The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-09-04
JESUS AND THE pusL,cAn.
International Sunday School Lesson for
September 2, 1890.


Especially Arranged from g. q. Cusrterly.1
LESSON TExr-Luke 10: lilo
GOLDEN TExT-The son Of man Is come to
seek and to save that which was lost-Luke 10:
TO- H t
CENTRAL TRurH--Jesus welcomes all who
come to him.
Tur-The last of March, A. D. 80. Only lit
tie more than q week before the crucifxion.
PLAcE-Jericho. On the way TO Jerusalem.
INTERVENING HrsroRY--After the interview
with the young ruler. Jesus spoke the parable
of the vineyard Matt. 20: 1-16). Salome with
her sons James and John, came asking for the
e9). Jesus reached Jericho and restored sight
to Bartimeus duke 1S: so4S)
HELPS OVER HARD PI.AcEs-1. "Jericho:"
city about 20 miles northeasto Of Jerusalem, In
the Jordan valley. It was quite Q center OF
trade and was noted for its balsams. y.
Chief among the publicans:" or ax-gatherers,
revenue-collectors. Taxes imposed BY the
Romans on subject nations were farmed out to
men Of wealth, who for q specified sum paid ct
once into the Roman treasury, obtained the
right of collecting the taxes Of province or
city. These contractors, who were usually
Roman knights, entrusted the actual collection
Of taxes to sub-contractors or tax-gatherers. II
Is probable that Zaccheus was the sub-con.
tractor under the Roman knight who had
bought this privilege ct Jericho, and had under
him those who are usually called publicans.
g. Sought to see Jesus:" ~ partly from
curiosity; (2) from consciousness OF sin; (Sl
he had probably heard Of Jesus teachings and
miracles, and the hope he gave to repentant
sinners. "And could not for the press:" The
crowd who surrounded Jesus after He had given
sight to blind Bartimeus. Jesus was walking
among the crowd as one of them, with nothing to
distinguish Him. or lift Him above the others.
Because He was little OF stature:" and
could not see over the heads Of the null
titude, or make his way through them.
There are times when, not being on level
with other men in qualifications of temper,
mind, character, we must compensate by IN.
ventions and Christian expedients. You
must climb over the crowd OF difficulties
which stand between your soul and
Christ. Often by reason Of the crowd
OF worldly affairs and our low spiritual
stature we can not see Christ. But there are
sycamores In the road by which He will pass.
He has given us the means Of grace-Scripture.
prayer, ordinances. These are tho trees He
has planted in the wayside Of life. Like Zao-
cheus, let us ascend the tree, and We shall not
only see Christ. but He win ''come and abide
with u.s." 4. sycamore trees" not our syca-
more, but the Egyptian ig.tree, growing very
large, with low, spreading branches. Note the
earnestness Of zaccheus and his courage to
brave ridicule. He overcame many hindrances
his low stature, his companions socially and
in business, the temptations OF his business,
the contempt Of the Jews for his class. 8.
abide at thy house;" for the afternoon; pos
sibly till the next day. Jesus welcomes all SIN
ners who look to Him and are willing to leave
their SINS The greatest sinner need not de-
spair, II he repents and forsakes his sin z.
IA sinner;" notorious sinner, an outcast- All
the publicans, whatever their character, were
SO regarded 8 "The half Of my goods:" con-
trast him with the rich young ruler. He de-
x,oxo half n DO forf han 10 tha
Of God and man. One strong proof Of his sim
cerity. III have taken:" implying that he
had. II restore him fourfold:" he would now
rectify as for IS possible ell his past wronga
A proof OF true repentance. According to jew
ish law, II q person made restitution Of his
own accord, he was to add one-ffth to what he
had taken wrongfully (Num. b:O. But II he
were convicted Of having wronged another. he
must restore fourfold GEE 20:D. Q. This day
is salvation como to this house," the publican
was saved; saved from his past sins, saved
from the punishment thereof, saved from his
sinful character, to new, true, holy and Heav-
emily life. He had given two proofs that he was
saved: ~ repentance, confession and restitu-
ton; CO devotion Of his property TO God and
man.
CoMMENTs-Jesus was going up to Je-
rusalem, and, as He passed through the
city of Jericho, the events Of this lesson
took place. There lived in the town q
man, Zaccheus by name, who was the
chief of the tax-gatherers, and there
fore not at all popular with the Jews,
who looked upon all tax-gatherers as
the hirelings of the Roman government.
This Zaccheus was very rich, and per-
haps all the more hated on that ac-
count. He was a small man, and the
crowds that surrounded the Master in
those days were so great that Zaccheus
had difficulty in getting near enough
to have q good look at him. The
next day las we Judge 1t to have been)
Zaccheus made statement to the Mas
ter Of the principles on which he pro-
posed to govern his life ever after that,
and from this 1t would appear that the
visit of the Master had been so blessed
to him that we might really say that he
was q converted man. Jesus seems to
have accepted this statement Of Zac-
cheus as genuine, for He says: "This
day is salvation come to this house"
He then added the reason that He came
to this world, namely, to seek and to
save that which was lost.
In the first place, we see Zaccheus
seeking to see Jesus. He was very
anxious to see Him, as is apparent from
the fact that he ran, and that he
climbed q tree. Remember, he was
rich, and rich men do not like to do un-
dignifed things. So the clim bing
of that tree is proof positive that
Zaccheus was very anxious to see Jesus,
for in the East men are even more
afraid of compromising their dignity
than we are in this land. But II
Zaccheus was anxious to see Jesus,
Jesus was no less anxious to see
Zaccheus. This is proved by the fact
that when He came to that world-re.
nowned tree, He stopped, and looked up,
and called him by name. I wonder II
Zaccheus was not amazed to hear this
stranger pronouucing his name SC
familiarly! The fact is that Jesus
knew more about this man than
Zaccheus knew about Jesus. Jesus had
been seeking Zaccheus, and such as he