ly coverings which he threw around
Pharisaic pride, or Sadducean unbelief, or the self-righteous stumbles
of his own disciples. Thus he made the wrath, and the malice, and the
deceit of men to show forth his own praise; thus rust-spots were
converted into shining pearls; thus human errors, as they sprung up,
were seized and choked and buried under a mantle of glorious grace.

Here in Matthew's Gospel, we encounter a group of three parables, the
two sons, the wicked husbandmen, and the marriage of the king's son,
connected with each other historically in a consecutive report, and
logically as successive steps in the development of one argument. The
portion, chapters xxi. xxii. xxiii., is the compact record of a single
scene. Approaching by the Mount of Olives, Jesus entered Jerusalem in a
simple but significant triumphal procession, heralded by the hosannahs
of the multitude, which, if for the most part neither intelligent nor
permanent, were sincere and spontaneous. Arrived in the city he at once
made his way to the Temple, and there assumed an unwonted and severe
authority. The mercenary profaners of the temple he cast out; the blind
and lame he healed. On the way to and from Bethany, where he lodged for
the night, the fruitless fig tree withered under his word. Next morning
as he was teaching in the temple, the heads of the Jewish external
theocracy, stung to rage by his words and deeds on the preceding day,
formally demanded the exhibition of his authority, as a preliminary step
to the violent suppression of his work. Jesus knew the hearts of these
men; he knew that while, in virtue of their office, they affected to
expound and apply the divine law, and to rule the people in accordance
with it, they were at once ignorant of God's word and tamely subservient
to the passions of the people. To tear off, or rather to compel them
with their own hands to tear off their cloak of hypocrisy, he addressed
to them that question of wonderful simplicity but wonderful power, The
baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or of men? Knowing that if
they should confess the divine origin of John's mission they would
thereby establish the Messiahship of Jesus to whom John had borne
witness, and that if they should deny it they would forfeit the favour
of the people, they answered, We cannot tell, meaning, It is
inconvenient to express an opinion. As they could not venture to
pronounce whether a ministry which had left its impress deep