VERSES 29-34. 29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord thou Son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him. Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. We are all blind by nature to things spiritual, and when awakened to the sense of this, and taught to cry to Jesus to have mercy on us, how many are ready to rebuke and oppose our application to him; not so the compassionate Saviour, he waits to be gracious, he knew what these blind men wanted, but he would learn it from their own lips; a striking lesson of the necessity of prayer: God has said he will be enquired of for these things, even for promised blessings-although the decree be gone forth for the supply, as it is said, "before they call I will hear." ΑΝ CHAPTER 21. VERSES 1-14. ND when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her loose them, and bring them unto me. : 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, the Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ss, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of F David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?" 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. We have here recorded the only instance in which our Lord permitted and accepted any public demonstration of honor. Throughout the narrative we cannot but perceive the most striking proofs of his divine power, and that the words applied on this occasion, did indeed belong to him, and to him alone. Hosanna to the son of David! Well might the whole city of Jerusalem be moved, and all cry out, "Who is this?" Had not the veil been on their hearts all would have agreed it was he to whom the prophets bare witness, even Jesus the son of God. Who but he to whom the temple belonged could have controlled the indignation that must have been excited by the casting out those who were desecrating its sanctity! Let us take care that we call not down upon ourselves the same retribution. To buy and sell cannot now be done openly, but we may be guilty of drawing nigh unto God with our lips, whilst our hearts are busily engaged in this worlds traffic and concerns, whether in a place of worship or in our secret chamber. The blind and the lame came to Jesus in the temple, may many who enter the house of God now, neither seeing him by faith, nor walking in his ways, find the presence of his healing power. VERSES 15-22. 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Though the chief priests and scribes were unable to prevent the applauses of the multitudes, they could not refrain from expressing their displeasure, and under the semblance of zeal for the honor of God, they appeal to Jesus, as if he were ignorant of that which he had allowed. Their disguise was vain, and in reply to their question he says, "Yea, have ye never read?" To how many might this interrogation carry conviction, and expose the fallacy of their objections to those who render to Jesus the honor due unto his name. Jesus left them for "he that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." The fig tree with leaves only, seems an emblem of those who thus bring on themselves the curse pronounced upon it: a fearful warning to all barren professors! From the astonishment of the disciples, our Lord takes occasion to instruct them in the efficacy of prayer, and how many have since experienced its power, though not always answered in the way they might expect! VERSES 23-46. 23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority. 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us. Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men, we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will but afterward he repented, not and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen ? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which will render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his pa rables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. Jesus returns to the temple, and whilst teaching the people, the chief priests and elders ask, by what authority he does these things? he replies, by putting a question to them, and by all that follows, we at least can see by whom all his actions were authorised. Let us not be of those who say they are ready to go into his vineyard, and go not, nor of those to whom, last of all, the son has been sent, and to whom we have refused his inheritance: for have we not read in the scriptures that "the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner:" and on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder! Let us perceive, before it be too late, to whom he spake these words." CHAPTER 22. VERSES 1-14. 8 Then saith he to his, servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden, were not worthy. 9 Go ye thererefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on the wedding garment: 12 And he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. Jesus follows up the subject of the last chapter, by a third parable, the wedding feast, a parable applicable to our |