Jesus at the Village Home

Tesus may have found some rest at Jericho, but it was not in a cessation of His merciful labors, nor was Zaccheus the only one who confessed the evil of his ways and made public acknowledgment of faith in Christ, for to Jesus was here”, drawn a great multitude who would accompany Him on the journey to Jerusalem, and participate in the hallelujahs which would be sung there in His praise.

Jesus was aware that the counsel of Caiaphas had been adopted, and that all who knew Him were commanded to report His presence to the Sanhedrim whenever He might be found, that He might be arrested and made to answer the judgment which had been rendered against Him. But this did not in any wise abate His desire to attend the Passover feast, where He was to receive an ovation before being brought to the cross. Accordingly, He set out for Jerusalem, accompanied by an immense multitude of people, who, while knowing the order of the Sanhedrim, held Him in such estimation that they refused to report Him. Nor would report now have hastened His apprehension by the officers of the hierarchy, for He had the temporary protection of an army of devoted followers, who had seen His mighty works and believed on Him. Passing on down the rugged gorge of the Kedron, the procession continued its journey towards Jerusalem, until reaching the village of Bethany (on a Friday), Jesus stopped with His disciples to spend the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday of our reckoning) with His friends, and Mary and Martha, and Simon whom He had healed of the slow death of leprosy. It was a family group, for one tradition says Simon was the husband of Mary, and another represents him as the father, while every circumstance recorded points to him as an intimate of and the two sisters.

The apostles neglected to give us any particulars of this visit at Bethany, beyond a mention of the fact that the presence of Jesus drew many people to the place, who came not alone to see Him, but to see I^azarus also. The wrath excited in the Pharisees and rabbis by the miraculous resmrection of lyazarus, followed as it was by a sudden conversion of the masses to a belief in Jesus as the Holy One sent by God, was such that the chief priests decided to execute Lazarus. By this murderous act they expected to destroy one of the principal witnesses to the Messiahship of Christ, and thin to overcome with threatenings

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those who had been present at the restoration. Understanding their designs,
Lazarus doubtless became a fugitive, and it is not improbable that he returned to
his home in Bethany about the time
of Christ’s visit, if
not in His company. This supposition accounts for
the eagerness of the
people, as stated by
John, to see Eazarus, since there
appears to have
been quite as much
curiosity to behold
him as there was
to see Jesus. Says ii
John, “Much people of the Jews
therefore knew that
He [Jesus] was
there: and they
came, not for Jesus’
sake only, but that
they might see Eazarus also, whom
He had raised from
the dead.” If
Lazarus had remained at home after his resurrection,
the curiosity of the
Jews about Jerusalem to see and
talk with li i m
would have long
before been gratified, thouofh it is

THE GOLDKN GATE. — From The Christian Herald.

possible that the curiosity spoken of by John was manifested only by the Jews who had newly arrived from remote parts of Galilee and Perea to attend the Passover. But as Lazarus had been condemned by the chief priests, it is more

plausible to suppose that he had been a fugitive until the time of Christ’s visit.

If this be true, we may picture the joy that came to that household ] the delight

which the presence of Jesus gave, re-enforced by the return of a beloved brother

who had been hunted for his life for many months, during which interval a

thousand misgivings and fears for his safety must have agitated the hearts of his

loving sisters. What a pleasant Sabbath; what a joyous reunion; and yet how

much of sorrow must have mingled with that happiness. Did Mary and Martha

and Lazarus know that this was the last Sabbath they were to pass in Christ’s

company, and that before the next should dawn they were to behold Him in the

arms of crucifixion? Compassionate to the sorrows of others, perhaps Jesus did

not tell them; it would have given Him no relief; it would have been no balm to

His mental agonies; it would have been no consolement to His anguished heart.

In that hour of felicitation over the return of a persecuted brother, and the joy

which His own precious presence gave, Jesus would give no revealment of the great

tragedy which was so near at hand; over that bright day of supreme happiness

He would cast no cloud of sorrow; into those glad hearts He would throw no

pang of poignant grief, but in their presence would affect delight, even if He felt

it not; the rapture of meeting again with His dear friends should not be marred

by reflections on His own impending fate. And so we may believe that the

last Sabbath in Bethany was spent in the pleasure of prayer and in social

enjoyment.

