IV. THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE QUESTION oF THE SanHEDRIM. Had they not had evidence of Jesus’ authority in his exceptionally sinless life in the midst of all the ae of a sinful world? Had they not evidence of his Divine authority in his
teaching ?—“ for he taught as One having authority, and not as the scribes ;” in “ the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth ” ?—for the universal testimony was that “never man spake like this Man.” Had they not proof in the miracles which he wrought—not prodigally, but properly and appropriately ?
“But who so blind as those who will not see? And who so deaf as those who will not hear?”
J. J. G
OH. XL 1—44.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK,
EXPOSITION.
OHAPTER XIL
Ver. 1.—And he began to speak unto them in parables. Thie particular parable which follows was specially directed against the scribes and Pharisees; but it was uttered in the presence of a multitude of the people. “ He began to speak... in parables.” He had not used this form of instruction till now in Jerusalem. A man planted a vineyard. The imagery of the parable would be familiar to them from Isaiah (v. 1). But Palestine was eminently a land of “ vineyards,” as well as of “oil clives.” The man who planted the vineyard is no other than God himself. “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.” The imagery is specially appropriate. No property was considered to yield so rich @ return as the vineyard, and none required such unceasing care and attention. The vine represents the: kingdom of God in its idea and conception; not the Jewish Church in particular. The owner of thia ‘vineyard had himself made it. (He had “planted it.” This planting took place in the establishment of the Jewish polity in the land of Canaan, when the heathen were cast out. He set a hedge about it. This and the following descriptions are not mere ornaments of the parable. The “hedge” was an important protection to the vineyard. It might be a wall or a “quick hedge,” a living fence. The vineyards in the East may now be seen often with a strong hedge planted round them. Such hedges, made of the prickly cactus, are to be seen at this day in the neighbourhood of Joppa, Figuratively, this hedge would represent the middle wall of partition which then existed between the Jew and the Gentile; and in this, their sepa- ration from the idolatrous nations around them, lay the security of the Jews that they should enjoy the continued protection of God, It is well remarked by Archbishop Trench that the geographical position of Judma was figurative of this, the spiritual sepa- ration of the people—guarded as Judea was eastward by the river Jordan and its chain of lakes, northward by Anti-libanus, southward by the desert and Idumea, and westward by the Mediterranean Sea. Digged @ place for the winepress (Anvés, torcular) ; the words are literally, digged a pit for the winepress (wputey brodAjvoy); the digging coataionky apply tothe pit, a place hollowed out and then fitted with masonry. Some- times these pits were formed out of the solid rock, Examples of these are frequent in Palestine. ‘There were usually two pits hollowed out of the rock, one sloping to the
other, and with openings between them. The grapes were placed in the upper pit; and the juice, crushed out by the feet of men, flowed into the lower pit, from whence it was taken out and put into wine-skins, “T have trodden the winepress alone.” And built a tower. The tower (xvpyov) was probably the watch-tower, where a watch- man was placed to guard the vineyard from plunderers. Particular directions are given in the rabbinical writings (see Lightfoot) for the dimensions both of the winepress and of the tower. The tower was to be ten cubits high and four cubits square. It is described as “a high place, where the vine- dresser stands to overlook the vineyard.” Such towers are still to be seen in Pales- tine, especially in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, of Hebron, end in the vine- growing districts of Lebanon. And let it out to husbandmen. The husbandmen would be the ordinary stated teachers of the people, though not excluding the people themselves. The Jewish nation in fact, both the teachers and the taught, represented the husbandmen, each member of the Church, then as now, being required to seek the welfare of the whole body. And went into a far country (kal dwedqunoe); literally, and went into another country. St. Luke (xx. 9) adds (xpdévous ixavots), ‘for a long time.”
Vers. 2—5.—And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard. St. Matthew (xxi. 34) says he sent “ his servants.” St. Mark mentions them in detail. These servanis were the prophets, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, whom the Jews persecuted and slew in dif- ferent ways, as the reprovers of their vices. But the mercy of God was long-suffering and still triumphed over their wickedness, In his account of this parable St. Mark is very minute, The first servant that was gent received no fruit, and was beaten. The second received much worse usage. Accords ing to the Authorized Version the words are, At him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled (Kékeivoy AWoBorAnoavres exepadat= woay, xa axéoretday hripwpevoy). The word AWoBoahaayres is, however, not to be found in the best authorities; and the right reading of the next word is apparently éxepadrlwoar, ® very unusual word; but the context makes it plain that it expresses some injury done to the head. The other form of the word is usual enough; but it ordinarily signifies “a summing up,” “a gathering up into @ head.” And handled shamefully (jtipope- voy); literally, dishonoured. The third mes=
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senger they killed outright. The words ron, And him they killed; and many others; beating some, and killing some. The con- struction here is incomplete, although the meaning is plain. The complete sentence would be, “ And him they killed; and they did violence to many others, beating some and killing some.”