244
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
April 1928
ets had done, enraged them against Him. By putting Him to death the rulers o f the Jews hoped to engross all church power to themselves, and cause all respect of the people to be paid to themselves. Thousands since their day have tried to gain an inheritance for themselves by re jecting God’s Son, but inheritances do not come that way. Those who seek an in heritance in the power and pomp o f this world may count their eternal inheritance lost. ‘‘ They took him and killed him and cast him out o f the vineyard’’ (v. 8 ). This was what they were shortly to do with Jesus Himself. Furthermore, they refused to •admit His Gospel after He was gone (Jn. 1 : 11 - 12 ), for it did not fit in with their scheme. In casting it out, however, they scattered the good seed to the four winds. “ What would the lord o f the vineyard do” in such a case? It is easy to answer. Nothing could be expected but that the husbandmen should be punished and the vineyard given over to the control of others. And thus it happened to the Jews. Within a short time after the cru cifixion, their beloved city was laid waste and the Jewish nation made a desolation. Their dispersion and punishment has, through the centuries, been a spectacle to the world. Let us not, however, pass this parable entirely over to the Jews. The church of Jesus Christ has succeeded them in the vineyard. W e are tenants also, and there are still terms to be fulfilled. Only in so far as the church honors its Owner can it prosper. Already, some who wear the ecclesiastical cloth, are trying to put God’s Son out of the vineyard, and dilute His GospeJ to a point where its divine efficacy is gone. Let us take warning ! All such attempts to such movements in the church will find themselves; ¡in eternal ruin. Turning to His hearers, the Saviour in quired : “Have ye not read this Scripture — The stone which the builders rejected is become the head o f . the corner?” From the passage in Isaiah, He now turns to one in Psalm 118. A part of this very Psalm had no doubt been sung by the multijtude at the triumphal entry. Here was a passage which the Jews universally understood -as applying to the Messiah. Christ takes it to Himself. The Psalmist has been held to refer to an actual incident in the rebuilding o f the temple. A stone, which after examination the builders had rejected, proved of such excellent quality that it was used for the cornice. As it was with this rejected stone, so Jesus declared it would be with the rejected Son—and so it was, for His resurrection proved Him “ the Son o f God with power” (Rom. 1:4). “ This is the Lord’s doing,” Jesus ad ded, “and it,is marvelous in'our eyes” (v. 11). The incident in the building o f the temple, was indeed marvelous, for it was a reversal o f all skilled human judgment. But what was this marvel to the miracles o f Christ? The exaltation of Christ- was “ the Lord’s doing" and all who contem plate it must own it. In His second com ing all will be obliged to confess that He is “ the Headstone o f the corner.” It is equally “the Lord’s doing” to exalt Christ in the hearts o f Christians and give Him a throne there, and it cannot but be mar velous, to all who have had the experience. What reaction did Jesus get to His par able? “ They sought to lay hold on Him, fo r they knew that he- had spoken the parable against them” (v. 12). It had been
certain length. For several months the man worked upon the chain. When he at last brought it to the monarch, he was told to go and make it twice as long. Each time it was finished, he was told nothing but the command to make it longer still. One day, the monarch gave orders to take the chain and bind its maker hand and foot, and they cast him into the furnace. Some have spent years welding the links o f the chain of sin which will eventually bind them. The devil is ever saying: “Go and make it longer.” A t last Satan whom they serve, will only say: “ Now let him be bound with it arid; cast into outer darkness.” —o— Some Wicked People Punished Mark 12:1-12'. (May be used with Temperance Application )■ Memory Versed S “The Lord knoweth the way o f the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psa. 1 : 6 . Approach. —Why do boys and girls sometimes have to stay after school? Yes, because they have been disobedient, arid they are kept as a punishment. ' In our be among other people, and so they are arrested and placed behind bars in' the jail. Do you know, boysc and girls, that is why so many o f us love to work in the Sunday school, that we might win our boys and girls for the Lord Jesus Christ, and then they will never have to be put in jail or punished for any crime. They will take good care of the bodies God has given them. They will hot injure these bodies with tobacco or liquor.. Let us bow our heads and thank God for our bodies and health, and ask Him to help us to keep our lives clean and pure. Lesson W orjE -Boys and girls, I often hear ■you talking o f tests you have at school, and some of you do not seem to enjoy them very much. .Last Week we heard about some hard tests that were given to Jesus. How did He answer the hard questions? (Review.) In our story for today the Lord Jesus is telling a story to the people to help theiri to understand how He loved them and ha'd chosen them for his own people; but they had dis obeyed Him and many o f them were even planning to kill Him. The story was that a certairi man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it and dug a well or cistern to hold the juice o f the grapes. He built a tower also, for the servants to stay in, who would guard it against wild animals and robbers. After everything was fin ished he rented his vineyard to some men who were to give him a part o f the fruit as rent. Then the owner went away to a far country. When the time came for tlie fruit to be ripe, the owner sent one o f his servants to receive his ' share of the fruit. But these wicked men caught the servant and beat him, and sent him away without any fruit. (Finish the story, em phasizing the great harm arid danger of sin and selfishness.) cities we have build ings called jails; in these Jails are men and w o m e n who have b r o k e n the laws [o f the city or state, or country, and many o f them have committed c r i m e s that make them dan gerous persons to
W H Y NOT act as Agent for The King’s Business in your church and pick up some extra money to use in the Lord’s work. W e give a liberal commission. Write Managing Editor for par ticulars.
a looking-glass arid they had seen their own faces in it. The word o f Christ is still a looking-glass that reveals to men the hatefulness o f sin and warns them of certain ruin if they do not repent. Alas, how many there are who, instead o f cor recting the condition revealed, shut the door and try to break the looking-glass ! “ They left Him and went their way” (v. 12 ). Men think to escape by getting out of hearing o f His message. The Gos pel is either a “savour of life unto life or a savour o f death unto death.” —o— P ith and P oint The wicked are always hoping to profit by the removal of the prophets (vs. 3-5). He who rejects the “ Heir,” is casting himself out of the vineyard forever (v. 7). The privileges of the church are only “ let out” to us, and from its occupiers rent is justly expected (v. 1 ). Christians have a good Landlord and a good bargain® f they do their part. God doesn’t send for the rent until it is the proper season to expect it (v. 2 ). It might be expected that He whom God lpved, should also have the love and respect o f men (v. 6 ). Those who deny God His fruit, will find themselves dispossessed for non-pay ment o f rent. —p— S uggestive Q uestions What “hedge” did God set about Israel that He did not place about any other na tion? (V . 1; cf. Psa. 147:19-20.) How was this hedge finally removed? (Eph. 2:15*46.)- Did God have a special "season” for demanding fruit o f Israel? (V . 2; cf. Gal. 4:4.) Has the owner of the vineyard any reason to expect fruit of us? (V . 2; cf. Jn. 15:16; Lk. 12:48.) Who was God’s last messenger, His “well beloved” ? (V . 6 ; cf. Mt. 3:17; Jn. 5 :23.) How was the “casting out” (v. 8 ) ful filled? (Heb. 13:12-13.) To whom was God’s vineyard commit ted as a result o f the shameful doings of the Jews? (V . 9; cf. Rom. 9:31-33.) What did the apostles boldly affirm con cerning Jesus Christ after His resurrec tion? (V . 10; cf. Acts 4:10-11; 1 Pet. 2:7.)' —o— ' G olden T ext I llustration The Lord knoweth the way. o f the right eous, but the way o f the ungodly shall perish (Psa. 1 : 6 ). The story is told of a tyrant who sent for one of his subjects who was a black smith, and told him to make a chain of
Made with FlippingBook Online document