THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX-GATHERER.
The tax-gatherers in those days were called Publicans. They were reputed to be very unjust, exacting from people more than the law required them to pay, and other wickedness was charged against them. Of course, there were good men among them; St. Matthew was a tax-gatherer before Jesus called him to follow Him. The Pharisees studied the Scriptures and explained them to the people, but they did not follow the teachings of Scripture. They were proud, and pretended they were more religious than other men, but it was only pretense. Jesus compared them to whited sepulchres, and said they were hypocrites, who led the people astray.
A Pharisee and a Publican went up into the Temple to pray. The Pharisee stood in a part of the Temple where all could see him, and prayed thus: “O God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, who are unjust, and who take more than belongs to them. I thank Thee that I am not like this Publican. I fast twice a week; I give to the priests and Levites a tenth part of all I possess.” But the Publican, who knew that he was wicked, and felt sorry for it, stood afar off in a quiet part of the Temple where none would see him. He bowed his head and beat upon his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Jesus said that this Publican went to his home more forgiven than the Pharisee, for every one that is proud and thinks much of himself shall be put down, and he that humbleth himself and is sorry for his sins, shall be exalted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” says Jesus.
[Illustration: The pharisee and the tax-gatherer.]
THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.
“Go, work within my
vineyard’s bound,
At eve your ’penny’[1]
shall be found:”
So spake the vineyard’s
lord, and they
Began to toil at break of
day.
For hours the sun had shown
his face,
When idlers in the market-place
Once and again were sent within
The vineyard’s wall
their wage to win.
Nay, when but one short hour
remains
Before the sun its goal attains,
More loiterers hear the Lord’s
command
And set to work with willing
hand.
The steward came at close
of day
Their wage to reckon and to
pay;
And they whose toil could
scarcely tire,
Received a penny for their
hire.
But they who the day’s
burden bore
And noonday heat, expected
more:
And murmur’d that the
generous lord
To all one penny should accord.
But he replied, “I wrong
not you;
I give you the full wages
due;
And why should you my bounty
blame,
In paying these beyond their
claim?”
Lord, to Thy vineyard Thou
dost call
The least, the youngest of
us all:
To each Thou dost assign a
task,
From each some service Thou
dost ask.