Whilst the Pharisees, who had asked questions in the hope of finding a
fault, were gathered together, Jesus in His turn questioned them: He
"asked them, 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? for David himself said by the Holy Ghost, in the
Book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him
Lord; if David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" The Pharisees
could make no answer to this, without contradicting what David had
said; or acknowledging that Christ, though in one sense the son of
David, was more, and must be the Son of God spoken of by David and all
the prophets. Therefore "no man was able to answer him a word, neither
durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. The
common people heard him gladly," however, not being so prejudiced
against Him.
Jesus at this time reproved the Scribes and Pharisees for their pride
and hypocrisy; and for their observance of outward forms only, whilst
they did not even try to act according to the real meaning and spirit
of the Law of Moses. Jesus also told his disciples and the multitude,
that though they ought to observe and do whatever the Scribes (whose
business it was to explain and teach the Law) showed them that they
ought to do, they must be careful not to follow their example: "The
Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat; all therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye
after their works: for they say and do not." Other things Jesus said
at this time (Matt xxiii., Mark xii., Luke xx.), and he ended with
again lamenting over the misery which Jerusalem was bringing upon
herself, by refusing to receive Him, the Lord of Life and Glory: and
He reminded His hearers, that He would have saved them had they been
willing. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered
thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate." Jesus was teaching in that part of the temple where stood
the chest, into which those who came to worship, put gifts of money,
to be used for the service of the temple.
"And Jesus sat over against the treasury. And he looked up and beheld
how the people cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich
cast in much. And there came also a certain poor widow, and she threw
in two mites, which make a farthing." There was a curious law at this
time amongst the Jews, forbidding any one to put into the treasury so
small a sum as _one_ mite: this poor widow therefore put in the
smallest sum she could. Many who saw her, most likely despised her
offering; and thought that such a paltry sum was not worth giving. But
He who seeth the heart, judged very differently: "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 these have of their abundance cast in unto the
offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all that she had,
even all her living."
The difference was, that the rich men had given large sums, of which
they would not feel the loss: but the poor widow had practised the
greatest self-denial, in order to do something for the service of God.
She had to work hard to gain money to buy necessary food, and by
giving all she had at this time, she would be obliged to go without a
meal. Without self-denial, we cannot please God: and we can all
practise self-denial, though it seems very hard to do so. If we give
up our own wishes, and practise self-denial, in the most trifling
things, though men may not know it at all, God does: and if He sees
that we do it _because_ He has bid us deny ourselves, He will be
pleased with us.
Our Lord now departed from the temple, and as he went out "his
disciples came to him, for to show him, the buildings of the temple";
that is, to draw His attention to the strength of the walls, and the
size of the stones used in building it; as if they thought it almost
impossible that one stone should not be left upon another. But Jesus
again assured them that the temple, as well as the city, should be
utterly destroyed.
Jesus then spake of the misery that would come upon the Jews, when the
destruction of their city should take place. From this, He went on to
speak of the end of the world, which must surely take place some day
or other: and He warned them, that as no man could know when this
event would take place, it was necessary that every one should be
prepared to meet their God.
Let us remember this: let each one of us try to live every day as if
it was to be our last. Many things He spake, to enforce the duty of
watching, so as to be always ready.
In order to impress more strongly upon His disciples the dreadful
consequence of not being ready, when the Lord should come to judge the
world, Jesus told them the parable of the Ten Virgins, five of whom
were wise, and five foolish. These latter were shut out from the
marriage; and Jesus showed how this parable applied to all men, by
saying, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour
wherein the Son of man cometh."
Again, to show them the necessity of being found at the last day,
doing the will of God, and improving the talents committed to our
care, Jesus told His disciples another parable of the Servants and the
Talents; greatly resembling one spoken before, as given by St. Luke,
chap. xix. He likewise showed His disciples, that though here all men
seem to go on much alike, so that it is often difficult to know who
are really serving God with all their hearts, and who are not, there
will be no difficulty in the last day, when the godly and the ungodly
shall be as easily divided, "as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats": and that while the Lord would take the one to live with Him
for ever, the others should go away into everlasting punishment. Jesus
also declared, that one way of gaining the favour of God, was by doing
acts of kindness and self-denial, to help our suffering fellow
creatures.
All these discourses, which followed the last cleansing of the temple,
seem to have been uttered on the Tuesday in Passion Week. "And in the
day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and
abode in the mount, that is called the mount of Olives;" at Bethany,
as is generally believed. We have now come to the Wednesday in Passion
Week, two days before the feast of the Passover, called also the feast
of unleavened bread. Jesus, to prepare His disciples for what was
about to happen, said unto them, "Ye know that after two days is the
feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be
crucified."
"Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the
Passover. Then assembled together the Chief Priests and the Scribes,
and the elders of the people" (who had long sought to destroy Jesus),
"unto the palace of the High Priest, who was called Caiaphas, and
consulted how they might take Jesus by craft and put him to death,"
without causing any uproar among the people. If once they could
contrive to deliver Him up as a prisoner to the Roman governor, there
would be no possibility of His being rescued by the people.
The Priests and elders were now offered help from an unexpected
quarter. "Then entered Satan into Judas, surnamed Iscariot, being of
the number of the twelve." Judas had probably taken offence at what
Jesus said, when Mary anointed His feet: he was a bad man, without any
real love for his Master; and instead of fighting against the sinful
lusts or desires of his own heart, he indulged them, and so let the
Devil enter in, and lead him to betray the Lord. "And he went his way
unto the Chief Priests, and communed with them how he might betray him
unto them. And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will
deliver him unto you? And when they heard it they were glad, and
promised to give him money. And they covenanted (or agreed with him)
for thirty pieces of silver." Thirty shekels or pieces of silver
(worth about 3_l._ 11_s._), was the sum which Moses had commanded to
be paid by the owner of any beast, which had by accident killed the
slave of another man: thus, in every respect, did Christ take upon Him
the form and condition of a servant or slave.
Judas having consented to sell the life of his Master for thirty
shekels, "from that time sought opportunity how he might conveniently
betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude." It is a
terrible thing when a man is so hardened, as to watch for an
opportunity of committing a crime! That, indeed, is wilful sin. The
next day, Thursday, was "the first day of unleavened bread, when they
killed the Passover. The disciples came and said unto Jesus, Where
wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the Passover?
And He sendeth forth two of his disciples, Peter and John, saying, Go
ye into the city; and behold when ye are entered into the city, there
shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him into the
house where he entereth in; and say ye to the good man (or owner) of
the house, The Master saith unto thee, My time is at hand; I will keep
the Passover at thy house: Where is the guest chamber, where I shall
eat the Passover with my disciples? And he will show you a large
upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his
disciples went forth and came into the city, and found as He had said
unto them: and they made ready the Passover." What a strengthening of
the Apostles' faith this must have been: He who could thus foretell
all, even the most trifling events, must be God indeed. The blessed
thought that God knows and governs all things, should make us trust in
Him, and do our duty without any fear of the consequences.