rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; this is 43 the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous 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. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on 45 whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, 46 they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude; because they took him for a prophet. ers rejected, &c. Having led them by his parable to condemn themselves out of their own mouth, he proceeds to bring home the application more pointedly to the Jews, quoting for this purpose a passage from their Scriptures, in which reference is made to architecture. The stone, which was laid aside as worthless, by the builders, finally becomes the main strength and ornament of the edifice. So it was in things spiritual. The stone despised by Jewish builders proved to be the Rock of ages, the chief corner-stone, the crucified Jesus, to be the Messiah of the world.. Head of the corner. Not the foundation, but the uppermost stone of the corner, which binds all below it firmly together. Some critics ingeniously transpose the 42d and 43d verses, so that the 41st and 43d, the 42d and 44th verses, come together, as the sense seems to require. 43. The kingdom of God shall be taken from you. The ecclesiastical superiority of the Jews shall be destroyed. Their privileges shall be taken away, and given to a nation, i. e. the Gentiles, who will be more faithful, and, in the language of the parable, render the owner the fruits in their season. This has been fulfilled. The hearers of Jesus could no longer mistake his mean ing, after he had made this declaration. 44. An evident continuation of the metaphor in verse 42, expressing the different degrees of criminality and punishment of neglecting and rejecting the Christ. Isa. viii. 14. Criminals in the east were sometimes put to death by being thrown from a pillar or eminence upon a rock below, or, if that did not terminate life, large stones were cast upon them to crush them. Jesus probably alludes to this` custom. Whoever runs against the cornerstone, whoever is offended with Christ, shall injure himself; but he on whom it falls shall be ground to powder; they who reject and persecute me shall perish miserably. 45, 46. Mark xii. 12. A prophet. But not the prophet, the Messiah. His parables were so simple, and his application so direct, that they could not mistake his meaning, and their anger was kindled to such a flame, that they were ready to do him personal violence on the spot, if his popularity had not been so great as to overawe them. they bided their time, wove more thickly the meshes of their conspiracy, and, ere many more days had elapsed, they had so far turned the tide of popular favor by their cabals, as to be able to gratify their envenomed passions. But CHAPTER XXII. The Parable of the Marriage Supper. - Conversations of Jesus. AND Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, 2 which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants 3 to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying: Tell 4 them which are bidden: Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went 5 their ways; one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And 6 the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth; 7 CHAP. XXII. 1. Jesus answered and spake. Proceeded to speak. A similar parable is related, Luke xiv. 15 24. 2. Kingdom of heaven. The administration of the Gospel. A marriage. More properly, a marriage feast. The object of this parable appears to be similar to that of the vineyard let out to husbandmen, in the last chapter. The Gospel was first proffered to the Jews, but they rejected it, as a nation, and were destroyed by the Romans. It was then made free to the Gentiles, whom they esteemed the offscouring of the world. Stories resembling this parable are found in the Rabbinical writings. 3. Call them that were bidden. It has been said by some critics, that it was an ancient usage to invite the guests sometime beforehand, and then summon them again to the entertainment, when it was nearly ready. An allusion seems here to be made to two invitations. 4. Sent forth other servants. There is a moral significance to this feature in the parable. For God suffereth long and is kind, and urges 5, 6. It was considered a breach of the law of God, and an affront of the greatest indignity, to neglect a marriage festivity. Two classes are here described, the trifling and worldly, the malignant and persecuting. The bulk of the Jews heeded not the Gospel invitation, because they were devoted to business and pleasure; but some, the Scribes and Pharisees, chief priests and elders of the people, were not satisfied with silent neglect and contempt, but proceeded to open acts of hostility against Jesus and his Apos tles. -Entreated them spitefully. Or, rather, treated them injuriously, barbarously. and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, 8 and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants: The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye, therefore, into the highways, and as many as ye shall 10 find bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good ; and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a 12 man which had not on a wedding garment; and he saith unto him: Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding 13 garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants: Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping 7. Destroyed those murderers, &c. There is an evident allusion here to the destruction of the Jewish people by the Roman armies, and the burning of their temple and city. The cause of these national calamities was national wickedness. A long series of crimes and injuries committed, even against the messengers and Son of God, had "treasured up wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." The eternal law thus vindicated itself with such awful sureness, that the chosen people themselves became but the more notorious examples of its execution. 9. Highways. Rather, crossings of the streets, or thoroughfares. It was customary with the rich men among the Jews, to invite all destitute strangers and travellers to their feasts. Jesus refers, in this part of the parable, to the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles. 10. Both bad and good, i. e. all sorts. 