which be God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died 36 When this world shall have passed away, and God hath "accomplished the number of his elect;" marriage will cease, because it will be unnecessary. (See Matt. xxii. 30.) 37 As the Sadducees had brought forward the writings of Moses in proposing their insidious question, Jesus, in reply, refers them to the same acknowledged authority, in establishing his sublime and comforting doctrine, which refuted it. also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the Ichildren of the resurrection. 37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living for all live unto him. Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?" And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; 47 which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation. 42 By thus referring to the book of Psalms, He gives the strongest, though indirect, evidence of the truth of those scriptures. See Luke xxiv. 44. 47 How noble is his indignation against all pretence and hypocrisy! and how uniformly does He guard us against it! CHAPTER XXI. MARCH 10, JULY 9, Nov. 5. 1 AND he looked up, and saw 1 Gifts for the use of the temple. the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all for all these have 3 Every individual is thus encou raged to do all the good he can. The least holy act, for Christ's sake, shall not lose its reward. of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 'As Foretelling the signal overthrow for these things which ye of Jerusalem. behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified : for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10 Then said he 10 The Roman armies gathered unto them, Nation shall rise round; and their coming was heagainst nation, and kingdom ralded by many prodigies. against kingdom and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, : 12❝In the interval, you, my followers, shall suffer sad persecutions. Those sufferings, however, as fulfil ling my prophetic warnings, shall confirm your faith, and so add testimony to the cause of truth." being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all versaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And your ad 16 These sad consequences of persecution literally took place. ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18 But there 18 Warned of God, all the faithful followers of Christ did escape out of Jerusalem, during a truce, before its overthrow. shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judæa flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter |