From heaven; or from men? Then they reasoned thus within themselves, 'If we say, From heaven, he will retort, Why 26 then did ye not believe him? And if we say, From men, we ch. 14. 5. dread the multitude, amongst whom John is universally account27 ed a prophet.' They therefore answered him: We cannot tell. Jesus replied: Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye of this? A man had two sons, and addressing his elder son, said, 'Son, go work to-day in my vine29 yard.' He answered, 'I will not;' but afterwards repented 30 and went. Then addressing the younger, he bade him like31 wise. He answered, Immediately, Sir;' but went not. Now, which of the two obeyed his father? They said: The first. Jesus replied: Verily I say unto you, even the publicans and 32 the harlots show you the way into the kingdom of God. For Lu. 7. 33. John came to you in the way of sanctity, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him: yet ye who say this, did not afterwards repent and believe him. 33 . ch. 11. 18. Lu. 20.9. Hear another parable: A certain landlord planted a vine- Mar. 12. 1. yard, and hedged it round, and digged a wine-press in it, and 34 built a tower; and having farmed it out, went abroad. When the vintage approached, he sent his servants to the husband35 men, to receive the fruits. But they seized his servants, beat one, drove away with stones another, and killed another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more respectable; but they re37 ceived the same treatment. Finally he sent his son to them; 38 for he said, '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 keep possession of his 39 inheritance,' Then they seized him, thrust him out of the 40 vineyard, and killed him. When, therefore, the proprietor of the vineyard cometh, what will he do to those husbandmen? 41 They answered: He will put those wretches to a wretched death, and will let the vineyard to others who will render him the fruits in the season. Jesus replied: Did ye never read in the Scriptures, "A Acts 4. 11. stone which the builders rejected, is made the head of the corThis the Lord hath effected, and we behold it with ad43 miration." Know, therefore, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation who will produce the 44 fruits thereof. For whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be bruised; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will crush him to pieces. 42 45 The chief priests and the Pharisees hearing his parables, Ps. 118. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Lu. 14. 16. ch. 20. 16. 46 perceived that he spoke of them; but though they wished to lay hold on him, they were afraid of the populace, who reckoned him a prophet. XXII. Jesus continuing to discourse to them in parables, said: 2 The administration of heaven resembleth the conduct of a king, 3 who, having made a marriage-feast for his son, sent his servants 4 to call them who had been invited; but they would not come. Then he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, I have prepared my feast, my bullocks and fatlings are 5 slain, and all is ready; come to the marriage.' But they turned away with indifference, one to his farm, another to his mer6 chandise. And the rest, seizing his servants, abused and kill7 ed them. When the king heard this, being enraged, he sent his soldiers, destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, The entertainment is ready; 9 but they who were invited were not worthy: go, therefore, into the public road, and all that ye find, invite to the marriage.' 10 Accordingly they went into the highways, and assembled all 11 that they found, good and bad, so that the hall was furnished 12 with guests. When the king came in to see the guests, observing one who had not on a wedding-garment, he said to him, Friend, how camest thou hither without a wedding-garment?' 13 And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and thrust him out into darkness, 14 where will be weeping and gnashing of teeth:' for there are many called, but few chosen." Mar. 12. 13. 15 SECTION XII. THE CHARACTER OF THE PHARISEES. * THEN the Pharisees retired, and having consulted how 16 they might entrap him in his words, sent to him some of their disciples, and some Herodians, who being instructed by them, said Rabbi, we know that thou art sincere, and faithfully teachest the way of God without any partiality, for thou re17 spectest not the person of men: Tell us, therefore, thy opin18 ion, Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not? Jesus per ceiving their malice, said: Dissemblers, why would ye en19 tangle me? Show me the tribute money. And they reached 20 him a denarius. He asked them: Whose image and inscrip21 tion is this? They answered: Cæsar's. He replied: Render then to Cæsar that which is Cæsar's, and to God that which is God's. 22 And, admiring his answer, they left him and went away. * Partisans of Herod. A Roman coin, value sevenponce halfpenny. Acts 23. 8. 23 The same day came the Sadducees to him, who say that Mar. 12. 18. 24 there is no future life, and thus addressed him: Rabbi, Moses Lu. 20. 27. hath said, "If one die, and have no children, his brother shall Deut. 25. 5. 25 marry his widow, and raise issue to the deceased." Now there lived among us seven brothers; the eldest married, and died 26 without issue, leaving his wife to his brother. Thus also the 27 second, and the third and so to the seventh. Last of all the 28 woman died also. Now, at the resurrection, whose wife shall 29 she be of the seven; for they all married her? Jesus answering, said unto them: Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the 30 power of God; for in that state they neither marry, nor give in 31 marriage; they resemble God's heavenly messengers. But as to the revival of the dead, have ye not read what God declared 32 to you, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Ex. 3.6. Isaac and the God of Jacob?" God is not a God of the dead, 33 but of the living. Now the people who heard this were amazed at his doctrine. Lu. 10. 25. Deut. 6. 5. 34 Meantime, the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Mar. 12. 28. 35 Sadducees, flocked about him. Then one of them, a lawyer, 36 trying him, proposed this question: Rabbi, which is the great37 est commandment in the law? Jesus answered: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 38 soul, and with all thy mind.' This is the first and greatest 39 commandment. The second is like it, 'Thou shalt love thy 40 neighbor as thyself.' On these two commandments the whole Lev. 19. 