e, he sent his servants to the husbandmen
that he might receive his share. But the wicked husbandmen took his
servants, and slew one, and beat another, and stoned the third. Then
he sent other servants, more than before, but the husbandmen served
them as they had done the others. Last of all he sent his own son,
saying, "They will reverence my son." But when those wicked men saw
him coming, they said among themselves, "This is the heir to all the
vineyard; come, let us kill him and seize on his inheritance." So they
caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Then Jesus said to the priests and elders, "When the Lord of the
vineyard cometh, what will he do unto these husbandmen?" And they
answered, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let
out his vineyard to others, who shall render him the fruits in their
season."
In this parable the owner of the vineyard means God; the vineyard
Canaan, and the husbandmen are the Jews, who had promised to obey Him,
but had not done so. He had sent His prophets among them, to warn
them, but these had been killed. At last He sent His only Son, but
they would not own Him as such, and soon they would kill Him. When the
priests heard this they knew it referred to them, and they were very
angry and would have taken Him and killed Him, but they were afraid of
the people, who took Jesus to be a prophet.
[Illustration: THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.]
THE WEDDING GARMENT.
There was a certain King who gave a great feast upon the occasion of
his son's wedding. And he sent out his servants to bring in those that
had been invited, but they would not come. Then he sent forth other
servants, saying, "Tell them which were bidden, 'Behold, I have
prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things
are ready. Come unto the feast.'" But they made light of the message
and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his warehouse; others
took the servants and slew them.
When the King heard what had been done, he was very angry, and sent
out his army to destroy the murderers, and burn up their city. Then
said he to the servants, "The wedding is ready, but they which were
bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and all ye
shall find, bid them come to the marriage." So they gathered together
as many as they could find. And upon each one, as he entered the
house, was put a beautiful marriage garment, which the King had
prepared
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