A Lane of Hosannas.

Many Jews had gathered at Jerusalem from all parts of the nation several days before the Passover, to submit themselves to the rites of purification; and as the presence of Jesus at Jericho had probably been reported, He was made the chief topic of conversation by the assembled Jews. Some of them thought that Jesus might already be in the city, but in hiding, and many sought for Him; for once before He had suddenly appeared on the Temple porch when every one believed that He dared not show Himself in Jerusalem. But others expressed the opinion that He would not come again, becau.se of the order given by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Him. They believed so long as He remained in the country districts, where His followers were numerous and the power of the chief priests limited, He would be comparatively safe; but if He should venture into the stronghold of the Pharisees, He would be promptly taken and put upon trial for His life.

But while the Jews were debating the probability of His’ venturing into Jerusalem, Jesus was preparing to make His public entry.. On the Monday morning (our Sunday) following the Jewish Sabbath spent in Bethany, Jesus and His disciples set out afoot for the Holy city, but at the Mount of Olives, at the little village called Bethphage, which was a suburlj <jf Jerusalem, He sent forward two of His apostles, commanding them to bring to Him a she ass, and her colt which had never yet been ridden, and which they would find tied at the edge of the town. The disciples departed quickly upon the appointed errand and finding the ass and colt, as had been told them, they brought the two to Jesus, who mounted the latter and prepared to make His entry into the priest-ridden city, where His enemies were clamorous for His life. Zechariah had prophesied that the Messiah would be so poor that He could afford no better conveyance than an ass, and that upon such an animal He would make His entrance into Jerusalem, and behold now this prophecy was about to be fulfilled.

His movements were so quickly reported to the Jews in the city that scarcely had the morning dawned and the olive gardens begun to wave with light, when crowds of wondering people began to assemble along the way from top of Olivet to wall of Jerusalem. But instead of meeting officers coming with writ, or incensed Jews clamoring for His life, Jesus meets with thousands ready to prostrate themselves with reverence or lift their voices with praise. Behold Jesus on His triumphal march! Let none jeer now or scoff at this rider, or the populace wall trample him under foot in an instant. There is one long shout of two miles, and as far as the eye can reach you see wavings of demonstrations and approval. There is something in the rider’s visage, something in His majestic brow, something in His princely behavior, that stirs up the enthusiasm of the people. They run up against the beast and try to pull off into their arms, and carry on their shoulders the illustrious Stranger. The populace are so excited that they hardly know what to do with themselves, and some rush up to the roadside trees and wrench off” branches and throw them in His way, and others doff” their garments — what though they be new and costly! — and spread them for a carpet for the Conqueror to ride over. “Hosanna! “cry the people at the foot of the hill.” Hosanna! “cry the people all up and down the mountain. The procession now comes to the brow of Olivet. Magnificent prospect reaching out in every direction — vineyards, olive groves, jutting rock, silvery Siloam, and above all, rising on the throne of hills, the most highly honored city of all the earth, Jerusalem. Christ there, in the midst of the procession, looks off”, and sees here fortressed gates, and yonder the circling wall, and here the towers blazing in the sun, Phasaelis and Mariamne. Yonder is Hippicus, the king’s castle. Looking along in the range of the larger branch of that olive tree you see the mansions of the merchant princes. Through this cleft in the limestone rock you see the palace of the richest trafficker of all the earth. He has made his money by selling Tyrian purple. Behold now the Temple! Clouds of smoke lifting from the shimmering roof, while the building rises up beautiful, grand, majestic, the architectural skill and glory of the earth lifting themselves there in one triumphant doxology, the frozen prayer of all nations.

The crowd looked around to see exhilaration and transport in the face of Christ, Oh, no! Out from amid the gates, and the domes, and the palaces there arose a vision of that city’s sin, and of that city’s doom, which obliterated the landscape from horizon to horizon, and He burst into tears. “He beheld the city, and wept over it.”

After pronouncing the woe that was to come upon Jerusalem, and which was fulfilled scarcely forty years later (A. D. 70), when Titus sacked the city, demolished its splendors, and put its inhabitants to the sword, Jesus proceeded on to the Temple. Dismounting and leaving His beast He entered that Holy sanctuary and took possession of it as the true representative of Jehovah. Here the sick and the otherwise afflicted flocked about Him and He healed them all, so that voices of gratitude mingled with acclaims of praise. Here He stood, not only within the city of His enemies, but in the most sacred courts, fearless of evil, yet merciful to all. “Hosanna to the Son of David,” was the cry from ten thousand throats, which striking column and pilaster, and pillar, and wall of cedar and of silver and gold, was flung back in numberless echoes, like the glory-giving of an angel band.

“See,” said the jealous and malignant Pharisees, “the whole people have gone after Him.” Yet, with all their indignation they dared not arrest Him, but stood with lowering brows and compressed lips, transfixed by His words of just accusation, and heard even the children lift their voices in praise. “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise, that Thou mightest put to shame thine enemies, and silence Thy foes, and those who rage against Thee.”

A Fig=Tree Withers Under Jesus’ Curse.

When the afternoon was far spent, Jesus left the Temple after prayers, and returned with His disciples to Bethany. While on the way He felt great hunger having passed the day without food, as the crowd had given Him no opportunity to refresh Himself Espying a fig-tree by the road-side. He approached it, thinking that, though it was not the time for fig gathering, it might have some ripe fruit still on its branches. The whole region abounds with figs and dates, from which fact both Bethany and Bethphage take their names, and among the varieties is one which holds its fruit throughout the winter. The tree to which Jesus came was no doubt one of these, and seeing the leaves green and apparently thrifty. He found among the foliaged pretension no fruit. But He turned this circumstance into a practical lesson, which He set forth before His disciples and others who may have been with Him. The tree was a type of Israel, and of the rabbis and Pharisees, who, while boasting of their piety, and making ostentatious display of their love for Jehovah, were at heart hypocrites, vain to be seen, but wholly useless in the service of God. So Jesus said to the tree,” No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever.”

JESUS’ TRIUMPHAL, ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.

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Circumstances plainly indicate that this incident occurred while Jesus was returning to Bethany after the exhausting excitements of the day spent in Jerusalem, when He would most likely be hungry, for it is wholly improbable that such hospitable and devoted friends as Mary and Martha and I^azarus, with whom He must have sojourned, would have allowed Him to depart from their home break fastless. So it appears by the reading of Mark. The disciples heard His curse of the tree, but did not perceive the effects until the morrow, when, surprised to behold it dead, they remarked to one another, “How soon is the fig-tree withered away!” To which Jesus answered, “Verily, I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also if 3’e shall say unto this mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea,’ it shall be done.”

Rome Arrayed Against Jesus.

The fervor and loyalty displayed by such a vast multitude for Jesus, and His assumption of authority, as well as the public rebukements which He made of the hypocrites who had so long ministered in the sanctuaries — the more bitter because so well deserved — fairly paralyzed the Pharisees, but they were forced to restrain their consuming anger because of their fear of the people. After the day of Christ’ s great triumph had ended. His enemies began to consult as to the most advisable means for staying the popular favor and carrying out the recommendations of Caiaphas. Heretofore the charges preferred against Jesus were of a nature which the Roman law could not take cognizance of, as they involved merely accusations of violation of rabbinical laws and customs, but while endangering the power of the hierarchy. His acts could not be construed as threatening the stability of the state.

After consulting for a time, the chief priests evolved a plan for bringing Jesus before the higher court, which alone had power to impose the death penalty. In pursuance of tjieir nefarious conclusions they accordingly charged Him with treason against Rome for having declared Himself king. They understood with what jealousy the Roman government regarded the Messianic promises, and how anxiously the Jewish nation was looking forward to the coming of a new ruler; and they were mindful also of the fact that numerous insurrections in Judea had served to render the Romans harsh and prompt in their treatment of every act of insubordination that gave indication of treasonable spirit towards the Emperor. They also knew the temper of Pilate, and relied on him to give hearing to their charges against Jesus, of “perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a king.”

Ye Have made my Father’s House a Den of Thieves.

