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THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS QUESTIONED.

ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

And they come again to Jerusalem : and it came to pass, that on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the Scribes and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching, and spake unto Him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest Thou these things? or who is he that gave Thee this authority to do these things?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you onequestion, which if ye tell Me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? answer Me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; all the people will stone us : for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

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. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir and went not. 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. 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.

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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, for a long time. And at the season, when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And the husbandmen caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third; and him they killed, and

PARABLE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER AND LABOURERS IN HIS VINEYARD.

cast him out and many others; beating some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. He sent him also last unto them, saying, It may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto Him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And He beheld them, and said 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? Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them. But when they sought, the same hour, to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet; for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them: and they left Him, and went their way.

10. Of the Wedding Garment and Tribute to

Cæsar.

ST MATT. 22. 1-22; ST MARK 12. 13-17; ST LUKE 20. 20-26.

The Temple at Jerusalem.

And 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 sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come. : Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent

THE PHARISEES SEEK TO ENTANGLE JESUS IN HIS TALK.

forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 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. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they watched Him, and sent forth spies, certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of His words, that so they might deliver Him unto the power and authority of the governor. And when they were come, they say unto Him, Master, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest Thou for any man for Thou regardest not the person of men ; but teachest the way of God in truth. Tell us, therefore, What thinkest Thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye Me, ye hypocrites? Shew Me the tribute money; bring Me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought unto Him a penny. And He saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto Him, Cæsar's. Then saith He unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's. And they could not take hold of His words before the people. When they had heard these words, they marvelled at His answer, and held their peace.

11.-The Sadducees and the Pharisees Question

Jesus.

ST MATT. 22. 23-46; ST MARK 12. 18-37; ST LUKE 20. 27-44.
The Temple at Jerusalem.

The same day came to Him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked Him, saying, Master,

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT IN THE LAW.

Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, died, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more for they are equal unto the angels of God in heaven, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: for all live unto Him. Ye therefore do greatly err.

And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine. Then certain of the Scribes answering said, Master, Thou hast well said. And after that they durst not ask Him any question at all.

But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, one of the Scribes, which was a lawyer, came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the Scribe said unto Him, Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He: and to love Him with

A POOR WIDOW AND HER TWO MITES.

all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask Him any question.

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is He? They say unto Him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord. And Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, How say the Scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself saith by the Holy Ghost, in the book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit Thou on my right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth Him Lord: and whence is He then his son? And no man was able to answer Him a word. And the common people heard Him gladly; neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.

12.-Warnings against the Scribes, and
Commendation of a Widow.

ST MARK 12. 38-44; ST LUKE 20. 45-21. 4; ST JOHN 12. 37-50.
The Temple at Jerusalem.

Then in the audience of all the people He said unto His disciples, in His doctrine, Beware of the Scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury. And He looked up, and saw the people casting their gifts into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And He called unto Him His disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury for all they did cast in of their abundance unto the offerings of God; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

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But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be

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