The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 160

From heaven; he will say, Why then be.iev~d be sure fo submit to mo if only ve were ye him not 1 Ilut a.nd if we say, Of men; o.11 satisfied tlmt I was f\ll l\CCreditod hieesen.,or the people will stone us : for they be pe:- of God" (Prof~ssor Drucc). For a l;ng snaded that John was a p~opllet. The reply time. Representmg the neo.rly two thousand of Jesus was one of strange wisdom. He- years of Jewish histo1·y. Jesus-as was well known, had been intro- Vers. 10-12.-He sent a servant to the duced to the people by this very John. If husbandmen, that they should give him of the Sanhedrin acknowledged John the the fruit of the vineyard. After the pains Baptist as a dh·inely accredited mes~nger, :i-nd care bestowed upon the vineyard, tho.t then surely they could nnt question the 1s, after the many mighty works done in claims of one borne special witness to by Israel's behalf, the Lord of hosts looked for him, brought forward and introduced to fruits of gratitude and fidelity in some pro- pnblio notice by hi::n ! If, on the other portion to the mighty favours which it had hand, the Sanhedrin rcfus~d to acknowledge received from him. The people were ru- ihe authoritv of John as a Heaven-sent mes- tended to be the example to, and the educa- senger, which would have been the course tors of, the world, and, instead of carryin.,. they would have preferred, then the popu- out these high functions, they lived th~ larity and influence of the Sanhedrin would poor selfish life so sadly depicted in the long have been sorely imperilled, for the people stor:v: contained iu the historical and pro- generally held firmly that John the Baptist P?etical books. "-~e looked that it [his was really a prophet of the Lord. They vmeyard] should brmg forth grapes, and it even feared-as we read, " All the people brought forth wild grapes" (Isa. v. 2). will stone us" -personal violence on the part But the husbandmen beat him, and sent him of the people whose favour they so zealously away empty. And again he sent another oourted. servant : and they beat him also, and en- Ver. 7.-A.nd they answered. that they treated him sho.mefully, and sent him away could not tell whence it was. The reply of empty. And again he sent a third: and they Jesus, which so perplexed the Sanhedrin, wounded him also, and ea.et him out. These really inflicted a grave blow to their prestige, represent the prophets, those faithful ser- thus compelling the grave doctors of the vants of the Lord, whose toils and trials and Law, who claimed the right of deciding all fate are painted in the Epistle to theBehrews momentous questions, to decline to pro- (xi.) in such glowing and eloquent language. nounce a judgment on so grave a question .And again he sent. In vers. 11 and 12, 11.S "the position of the Baptist," that mighty ?rpou-l6eTo 1r,µl/,a,, literally, "he added to pree.cLer who had so stirred and roused send another"-a Hebraism. This shows Israd and who had with bis life paid the St. Luke here based his account on a Hebrew forfeit of his boldness in rebuking crime in (Aramaic) original. Professor Bruce well high places, thereby no doubt enormously puts the thoughts which possessed the enlarging his already vast popularity with wicked husbandmen thus: "When the ser- the people. vants came for fruit, they were simply sur- Ver. 8.-And 1esus said unto them, Neither prised. •Fruit! did you say? We have tell I you by what authority I do these occupied the position of vine-dressers, and thinga. Jesus, on hearing their plea of have duly drawn our wages: what more do ignorance, now contemptuously declines to you want?' Such was the actual fa.et in e.nswer the Sanhedrists' question in the di- regard to the spiritual heads of Israel. '!'hoy rect way they desired, but at once proceedJi were men who never thought of fruit, but to speak a parable which UililllBtakably con- only of the honour and privilege of being tains the reply. entrusted with the keeping of the vineyard. Vers. 9-19.-Parabl.e of the wicked hUll- They were triflerd, men utterly devoid of bandmen in the 'l1ineyard, and the simile of earnestness, and the practical purpose of the tl,e corner-stone. property committed to their charge they Ver. 9.-A oertain ma.n planted a. vineyard, habitually forgot. Generally speaking, they and let it forth to h11.&bandmen. Under a had utterly lost sight of the end of Israel's ver.v thin parabolic veil, Jesus foretells the calling." Their anger flamed forth when awful tragedy of the next few days. He accredited messengers of the Lord viBited e.dopts a well-known imagery, and seems to them and reminded them of their forgotten say, "Listen to Isaiah's well-known story of duties; they vented their furious wruth by th., vineyard, tLe vineyard of the Lord of persecuting somo and killing otlicrs of these hosts, which is the house of Israel. I will faithful men. expand it a little, that I may t;how you how Ver. 13.-Then said the lord of the vine- it stands with yon as regards this matter of yard, Wha.t shall I do 1 I will ornd my 'authority,' that we may see whether _you beloved son. The guilt of the busbaudmen have as much reopect for the ascertamed who acted aR vinc-d1·essers hem rL"ached its will of God a.s ye preteud, su that ye should highest measure. The words represented ou. xx.1-47.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 167