PARABLE, MIRACLE, AND SIGN
52
C 21:33-46.
WICKED HUSBANDMEN AND VINEYARD. Lesson, kingdom taken from them and given
to a fruitful nation.
B 22:1-14.
THE MARRIAGE OF KING'S SON. The Call to the Guests:
1. Bid those who were bidden. Many
called,
2. Again tell them.
3. Go therefore to highways. but few
chosen.
4. The wedding garment.
A 24:32 to 25:30. TWO KINDS OF SERVANTS.
a 24:32-44.
The Fig Tree. `Noah'. Coming as a thief while the goodman slept.
`Ye know not what hour the Son of man cometh'
b 24:45-51.
The faithful and evil servants. The one made ruler, the other has his portion with the
hypocrites.
`Weeping and gnashing of teeth'.
a 25:1-13.
The wise and foolish virgins. `Ye know neither the day nor the hour'.
b 25:14-30.
The faithful and unprofitable servants (`The reckoning' sunairo*). The one made ruler
the other cast into outer darkness. `Weeping and gnashing of teeth'.
(* The only occurrences of sunairo in the New Testament).
Matthew 23 says in plain words what this set of parables had taught in figure. The nation had degenerated
into a wicked people. Viewed as sons they were rebellious and disobedient; as husbandmen in charge of their
Lord's vineyard they were envious, murderers, and thought only of themselves; viewed as labourers they were
discontented with their agreed wage; viewed as servants the majority were unfaithful and unprofitable. To their
charge was laid the death of both the Lord's servants and of His Son (21:38; 23:34). The destruction of the city
(Jerusalem) is plainly foretold, and the Gentileward movement of the Acts of the apostles is clearly shown. It is
of the utmost importance that we keep the whole range of parables before us. We must keep the series of
Matthew 13 in mind, and also the one parable in Matthew 15 which is both a link between the set of Matthew 13
and the set of Matthew 20 to 25, and a light which illuminates the character of the actors in this awful tragedy.
We will next commence a more detailed exposition of the first parable of this series.
(11)
The Unforgiving Servant
Matthew 18:23-35
We have learned that the series of parables which we are about to consider are linked together by a common
theme, the disclosure of the temper and spirit of Israel and the causes which led up to their rejection of the Lord
Jesus, and the rejection in turn of themselves from their position as an elect nation before God.
The parable was spoken in answer to Peter's question:
`Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?' (Matt. 18:21).
It seems that Peter felt the responsibility of the charge laid upon him. In Matthew 16:19 the Lord had said to
him:
`I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ... and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven'.
The words are repeated in Matthew 18:18, the singular `thou' being changed to the plural `ye', and are there
linked by the Lord to the question of forgiving an offending brother. Another link with the original commission
to Peter as given in Matthew 16 is the reference to the church. Matthew 16:18 and 18:17 are the only references
to the church (or ekklesia) in the Gospel of Matthew, and in both passages the reference is linked with this
power of binding and loosing, and with the kingdom of the heavens.