The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ/Chapter 154

1. The multitudes would hear what Jesus had to say, and so they built a platform in the temple court, and Jesus stood upon the place and taught. He spoke in parables; he said,

2. A man possessed a vast estate; he planted out a vineyard, placed a hedge about it, built a tower, installed the press for making wine.

3. He placed his vineyard in the hands of husbandmen and then he journeyed to a distant land.

4. Now, in the vintage time the man sent forth a servant to receive and bring to him his portion of the fruitage of the vines.

5. The husbandmen came forth and beat the man; laid forty lashes on his back and cast him out beyond the vineyard gate.

6. And then the owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen laid hold of him and sorely wounded him and cast him from the vineyard, leaving him half dead beside the way.

7. The owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen seized hold of him and with a javelin they pierced his heart; then buried him beyond the hedge.

8. The owner was aggrieved. He thought within himself, What shall I do? and then he said, This will I do. My only son is here, and I will send him to the husbandmen,

9. They surely will respect my son and send me what is mine.

10. He sent his son; the husbandmen took counsel with themselves; they said, This is the only heir to all this wealth, and if we take his life the vast inheritance is ours.

11. They took his life and cast him out beyond the vineyard hedge.

12. The days will come; the owner will return to reckon with the husbandmen, and he will seize them every one, and cast them into scorching fires where they shall stay until they pay the debts they owe.

13. And he will place his vineyard in the care of honest men.

14. Then turning to the priests and scribes he said, Did not your prophets say,

15. The stone the builders cast away became the capstone of the arch?

16. You men who pose as men of God, as husbandmen, lo, you have stoned and killed the messengers of God, his prophets and his seers, and now you seek to slay his son.

17. I tell you men, the kingdom shall be snatched away from you, and shall be given unto people who are not a people now, and to a nation that is not a nation now.

18. And men whose speech you cannot understand, will stand between the living and the dead, and show the way to life.

19. The chief priests and the Pharisees were deeply moved with anger when they heard this parable and would have seized the Lord and done him harm, but they were sore afraid; they feared the multitude.

20. And Jesus spoke another parable; he said, The kingdom is a-like a ceratin king who made a feast in honour of the marriage of his son.

21. He sent his servants forth to call the people who had been invited to the feast.

22. The servants called; but then the people would not come.

23. And then the king sent other messengers abroad to say, Behold, my tables now are spread; my oxen and my fatlings are prepared.

24. The choicest viands and the richest wines are on my boards; come to the marriage feast. 25. The people laughed and treated with disdain his call, and went their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise;

26. And others seized the servants of the king; abused them shamefully; and some of them they killed.

27. And then the king sent forth his soldiery who slew the murderers and burned their towns.

28. And then the king sent other servants forth; to them he said, Go to the corners of the streets, the partings of the ways, and to the marts of trade and say,

29. Whoever will may come up to the marriage feast.

30. The servants went their way and called; and lo, the banquet hall was filled with guests.

31. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who had not on a wedding robe; he called to him and said,

32. Friend, why are you here without a wedding robe? Would you dishonour thus my son?

33. The man was dumb; he answered not.

34. And then the king said to his guards, Take you this man and bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the darkness of the night.

35. The many have been called, but none are chosen to be guests who have not clad themselves in wedding robes.