hen did not carry it into practice,
but held back and refused to enter in. Even so the Pharisees and
others who made good profession of zeal for God's service "trusted in
themselves that they were righteous" (S. Luke xviii. 9), and being
satisfied with the mere profession, "rejected the counsel of God
against themselves" (S. Luke vii. 30). And He thus sorrowfully yet
firmly applied it to their own case, saying, "Verily I say unto you,
that the publicans and harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you"
(S. Matt. xxi. 28-31).

They would not be won over; but, on the contrary, their hostility was
increased. The consequence was, that the next Parable of "The Wicked
Husbandmen" declared the miserable end which would certainly come upon
them in judgment. The Kingdom of God was set forth under the figure of
a vineyard--a figure which must have been familiar to them from its
frequent use in the Old Testament (Psalm lxxx. 8-16; Isaiah v.
1-8)--and the husbandmen, instead of protecting their master's
interests, were represented as beating his servants and slaying his
son. What, asked the Lord Jesus, will he do with them? And they
answered, to their own condemnation, "He will miserably destroy those
wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen." And
He then added these plain words of warning, "Therefore say I unto you,
The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you[8], and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof" (S. Matt. xxi. 33-43).

The enmity of the rulers now reached its highest pitch. "They sought
to lay hands on Him, but they feared the multitude, because they took
Him for a prophet" (S. Matt. xxi. 46). And as they had now clearly
determined to reject the idea of the Kingdom, which He had come to
found, the Parable of "The Marriage of the King's Son" was spoken,
describing the call of others into the privileged position which they
despised. "Jesus answered and spake unto them again by Parables, and
said, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king which made a
marriage for his son." And when the invited guests refused to come,
"The king was wroth, and sent forth his armies and destroyed those
murderers. Then said he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but
they which were bidden were not worthy." Who then should be admitted
to the feast? Those from the highways. The Gentiles from far and wide
should be called to take the place which the Lord's own people refused
to enjoy (S. Matt. xxi