Leaves only, and he said to it:4 May no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig-tree withered away. 20 And the disciples seeing it wondered, saying: How is it presently withered away? 21 And JESUS answering said to them: Amen I say to you, if you shall have faith, and stagger not, not only this of the figtree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done. 22 And all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing, you shall receive. 23 And when he was come. into the temple, there came to him as he was teaching, the chief priests and ancients of the people, saying: By what authority dost thou these things? and who hath given thee this authority? 24 JESUS answering said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John whence was it? from heaven, or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying: 26 If we shall say from heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? But if we shall say from men, we are afraid of the multitude: d for all held John as a prophet. 27 And answering JESUS they said: We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. a Mark 11. 20.-b Supra, 7. 7. Mark 11. 24. John 14. 13. 16. 23.- Mark 11, 28 Luke 20. 2.- Supra, 14. 5. A 28 But what think you? certain man had two sons, and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. 29 And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went. 30 And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering, said: I go, Sir, and he went not: 31 Which of the two did the father's will? They say to him: The first. JESUS said to them, Amen I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of justice and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him. 33 Hear ye another parable: • There was a man a house holder who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, and built a tower, and let it out tr husbandmen: and went into a strange country. 34 And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits thereof. 35 And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other ser. vants more than the former and they did to them in like manner. e Isaias 5, 1. Jer. 2. 21. Mark 11. 32. Luke 20. 5. 39 37 And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son. 38 But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance. 39 And taking him they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen? 41 They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end: and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season. 42 JESUS saith to them: Have you never read in the Scrip tures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes. 43 Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them. 46 And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes: because they held him as a prophet. a Infra, 26. 3. and 27. 2. John 11. 53-b Ps. 117. 22. Acts 4. 11. Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 7. both bad and good: and the marriage was filled with guests. 11 And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. 12 And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment? But he was silent." 13 Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen. 15Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves howto ensnare him inhis speech. 16 And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou dost not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore what dost thou think, is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not? 18 But JESUS knowing their wickedness, said: Why do you tempt me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the coin of the tribute. And they offered him a penny. 20 And JESUS saith to them: Whose image and inscription is this? a Supra, 8. 12. and 13. 4. Infra, 25. 30.- Mark 12. 13. Luke 20. 20. CHAP. XXII. Ver. 16. The Hero That is, some that belonged to Herod, and that joined with him in standing up for the necessity of paying tribute to Cesar, that is, to the Roman emperor. Some are of opinion that there was a sect among the Jews called Herodians, from their maintaining that Herod was the Messias, 21 They say to him, Cesar's. Then he saith to them: Render therefore to Cesar the things that are Cesar's: and to God the things that are God's. 22 And hearing this, they wondered, and leaving him went their ways. 23 That day there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and asked him, 24 Saying: Master, Moses said, If a man die having no son, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up issue to his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first having married a wife, died; and not having issue, left his wife to his brother. 26 In like manner the second, and the third, and so on to the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 At the resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be? for they all had her. 29 And Jesus answering, said to them: You err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married: but shall be as the Angels of God in heaven. 31 And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God saying to you: 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the c Rom. 13. 7.-d Acts 23. 6.-e Deut. 25. 5. Mark 12. 19. Luke 20. 28.fExod. 3. 6. God of the dead, but of the living. 33 And the multitudes hearIng it, were in admiration at his doctrine. 34 But the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together: 35 And one of them a doctor of the law asked him, tempting him: 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 JESUS said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. 38 This is the greatest and the first commandment. 39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two command ments dependeth the whole law and the prophets. 41 And the Pharisees being gathered together JESUS asked them, 42 Saying: What think you of Christ whose son is he? They say to him: David's. 43 He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit call him Lord; saying: 44/The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him. Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word: neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more ques tions. a Mark 12. 28. Luke 10. 25.- Deut. 6. 5. c Lev. 19. 18. Mark 12. 31.d Mark 12. 35. Luke 20. 41-e Luke 20: 42.-f Ps. 109. 1 CHAP. XXIII. Christ admonishes the people to follow the good doctrine, not the bad example of the scribes and Pharisees; he warns his disciples not to imitate their ambition: and denounces divers woes against them for their hypocrisy and blindness. THEN JESUS spoke to the mul titudes and to his disciples, 2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. 3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens: and lay them on men's shoulders: but with a finger of their own they will not move them. For 5 And all their works they do for to be seen of men. they make their phylacteries broad and enlarge their fringes. 6And they love the first places at feasts, and the first. chairs in the synagogues, 7 And salutations in the market-place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. 8 But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master, and all you are brethren. 9 And call none your father g2 Esdras 8. 4.- Luke 11. 46. Acts 15. 10.-i Num. 15. 38. Deut. 6. 8. and 22. 12.- Mark 12. 39. Luke 11. 43. and 20. 46,- Jas. 3. 1.-m Mal. 1. 6. upon earth: for one is your | the temple, that sanctifieth the father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters for one is your master, Christ. 11 He that is the greatest among you shall be your ser vant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13 But wo to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter 14 Wo to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment. 15 Wo to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte: and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves. 16 Wo to you blind guides, that say, whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing: but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor. 17 Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or a Luke 14. 11. and 18. 14.- Mark 12. 40. Luke 20. 47. is incomparably more to be regarded, than any father upon earth: and no master to be followed, who would lead us away from Christ. But this does not hinder but that we are by the law of God to have a due respect both for our parents and spiritual fathers, (1 Cor. iv. 15) and for our masters and teachers. gold? 18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing: but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor. 19 Ye blind for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar, that sanctifieth the gift? 20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it: 21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it: 22 And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Wo to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law, d judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. 25 Wo to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish: but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean. 27 Wo to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness. eLuke 11. 4.2.d Mich. f. 8. Zach. $7.9 |