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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
The Majesty of Heaven stood before this august personage without
ornament or display. His garments were travel-stained; his face was
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pale and expressed a touching sadness; yet there was a dignity and
benevolence written there which contrasted strangely with the proud,
self-confident and angry air of the high priest. Many of those who were
witnesses of the marvelous words and deeds of Jesus in the temple,
enshrined him in their hearts from that time as the prophet of God. But
the hatred of the priests toward Jesus increased as the popular feeling
turned in his favor. The wisdom by which he escaped the nets set for
his feet, added fresh fuel to their hatred, being a new evidence of his
divinity.
As they stood mortified and silent before the Saviour, humiliated
in presence of the great multitude, he improved his opportunity of
presenting before them their true characters, and the retribution sure
to follow their evil deeds. He arranged the lesson in such a manner
that the priests and elders should pronounce their own condemnation:
“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the
first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and
said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to
the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and
went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?”
This abrupt question threw them off their guard; they had followed
the parable closely and now immediately answered, “The first.” Fixing
his steady eye upon them, Jesus responded in stern and solemn accents:
“Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the
kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way
of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and
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the harlots believed him; and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not
afterward, that ye might believe him.”
These terrible truths struck home to the hearts of the hypocritical
priests and rulers. The first son in the parable represented the publicans
and harlots who at first refused obedience to the teachings of John, but
afterwards repented and were converted. The second son represented
the Jews who professed obedience and superior virtue, but insulted God
by rejecting the gift of his Son. By their wicked works they forfeited
the favor of Heaven. They despised the mercies of God. The most
thoughtless and abandoned are represented by Jesus as occupying a