Three Parables follow which were spoken with special reference to the Jewish rulers, the Priests, and Scribes, and Pharisees. The first of these—the Parable of “The Two Sons”—seems to have been spoken to win them over to a knowledge of their sin and danger, and, if it might be possible, to induce them to accept the Gospel of God, and to enter the Kingdom. The Son in the Parable who at first said, “I will not,” “afterward repented and went.” Even so, the bold and open transgressors of the law were being won over to repentance, and were entering in. But the second son who said, “I go Sir, and went not,” professed a ready obedience and then did not carry it into practice, but held back and refused to enter in. Even so the Pharisees and others who made good profession of zeal for God’s service “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” (S. Luke xviii. 9), and being satisfied with the mere profession, “rejected the counsel of God against themselves” (S. Luke vii. 30). And He thus sorrowfully yet firmly applied it to their own case, saying, “Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you” (S. Matt. xxi. 28-31).
They would not be won over; but, on the contrary, their hostility was increased. The consequence was, that the next Parable of “The Wicked Husbandmen” declared the miserable end which would certainly come upon them in judgment. The Kingdom of God was set forth under the figure of a vineyard—a figure which must have been familiar to them from its frequent use in the Old Testament (Psalm lxxx. 8-16; Isaiah v. 1-8)—and the husbandmen, instead of protecting their master’s interests, were represented as beating his servants and slaying his son. What, asked the Lord Jesus, will he do with them? And they answered, to their own condemnation, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen.” And He then added these plain words of warning, “Therefore say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you[8], and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (S. Matt. xxi. 33-43).
The enmity of the rulers now reached its highest pitch. “They sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet” (S. Matt. xxi. 46). And as they had now clearly determined to reject the idea of the Kingdom, which He had come to found, the Parable of “The Marriage of the King’s Son” was spoken, describing the call of others into the privileged position which they despised. “Jesus answered and spake unto them again by Parables, and said, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son.” And when the invited guests refused to come, “The king was wroth, and sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers. Then said he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.” Who then should be admitted to the feast? Those from the highways. The Gentiles from far and wide should be called to take the place which the Lord’s own people refused to enjoy (S. Matt. xxii. 1-10).
Two other Parables of “The Kingdom of Heaven” remain to be considered—“The Wise and Foolish Virgins” and “The Talents”—both of which describe the judgment which the subjects of the Kingdom must be prepared to meet at the last day. The lessons to be learned from them are plain. The foolish virgins, who were shut out at the last because their lamps had gone out, are a warning to all who profess the faith of Christ and have once been earnest in the spiritual service of God. They are represented as being shut out, not for profanity and wickedness; but for spiritual negligence—for not seeking to keep up the supply of grace through prayer and holy ordinances rightly used. Empty lamps were useless. So our Lord warned His future subjects that mere profession of faith and mere outward ordinances, without the Spirit, would be equally useless in preparing them to meet His coming at the Great Day (S. Matt. xxv. 1-13).
As the Parable of “The Ten Virgins” is a warning against spiritual negligence, so the Parable of “The Talents” teaches the danger of neglecting the outward service of the King. The powers and opportunities of usefulness which He has given to His subjects, He will expect them to use. All must work according to their talents, or be condemned as “unprofitable servants and cast into outer darkness” (S. Matt. xxv. 14-30).
This lesson of warning brings to an end the Parables which describe the nature and conditions of “The Kingdom of Heaven” in its present imperfect state. But to these is added a description, in words of striking clearness, of the day when this present Kingdom of grace and trial will be transformed into, and replaced by, the Kingdom of glory and reward; “When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him; and before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats; and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” Then will He appear as King indeed, seated on His throne of glory; and consequently He now uses that title plainly of Himself. “Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (S. Matt. xxv. 31-34).
Thus the full meaning of the words “The Kingdom of Heaven” is unfolded in the Gospels. It is a Kingdom upon earth, springing from small beginnings, but intended to include the whole human race within its influence. It is the Kingdom of God, and yet imperfect, through the malice of the Evil One, who is ever striving to spoil God’s work. And whilst in the world it is not of the world, but wholly spiritual and divine in its origin. For God is ruling over the hearts of its subjects. And His rule working and spreading secretly, like leaven changing the meal, is intended in His loving purpose to convert the whole world unto obedience to Himself.
Thus we see that “The Kingdom of Heaven” is described as being that state of grace and probation into which Christ’s people are called at the time of their baptism, and in which they are blessed, and tried, and made fit for His nearer Presence. But, at the same time, we are led to think that a day will come when this present imperfect condition of His Kingdom will be brought to an end; when those who have been tried and found worthless will be cast out; and “The Kingdom of Heaven” as we know it, having been purged of all evil, will become the Kingdom of His glory and joy.
And when this shall come to pass, all the predictions respecting Messiah’s Kingdom will at length be realised. “The everlasting Kingdom” (2 Peter i. 11) ordained “before the foundation of the world” (Ephes. i. 4), will then have embraced all nations, so that “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah xi. 9). Then will the reign of righteousness and peace of Him, who is “the Lord our Righteousness” (Jer. xxiii. 6), appear in all its perfect beauty. God’s “people will be all righteous;” and “inherit the land for ever” (Isaiah lx. 21), even “the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. i. 12). And Christ, being at length in every sense “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah ix. 6), when no foe will be left to be subdued, and “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain” (Isaiah xi. 9), will then be proclaimed “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev. xix. 16).
And then also our daily prayer “Thy Kingdom come” (S. Matt. vi. 10) will have received its perfect fulfilment. For all that is now imperfect in His rule will have been set right; through the conversion of the heathen, the repentance of the ungodly, and the sanctification of all who “neglect” not “so great salvation” (Heb. ii. 3).