YER. 19 — 26. ST. LUKE. GG1
24. Shew me a penny. Whose image and super
scriptionhath it? They answeredand said,Csesar's.
25. And He saidunto them, Render thereforeunto
Caesarthe thingswhich be Caesar's,and unto God
thethingswhich be God's.
26. And they could not take hold of His words
beforethe people: and theymarvelledat His answer,
andheldtheirpeace.
CYRIL.It became indeedthe rulersof the Jews, per
ceivingthat the parablewas spoken of them, to depart
fromevil,having been thus as it were warned concern
ingthefuture.But littlemindfulofthis,theyrathergather
a freshoccasionfortheircrimes. The commandment ofthe
Law restrainedthem not,which says,The innocentand Exod.
righteousmen thoushallnotslay,but the fearof the people '
checkedtheirwickedpurpose. For theysetthefearofman
beforethereverenceofGod. The reasonof thispurposeis
given,for theyperceivedthatHe spokethisparableagainst
them. BEDE. And so by seekingto slayHim, theyproved
thetruthof what He had saidin the parable.For He
HimselfistheHeir,whose unjustdeathHe saidwas to be
punished.They arethewickedhusbandmen who soughtto
killtheSon of God. This alsoisdailycommittedin the
Churchwhen any one,onlyin name a brother,isashamed
orafraid,becauseof the many good men withwhom he
lives,to break intothatunityof the Church'sfaithand
peacewhich He abhors. And becausethe chiefpriests
soughttolayholdof ourLord butcouldnot by themselves,
theytriedto accomplishitby thehandsofthegovernor; as
itfollows,And theywatchedHim, fyc.CYRIL. For they
seemedtobe trifling,yetwere in earnest,forgetfulofGod.
whosays,Who isthisthathidethhiscounselfromMe ? For Job
theycome to Christthe Saviourof all,as thoughHe were ^'
a common man, as itfollows,thattheymighttakeHim in
Hisspeech.
THEOPHYL.They laidsnaresforourLord,but got their
own feetentangledin them. Listento theircunning,And
theyaskedHim, saying,Master,we know thatThou sayest