11. Which had not on a wedding garment. Those who attended upon such an occasion were expected to appear in an appropriate garment. The usual marriage dress was a white embroidered robe. According to many authorities, it was customary for the host to provide rich clothes for his guests, and to refuse to wear them would be a gross insult. Instances are cited from Homer, Diodorus Siculus, and modern travellers. Gen. xlv. 22; 2 Kings v. 22, x. 22; Esth. viii. 15. It is required of every Christian, that he be clothed with humility, and all the graces of the spiritual life, else his presence will be impertinent in the guest-chamber of his Lord. 12. And he was speechless. He had no excuse to offer for himself, for he had neglected to clothe himself with the garment provided by the hospitality of his entertainer. His sordid dress was not therefore an indication of poverty, which would have been excusable, but an evidence of contempt or indifference towards the king. 13. Cast him into outer darkness. See note on Matt. viii. 12. As entertainments were given in cheerful, illuminated rooms, to be driven out from them was to be thrust into the cold and darkness. In connexion with the binding of hand and foot, reference is thought to be had to confinement in a dark dungeon.· and gnashing of teeth. chosen. For many are called, but few are 14 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might 15 entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their dis- 16 ciples, with the Herodians, saying: Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what thinkest thou? is it lawful to give 17 tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wick- 18 Weeping and gnashing of teeth. Images of grief and despair on account of the disgrace and mortification of being expelled from the nuptial feast. their total failure and discomfit ure. 16. Their disciples, with the Herodians. The Pharisees sent their emissaries, with the Herodians, who are supposed to have been a political party, and disposed to uphold the dominion of the Romans over the Jews, and who were favorable to the adoption of Gentile manners and customs. Matt. xvi. 6; Mark viii. 15. Although the two sects were hostile to each other, they buried their mutual animosities, to 14. See notes on Matt. xx. 1–16. All who come are not improved. There are many called guests, but few chosen or choice ones. Multitudes are invited to become Christians, but how few are really possessors as well as professors of the Christian life, hearty doers as well as hearers of the word of God! 15-33. Parallel to Mark xii. 13 unite in a common attack upon -27; Luke xx. 20-38. 16. Then. After the official delegation from the Sanhedrim, chap. xxi. 23, had availed nothing, it appears that they counselled together privately to accomplish his ruin. Entangle. A word, in the original, having reference to the ensnaring of birds in a net. The force of the words, would be improved by leaving out his, which was the work of the translators, as is indicated by the Italics. The priests and scribes wished to draw from him some expressions in conversation that would furnish matter for accusation against him, either to the Romans or the Jews, and finally procure his death. We have, in the remainder of this chapter, an account of successive attempts, made by the leading classes of Jewish society, the Herodians, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Lawyers, to effect this object, and Jesus. - We know that thou art true, &c. According to Luke xx. 20, these spies were to "feign themselves just men," that they might thus the more successfully entrap him, and deliver him up to the civil authority. In pursuance of this plan, they address him with an insincere, though deserved eulogium. For of whom, more than of Jesus, could it ever be said, that he was true, taught the truth, and regarded neither the frowns nor the flatteries of men? Beautiful testimony of his enemies to his unsurpassed rectitude, and dauntless moral courage! 17. Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar? The Roman emperors were called by this appellation after Julius Cæsar, who first attained the imperial dignity. Tiberius Cæsar was at this time on the throne. The tribute, which the Romans exacted from Judea, in common with the edness, and said: Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew 19 me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them: Whose is this image and superscrip21 tion? They say unto him: Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them: Render, therefore, unto Cæsar the things which are 22 Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When rest of their conquered provinces, was excessively galling to Jewish pride. It became a much agitated question, whether it was consistent with the Mosaic law, to pay this tax or not. Josephus relates, that Judas, a Galilean, Acts v. 37, raised a revolt, partly on this account, saying, that the taxation was no better, than an introduction to slavery. It was this question, with collateral and aggravating circumstances, which drove the Jews into their last fatal conflict with Rome. The inquiry seemed to involve Jesus in a dilemma, from which he could not escape. For, if he answered in the affirmative, his reply would conflict with the Mosaic law, Deut. xvii. 15; but if, in the negative, he would give occasion to be charged with sedition against the Roman government, Luke xxiii. 2. But his wisdom was superior to the wiles of his enemies. 18. Wickedness. More particularly, malice, craft. - Hypocrites. Dissemblers. Pretending, with great deference to his authority, to ask his decision, they were solely actuated by a desire to entangle him in difficulty. coin. The invention was originally Persian. 21. Render, therefore, unto Cæsar, &c. Jesus drew his answer from the coin itself. As it had the emperor's image and inscription, it was an evidence that it was his, and, therefore, to be paid in tribute to him; for Roman coin could only circulate in Judea, when the land had become subject to the Roman government. It was a maxim of the Jewish schools, that, where the money of any king is current, there the inhabitants acknowledge that king for their lord. Since, therefore, it was proved, by the very fact of the coin, that they were a conquered people, they could do no less, than pay tribute to their conquerors. And unto God the things that are God's. Referring, probably, to the annual tribute due to his temple, of half a shekel, twentyeight cents. This admirable answer has passed into a proverb. same thought is amplified in Romans xiii. 7. While the citizen maintains his allegiance to the powers that be, he is, also, to render that service to God, which is his due. The image of princes, stamped on their coin, denotes, that temporal things belong to their government. The image of God, stamped on the soul, denotes, that all its faculties and powers belong to the Most High, and should be employed in his service. Man's duties to human and Divine government do not clash. Jesus intimates, that the tribute was due to Cæsar, but they ought not to sacrifice their religion The |