its possession for themselves, they cast the rightful heir out of His own possession, and
then killed Him!
43. St. Luke vii. 26.
And they must have understood the meaning of the Parable, who had served
themselves heirs to their fathers in the murder of all the prophets.44 who had just been
convicted of t he rejection of the Baptist's message, and whose hearts were even then
full of murderous thoughts against the rightful Heir of the Vineyard. But, even so, they
must speak their own judgment. In answer to His challenge, what in their view the
owner of the vineyard would do to these husbandmen, the chief priests and Pharisees
could only reply: 'As evil men evilly will he destroy them. And the vineyard will He let out
to other husbandmen, which shall render Him the fruits in their season.'45
44. St. Matt. xxiii. 34-36.
45. St. Matt. xxi. 41.
The application was obvious, and it was made by Christ, first, as always, by a reference
to the prophetic testimony, showing not only the unity of all God's teaching, but also the
continuity of the Israel of the present with that of old in their resistance and rejection of
God's counsel and messengers. The quotation, than which none more applicable could
be imagined, was from Ps. cxviii. 22, 23, and is made in the (Greek) Gospel of St.
Matthew - not necessarily by Christ - from the LXX. Version. The only, almost verbal,
difference between it and the original is, that, whereas in the latter the adoption of the
stone rejected by the builders as head of the corner ('this,' hoc, t#z) is ascribed to
Jehovah, in the LXX. its original designation (αυτη) as head of the corner (previous to
the action of the builders), is traced to the Lord. And then followed, in plain and
unmistakable language, the terrible prediction, first, nationall y, that the Kingdom of God
would be taken from them, and 'given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof;' and
then individually, that whosoever stumbled at that stone and fell over it, in personal
offence or hostility, should be broken in pieces,46 b ut whosoever stood in the way of, or
resisted its progress, and on whom therefore it fell, it would 'scatter Him as dust.'
46. The only Jewish parallel, even in point of form, so far as I know, is in Vayy. R. 11 (ed.
Warsh., p. 18 a, near beginning), where we read of a king who sent his treasurer to
collect tribute, when the people of the land killed and plundered him.
Once more was their wrath roused, but also their fears. They knew that He spake of
them, and would fain have laid hands on Him; but they feared the people, who in those
days regarded Him as a prophet. And so for the present they left Him, and went their
way.
4. If Rabbinic writings offer scarcely any parallel to the preceding Parable, that of the
Marriage-Feast of the King's Son and the Wedding Garment47 seems almost
reproduced in Jewish tradition. In its oldest form48 it is ascribed to Jochanan ben Zakkai,
who flourished about the time of the composition of the Gospel of St. Matthew. It
appears with variety of, or with additional details i n Jewish commentaries.49 But while
the Parable of our Lord only consists of two parts,50 forming one whole and having one