The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 318

he.d plRCcd them. Their evMive e.newer waa ment. Christ's roply oountonanoes the 11, confession of defee.t, e.nd th11.t in the pre- rooeived text, setting the repentant before sence of the gaping orowd who stood &round the pmfessing son. lt is e. matter of sme.11 listening to the conversation. 1.'hey h&d importanoe (see Tisohendorf, in loo.). " The E>very opportunity of judging the charaoter first son" here typifies the evil and immor&l of John's m~sion e.nd that of Christ; it was among the Jewish people. Go, work to-day. their duty to form an opinion e.nd to pro- Two emphatio imperatives, Immediate nounce a verdict on such claims ; &nd yet obedicnco is required. "To-day, if ye will they, the le&ders &nd teaohers of Israel, for hear his voice, harden not your hearts" fear ofoompromising themselves, ev&de the (Pa. xov. 7, 8). God called his sons to serve oilliga.tion, refnse to solve or even to enter- in his vineyard-the Churoh. Ho called tain the question, and, like 11, modem them by the prophets, and more espeoially agnostio, content themsel\'os with & pro- by John the Baptist, to turn from eTil ways, fession of ignorance. Many people, to &void and to do works meet for repentance (oh. iii. looking &disagreeable truth in the f&oe, re- 8). Christ gives two examples, showing spond to all appeals with the stereotyped how i_his ce.11 wns received. phrase," We cannot tell." F. M. appositely Ver. 29.-I will not. The answer is rude, quotes the oomment of Don&tus on Terent., ourt, and disrespectful, suoh a one e.s would • Eunuch.,' v. 4, 31, "Perturbatur Par- nature.Uy issue from tbe lips of a person who meno ; neo negare potnit, neo oonsentire was selfishly wrapped in his own ple&sures, volebat; sed quasi defensionis looo dixit, and cared nothing for the Law of God, the Nescio." And he said unto them; l,p71 av.-o,s cle.ims of relationship, the decencies of ""I at1Tos : he also said unto them. The Lord society. Repented, and went ; i.e. into the answers the thought which had dictated vineyard to work. The·worst sinners, when their words to him. 1'either tell I you, etc. converted, often make great saints. There With such double-minded men, who could is more hope of their repentance than of the give no clear decision concerning the mission self-righteous or hypocrites, who profess the of such &one as John the Baptist, it would form of religion.without the reality, and in be mere waste of words to argue further. t.heir own.view need.no repeutanQe. They would not accept his testimony, and Ver. 30.-The second. He typifies the recognizing their malioe and perveraity, he Pharisees, the scrupulous observers of out- declined to instrnct them further. "Christ w&rd form, while neglectful of the weightier shows," says Jerome," that they knew and me.tters-judgment, mercy, e.nd faith (eh. were unwilling to answer; and that he knew, xxiii. 23). I go, sir, 'E-y<l>, ,cvp••: Eo, domine. but held his pe&oe, because they refused to This son is outwardly respectful e.nd duti- utter what they well knew." ful; his answer is in marked contrast to the Vere. 28-32.-Tke parable of Oie tu,o aom. rough "I will not" of his brother. He pl'D- fesses zeal for the Law, e.nd ready obedience. (Peculiar to St. Matthew.) And went not, Such men did no ree,l work Ver. 28.-:But wh&t think ye 1 A formula for God, honouring him with their lips and connecting what follows witli what has pre- outward observances, while their heart was ceded, and making the hearers them.selves fe.r from him, and their morality wa.s un- the judges. By this e.nd the succeeding principled and impure. • parnbles, Jesus shows his interlocutors their Ver. 31.-Whether of them (the) twain t true guilty position and the punishment the.t Christ forces from the unwilling hearers -an awaited them. He himself explains the answer which, at the moment, they do not preseni parable in reference to his he&rers, see will condemn ,themselves. Unaccus- though, of course, it has, e.nd is meant to tomed to be· criticized and put to the ques- he.ve, a m.nch wider application. A oerte.in tion, wrapped iu &self-comple.cent righteous- man (l'iv6p<P1Tos, a 'TT<an) had. two BOD.II. The ness, which was generally undisturbed, they " ;nan " represents God ; the " two sons" missed the bearing of the parable on their symbolize two classes of Jews--thePhariBeee, own case, and answered without hesitation, with their followel'li and imitators: and the e.s any unprejudiced person would have lawless and sinful, who made no pretence of decided. The first ; i.e. the son who first religion. The former e.re those who profess refused, but afterwards repented and went. to keep the Law strictly, to the very letter, Verily I say unto yon. Jesus drives the moral though they care nothing for its spirit, and home to the hearts of these hypocrites virtually divorce religion from morality. The publicans and the harlots. He specifies Th1: fatter are can,less aud profane persons, these excommunicated sinners &s examples of wliom the Lord calls "publicans and those represented by the first son. Go into harlots" (ver. 31). The first. Westcott and the kingdom ot God before you ; ,rpod.-you<r,., Hort, relying ou no very weighty authority, i,µ.,s : a:re preceding 11ou. This was the foot kverse tlie order of the sons' answers, alter- which Jesus 10.w and declared. lfr does ing ver. 31 in agreement with this arrange- not cut df all hope that the Pharisees migbi OH, XXI.1-4G.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 323