As Jesus knew the doom which was near at hand, He gave Himself no concern for the plottings of His enemies, and the morning following His triumphal

STREET LiCADiNG TO THE PAi-ACE OK HEUOD, jEKUSAi,ic.M. — IVom a Photograph obtained in Palestine hv Rt/v. Dr. Talniae. (43?)

entry, He arose early from His lodging in Bethany and going up to Jerusalem repaired again to the Temple. His appearance on the Palm Sunday was in the assembly chamber of the Temple, where He preached to the people, but His second visit was to the outer court of the Temple, where He precipitated a scene of scarcely less excitement. Two years before He had driven out the mercenaries who flocked to the court for the purpose of barter, but some time after His departure they returned again, by permission of the Temple priests, set up anew their bazaars, and resumed their trade in the selling of animals and doves for sacrifices, and exchanging money; the desecration had also extended to the conversion of the court into a common highway, or street, over which passed the principal travel between the upper and lower parts of the qity. When Jesus beheld again the noisy assemblage of buyers and sellers, and saw how the profanation of the Temple had become even greater than before, His indignation was intense, exceeding that which He felt when He first discovered the base uses to which the Temple had been converted, and with scowling brow and flashing eye of holy indignation He again descended upon the desecrators of His house, and with mighty arm overturned the tables of the changers, and tore down the booths of those that sold doves, and drove out the herds of lowing oxen, and of bleating sheep, and the men who owned them, shouting to the dealers the while, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

This act of Jesus purifying the Temple was hardly intended as a punishment of those who had profaned it by the selling of sacrifices, but served rather as a sign of the early fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah, who lamented over the decay of the nation through vanity and worldly ambition, which he declared would ultimate, in the possession of the Temple by a strange people who would dispossess the Jews. It was also significant of the wrath of God for the iniquities of the priesthood, who had subordinated their holy functions to the spirit of gain.

After clearing the courts. He again entered into the Temple and taught the vast crowd that had there assembled, and the same scenes of prayer and thanksgiving and healing which characterized the day before were re-enacted. But the Pharisees, though yet afraid to seize Him, or to make the charges which they decided to prefer, assumed a greater boldness, so that, at the conclusion of the day’s sennces, Jesus took His departure secretly and with the Twelve repaired to Bethany.

Jerusalem was in an uproar, and especially the chief priests. Thousands had acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, and His teachings and purification of the Temple had increased enthusiasm for Him just in proportion that it had intensified the malicious hatred of the hierarchal party. The priests were supposed to exercise a vigilant care of the Temple, and to hold it inviolate for sacred uses, and therefore the emphasis with which Jesus exposed their hypocrisy and mercenary promptings, their patronizing assumptions and airs of holiness. associated as it was with their furtherance of a profanation of the Temple for the bribe that was given them, created in them fears that they would lose the respect of the people. For this reason they deferred a presentation of their charges against Jesus until a more auspicious hour.

The Open Conflict.

The next morning, after a second time retiring to Bethany, He was again in the Temple, as He was everyday thereafter until the day preceding His arrest, and renewed His preaching to the people regardless of the dangers which were rapidly gathering about Him. Though declaring Himself the Messiah, He was careful to give no offence to the Roman government, nor was it in the nature of His mission to offend against any law; but, nevertheless, the chief priests would not cease their efforts to bring Him in conflict with the authorities, hoping to secure such action from these as would lift responsibility from themselves, for they feared a conflict with the masses of Jews, who openly confessed their devotion to Jesus. In pursuance, therefore, of their plans, while Jesus was walking through the Temple, possibly on His way to the altar. He was rudely intercepted by several of the chief priests, scribes and elders, who demanded to know by what authority He drove out the dealers and money-changers, and by whose permission did He preach such doctrines, and at whose instigation did He so fiercely condemn the empty ceremonials and the vapid prayers and the meaningless forms of worship which the priests practiced?

To their churlish inquiry Jesus returned a response which was as full of satire as it was of vexation to them. Said He, “Before I reply to you, permit Me to ask you one question, which if you will answer I will freely tell you by what authority I do these things: Was the baptism of John from heaven, or was it of man?” The priests and elders dropped their heads in an attitude of reflection, and though probably tempted to answer, caught and drew back the reply which they had intended to make, for, after reasoning awhile, they said to themselves: “If we say from heaven, then will Jesus ask us why we did not believe Him? And if we say his baptism was of men, then will the people, who believed John was a great prophet, probably Isaiah risen, attack us and drive us in ignominy from the Temple.” And so to avoid compromising themselves, they answered,” We cannot tell. “” Then,” said Jesus, “since you know nothing of John’s mission, having taken no means to inform yourselves, I will not tell you by whose authority I act.”