1o, Law and the prophets depend. 41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them, Mar. 12. 35. 42 saying: What think ye of the Messiah? Whose Son should Lu. 20. 41. 43 he be? They answered: David's. He replied: How then 44 doth David, speaking by inspiration, call him his Lord? "The Lord," saith he, "said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, P. 110.1. 45 until I make thy foes thy footstool." If the Messiah were 46 David's Son, would David call him his Lord? To this none of them could answer; and from that day nobody presumed to try him with questions. XXIII. Then Jesus addressed the people and his disciples, say2 ing The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' chair; there Acts 15. 10. & 22.12. fore observe and do whatsoever they enjoin you: nevertheless Lu. 11. 46. 4 follow not their example; for they say, and do not. Heavy 15.38. and intolerable burdens they prepare for other men's shoulders, Deut. 6.8. 5 Burdens which they themselves will not put a finger to. But Mar. 12. 38. whatever they do, they do to be observed by men. For this they wear broader phylacteries† than others, and larger tufts on 6 their mantles; and affect the uppermost places at entertain- Lu. 11. 43. * Jehovah. Scrips of parchment, containing sentences of the law. & 20.46. Lu. 14. li. & 18. 14. Lu. 11. 52. Lu. 20. 47. Lu. 11. 42. Lu. 11. 39. ments, and the principal seats in the synagogues, and to be salu7 ted in public places; and to hear men addressing them, cry, 8 Rabbi, Rabbi. But as for you, assume not the title of Rabbi ; 9 for ye have only one teacher, the Messiah: and style no man upon the earth your father; for he alone is your Father who is 10 in heaven; and all ye are brethren. Neither assume the title of 11 leaders, for ye have only one leader, the Messiah. The greatest of you, on the contrary, shall be your servant; for whosoever will 12 exalt himself, shall be humbled; and whosoever will humble himself, shall be exalted. 13 14 15 16 But wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ; and will neither enter yourselves, nor permit others that would, to enter. Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye devour the families of widows; nay, and use long prayers for a disguise. This will but aggravate your punishment. Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye traverse sea and land to make one proselyte;* and when he is gained, ye make him a son of hell doubly more than yourselves. Wo unto you, blind guides, who say, 'To swear by the temple bindeth not, but to swear by the gold of the temple is 17 binding.' Foolish and blind! which is more sacred, the gold, 18 or the temple that consecrateth the gold? and, To swear by the altar bindeth not; but to swear by the offering that is upon 19 it, is binding.' Foolish and blind! which is more sacred, the 20 offering, or the altar that consecrateth the offering? Whoever, therefore, sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by every 21 thing thereon. And whoever sweareth by the temple, swear22 eth by it, and by Him who dwelleth therein; and whoever sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him who sitteth thereon. 23 Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye pay the tithe of mint, dill, and cummin, and omit the more important articles of the law, justice, humanity, and fidelity. These ye ought to have practised, without omitting those. 24 Blind guides! who strain your liquor to avoid swallowing a gnat; yet swallow a camel. 25 Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye cleanse the outside of those cups and platters, which within 26 are laden with rapine and iniquity. Blind Pharisee, begin with cleansing the inside of the cup and of the platter, if ye would make even the outside clean. 27 Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye A convert to Judaism. resemble whited sepulchres, which without indeed are beautiful, but within are full of corruption, and of dead men's bones. 28 Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to men; but are inwardly fraught with subtilty and injustice. 29 Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because Lu. 11. 47. ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the monu30 ments of the righteous, and say, 'Had we lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their accomplices in the 31 slaughter of the prophets.' Thus ye testify against yourselves, that ye are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ah! serpents! offspring of vipers! How can ye escape the punishment of hell? 34 Therefore, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes. Lu. 11. 49 Some of them ye will kill and crucify; others ye will scourge 35 in your synagogues, and banish from city to city; so that all the innocent blood shed upon the earth shall be charged upon you, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Ze- Gen. 4. 8. chariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the altar and 36 the sanctuary. Verily I say unto you, all shall be charged upon this generation. 37 2 Cor. 24. 20 Ŏ Jerusalem, Jerusalem! that killest the prophets, and Lu. 13. 34. stonest them whom God sendeth to thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her 38 chickens under her wings! but ye would not. Quickly shall 39 your habitation be transformed into a desert: for know that ye shall not henceforth see me, until ye say, "Blessed be he who P. 118. 26. cometh in the name of the Lord."* SECTION XIII. THE PROPHECY ON MOUNT OLIVET. Mar. 13. 1. XXIV. AS Jesus walked out of the temple, his disciples came 2 and made him observe the buildings of it. Jesus said to them: Lu. 21. 5. All this ye see; verily I say unto you, one stone shall not be left here upon another. All shall be razed. 3 Lu. 19. 44. Mar. 13.3. As he sat upon the Mount of Olives, his disciples accosted him privately, saying: Tell us, when will this happen? and Lu. 21. 7. what will be the sign of thy coming, and of the conclusion of 4 this state? Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no 5 man seduce you: for many will assume my character, saying, 6 I am the Messiah,' and will seduce many. Nay, ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; but take care that ye be not * Jehovah. |