BUSINESS thine be done.” If the faith is in God the prayer is in God, and the answer is in God, and the pray-er is in God, and his end is in God, or rather is God. 2. Forgiving. Frequently the Lord con ditioned the power of prayer on forgive ness, Only the forgiving can be forgiven; only the forgiven can be accepted; only the forgiving can be in harmony with God’s will, only those in harmony with His will can pray according to His will. And yet it is not forgiving but faith that brings the power. “The chief priests, scribes, and the elders,” demanded that. Jesus did not tell them. But asked a question, which at once convicted them of hypocrisy in asking theirs. His answer might have referred them to: IV . F rom W h en c e C am e H is A uthor it y ? 1. His F ather (Matt. 17:15). 2. Himself (Luke 22:70). 3. The Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:28). 4. His Mighty Deeds (John 5:36). 5. Their Guilty Convictions of the Man- infest Righteousness of His Words ahd Deeds. rael and its land was the Lord’s vineyard. (Read Isaiah 5:1-7 and note the bearing of each phrase). It is a favorite figure with the prophets (Ps. 80:8-11; Jer. 2:21). Jesus is the "true” vine (John 15:1). The Church for this age is the vineyard and, its miniatures, individual Christians. The fig ure with all the lessons involved may be profitably passed on to nations and to men. God planted them to bear the fruits of righteousness. Paul calls the Corinthian believers “God’s tilled held” (1 Cor. 3:9, Greek). 3. The Owner. God, Jehovah, is the “householder” or landlord (and there should
384 THE KING’S urged on unregenerate men from other con siderations, lest they should think them selves God’s sanctuaries while Satan is still enthroned; and that simply because they have “sobered up.” There is a good deal of that in preaching and practice. (See Hints and Helps for temperance items). Faith. The effect of the Lord’s word on the fig tree astonished the disciples, (v. 20, 21); for it has a savor of death as well as of life (2 Cor. 2:16). Perhaps they feared that they might be like the fruitless tree.. And faith and only faith can prevent it. So Jesus answered “H ave t h e fa it h in G od .” He showed in particular that faith could hurl a mountain into the sea, and in general that it can do anything “whatso ever.” But we must not miss the quality of that almighty faith—“faith in God.” Faith which is founded in His will as re vealed in His word, which will is first His glory, and second His plan, or purpose; faith in—not something, but in someOne, who therefore cannot deny Himself. The faith in God was the faith of Jesus, who though “all things were possible” prayed “if it be possible . . . not my will but I II . T h e C onditions of P ower . 1. 1. T h e V ineyard . 1, An Emphasized Parable. This par able occurs in each of three gospels. “Hear another parable’’ is the Lord’s underscore. It is of wide application. Aimed at the Jewish rulers like a ball piercing many armor plates it passed on to the people, to nations, commurtities, families, churches, and to you and me, teaching and warning that if they and we do not bear fruit to God. but trample righteousness. Christ and the Gospel underfoot, retribution is at the door. 2. What the Vineyard Is. A vineyard includes a field and its vine or vines. Is
LESS’ON VII.—^August 16.— T he W icked H usbandmen . —Matt. 21: 33-46. , G olden T e x t : The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. —Matt. 21:42.
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