Having silenced the scribes and elders by the confounding answer which He made to their impertinent question, Jesus repaired to the altar, and, having in mind the inquiry which He had happily replied to, related a parable of

The Promise Broken and the Promise Kept.

A certain man had two sons, whose services he greatly needed in gathering the crop of his vineyard, which was now ripe. He was very anxious that they should go immediately, for there was an immense vintage, which if not gathered quickly would spoil upon the vines. Therefore the father went to one and said, “Son, go to work to-day in my vineyard.” But, instead of obeying, he made a flat refusal. He answered, “I won’t go; if father wants that vineyard looked after, let him get somebody else to do it, or else attend to the matter himself. I have other affairs to look after.” But after a while he began to soliloquize, and said within himself:” I wonder if this is treating father as he ought to be treated? What a pity it would be to have all those grapes spoil. Isn’t it mean in one to refuse to do that which is so very reasonable? Here, I am not ashamed to confess I was wrong, and I will just go and attend to this matter. Father, where is the knife? and at what end of the arbor do you want me to begin?” Bravo! It is a grand thing to see a young man, or an old man, when he is wrong, to confess it, and try to do right. I want nothing to do with a man who does not know how to make an apology.

And the father went to his second son and asked him also to go into the vineyard, to which request a ready reply came: “Yes, sir; I will go. It is very right that I should serve you. Those grapes ought to be picked. You will be surprised how many ripe clusters I shall gather into the baskets before nightfall. Yes, sir; I will go, father.” But though he promised, and affected a gladness to serve his father, he did it only to deceive, for he had no intention of doing any labor in the vineyard: he would leave the crop either for his father to gather or to rot on the vines.

This parable was given to illustrate the insincerities of many who are ostensibly in the service of God, and is applicable to thousands to-day, just as it was appropriate then to show the Jews how remiss they were in their real duties and obligations to God. Those who first refused obedience, but who afterwards entered willingly into the work, were the Jews who first repented at the call of John and who came also to acknowledge Jesus because of the deeds He did showing His true Messiahship, and because of the forcefulness and humaneness of His teaching.

Those who promised obedience only to deceive, were the priests who were teaching in the Temple while practicing all manner of deceits, who were using their priestly powers for selfish interests, to the demoralization of true religion. And Jesus asked them which of the two sons did the will of their father, to which they answered, “The first.” “Yes,” said Jesus, “and 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, relented not afterwards that ye might believe him.”

The Wicked Husbandmen.

And seeing the scribes and the rabbis silent under the illustration of their hypocrisies, Jesus related to them another parable, thus:

A certain proprietor planted a vineyard and prepared it in the most costly manner by setting out a hedge, or building a wall around it to keep out depredators, and he made a wine-press, and a cellar in which to store the wine, and erected a tower in which to station guards to protect the crop, and having thus made it a splendid vineyard, he rented it to husbandmen, or wine growers, for a percentage of the product, after which he went away on a long journey. When the .season of vintage arrived the proprietor sent three of his servants to the tenants with instructions to collect his lawful share of the crop. But when the servants came to ask for the owner’s share, the wicked husbandmen, or tenants, .set upon them, killing one, and beat the two others with sticks and stones until they were glad

to escape with their lives. The owner, having heard the report of the manner in which those whom he fir.st sent had been treated, was, no doubt, very angry and disappointed, but instead of bringing the husbandmen to justice for their brutality, he sent a half-dozen other collectors on the same errand, but these were as mercilessly treated as the first three had been. But though his servants had been most shamefully abused, still the owner was patient, having no desire to resort to extreme measures, so he thought over the matter, how he should collect his .share of the crop, until a happy idea came to him: “I will .send my son; certainly the hu.sbandmen will have respect for him. It may be that my servants were too importunate or insulting in their demands, or perhaps the tenants questioned their authority and were provoked into rage. But I know that my son has an amiable disposition and he will give no occasion for offence; besides,

WINK AND ()I,1 1:

lMvH.S.S.

the husbandmen will be more disposed to treat with him because they will immediately recognize his authority.” And so the proprietor of the vineyard sent his son. But the father was woefully disappointed, for as soon as the husbandmen saw the young man approaching, one of them said, “lyook, here comes the heir of this vineyard; what a splendid opportunity we now have to forever rid ourselves of further annoyance, and make ourselves wealthy at the same time; let us kill him and seize on his inheritance.” And they acted on this horrible suggestion, for when the son came to respectfully ask for his father’s share of the fruits, they fell upon him, and with brutal force carried him beyond the walls of the vineyard and killed him.

Having related the parable, Jesus paused a moment and then asked His hearers: “When the lord of the vineyard cometh, what shall he do to those wicked husbandmen?” And some of His audience who saw the application of the parable and understood the lesson which it conveyed, answered, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen which shall render him their fruits in season.”

The rabbis affected unconsciousness of the meaning of the parable, but it was only because they fully realized how strongly the lesson condemned them. They well knew that the vineyard represented God’s kingdom, and that the wicked husbandmen who had killed the servants were none other than those who had slain the prophets and to whose office they (the rabbis) had succeeded. These, Jesus thus showed, entertained the same prejudices and were as virulent in their enmity to true righteousness as were the old enemies of the prophets, and that the day was near at hand when they would slay even that Son sent by the Father, just as they had killed John.

“Did you never read,” asked Jesus of His imperturbable listeners,” that the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Therefore I say unto you, the kingdom of God (of which I am the corner-stone, which you have rejected), 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 shall grind him to powder.”

This aroused the sullen spirit of the Pharisees and excited them to a new desire to destroy Jesus, but their fears of the people restrained them from offering Him violence, and they relapsed into their old scowling attitude, awaiting a favorable time to seize and execute Him,

As Jesus gave the rabbis, Pharisees and scribes to understaiKi they would at last be brought to punishment for their resistance to God’s laws, and for their prostitution of holy offices, and their murderous designs prompted by covetousness, venality and worldly ambitions, He related another parable in which this assurance was accentuated.

The Great Wedding Feast.

The kingdom of heaven, said Jesus, may be likened to a certain king who made a great feast in celebration of the wedding of his son. Preparations had been completed on a grand scale and a large number of invitations were sent out to people whom the king desired should rejoice with him. To his disappointment and mortification, however, when he sent his servants out to bid those whom he had invited to come to the feast, not one responded. Surprised and unable to understand why his hospitality was rejected, he told several of his other servants to go again to those that had been bidden, and to beg of them to come, for the oxen and the calves and the sheep had been killed and the feast was ready, and that the bride and groom were being kept waiting by their tardiness. But the expected guests not only treated the king’s invitation with contempt, and answered scornfully, but those who had not returned to their several employments seized the servants and killed them. This outrage so angered the king that he sent his troops to execute a terrible vengeance upon those who had killed his servants.

But the king, having prepared a feast, was determined that there should not be wanting guests to enjoy it, so he sent messengers out again and bid them invite to the marriage every person whom they could find, regardless of social distinctions or conditions, whether good or bad, rich or poor, young or old. In this way the complement of guests was completed, and the king’s desire fulfilled. When the feasting was ready to begin, the king entered, dressed in a royal robe, to give hearty welcome, as was the custom, to those who’ had gathered at his invitation, He went from one to another, saluting each in the most hospitable manner, until he came to one who had not clothed himself with a wedding robe. And he said to the man, in a tone of compassion: “Friend, why is it that you appear at the feast without the badge of invitation — a marriage robe such as I have provided for all who were bidden?” Unable to answer, because his own negligence had brought him to this sorry embarrassment, he stood speechless before his questioner.” Then said the king to his servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The parable thus given represents the invitation which God, the king, had given to the Jews, and the messengers were John and the apostles, who had been sent forth to extend an invitation to prepare for the kingdom of God. Those who had contemptuously refused the king’s hospitality were those Jews who had rejected the Son and destroyed John, and who would be punished in God’s own time for their crimes. The guests who were afterwards* brought in from the highways, and from whatever place that they could be found, were both the Jews and Gentiles, to whom alike God extended His mercies, while the guest who was unprovided with a wedding garment represented those who afiected only an outer appearance of righteousness.

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