Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-09-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER 2.
Lesson Text: "Jcsus aud Zaccfscus fhe
Publican" Luke xix, 1-10-Goldeh
Text, Luke XIX, IO-Commentary
on the Lesson.

!. "And Jesus entered and passed through
Jericho" The Inst verses Of the previous
chapter tell OF His healing blind man as
He came nieh to Jericho; while Matt Xxx.
1884 tells of Els healing two blind men as
He departed from Jericho. The simplest
way to take the records is just as we find
them, and thus they tell us that as Jesus en-
terrell and passed through Jericho, or, rather,
as He entered and departed from Jericho,
He healed three blind men. There was moth
ing strange in this, for He was always heal
ing The sick and preaching the Gospel OF the
Kingdom, where the inhabitant should no
more say, " am siclS' lisa. xxxiii., ~. The
blind MEN, when he,led, followed Him, glori-
flying God. They were not entangled by
riches as was the rich ruler; they had not
even an occupation to give up except that OF
begging. They were like Lazarus, poor in
this worlds goods. They were like the 1T
tie children, empty, helpless, dependent. Be
ing willing they easily entered in. They
knew they were blind; they were anxious to
see: they asked and received; then followed
Jesus and evidently became His disciples
Q. "And, behold, there WIS man named
Zacchnus, which was tho chief among the
publicans, and he was rich" We are not
told whether the other publican was rich or
poor, but we are sure that he was poor In
spirit. Instead of rich ruler, esteemed by
the people as in the last lesson, here is rich
publican, one Of the class whom the Phari-
see thanked God that he did not belong to-;
but presently we shall find this rich chief
among the publicans, in the company Of the
healed bind men, follower Of the meek and
lowly Jesus.
8. "And he sought to see. Jesus, who He
was: and could not for the press, because he
was little of stature" His motives are not
given, but we infer from the rest Of the story
that he, too, would be follower Of Jesus if
lie would have him.
4. Sand he ran before, and climbed up
into q sy camore tree to see Him; for he was
to pass that way" He was in earnest to
see Him. he came out from the crowd, and
.uuconsciousiy hid himself. In listening to
the preaching Of the Gospel, or the teaching
of the Sunday-school lesson, oil are apt to
loso themselves in the crowd, instead OF TAX
ing the truth homo to themselves. If we
are to profit our own souls 1t must be by
separating ourselves from others and by be-
lieving that He means me; as when Pau
said, 1.-THE Son of God loved me and gave
Himself for me- (Gal. H., 20). And then sell
and all its fancied goodness must be hid as
unfit to appear before God. There must be
rome Of lie Pharisee's God, thank Thee
that am not as otter men," but true hu-
initiation of self before God.
s. "And when Jesus came to the place.
He looked I'D and saw him. He who knows
our down sitting aud uprising and under
stands our thoughts afar or (Ps. cxx1i1., y
who saw Nathaniel under the fig tree John
l., 4S), saw also this man when he left the
crowd and climbed up into this tree. Enc
leaves of the sycamore could not hide bln
any more than the trees Of the garden could
hide Adam and Eve.
s.And said unto him, Zaccbaus, make
haste and come down; for to-day must
abide at thy house." How Zacch@us's heart
must have eaped at these words; and ther
lie called him by name, there was no mis-
taking it. He surely meant him. And Ae
said lie would abide at his house; and HI
said to-day. Oh, what joyl how could FAC
chnus get down from that tree quick enough
Fancy some one saying, DON'T make foo
of yourself, Zacchnus; be calm and dign1
| fled, and come down rs becometh man Of
your position" I think he would have beer
willing to have come head first, or in any
way seenly or unseemly, that would bring
him more quickly to the feet of Jesus.
6. "And he made haste and came down
and received Him joyfully." Thank Goo
for that. However, he came down; be came
quickly and received Christ gladly. AS thu
'sEscape for thy life; haste thee. escape
tbither" Gen. xix, II, 22), so We who err
saved would urge the unsaved to make hast
and come to Jesus, if wesonly heartily be
levcd what we profess to believe.
Z. .'And when they saw it, they all muir
INJURED, saying, that He was gone to be CUES
with man that is sinner" Here is Satal
resisting, the devil angry because he has los
captive. In Zech. ill.,, !. we see mai
othed with filthy garments standing befor
God, and Satan at his right hand to resls
him, but little further on in the chapte
the iilthy garments are gone, and Satan
gone, too; there is glorious change 0
apparel and the angel of the Lord stands by
| Whenever a sinner comes 10 Christ, tn
devil is sure TO find fault and point to tn
filthy garments. He did so through Simon
the Pharisee, when the poor woman came Il
Jesus Luke vii, 39l, and again in chap. XIV.
9, when the publicans and sinners came nea
10 Jesus. He is always dong it it is nj
business to resist everything truly good: Il
hinder sinners from coming to Christ, and u
hinder saints from serving Christ.
s. "And Zacch1us stood, and SAID unit
the Lord" He could not walk with Chris
till this was settled. With sin on the con
science there can be no true fellowship Wit
God But here comes the evidence OF tn
sincerity of his conversion. His faith be
comes manifest in his works. He shows tina
he has trply. repented.
"Behold, Lord, the half Of my goods Civ
to the moor; and e have taken anything
from any man by false accusation, restore
him fourfold" These things were neither hi
salvation, nor the ground of it, but rather
the evidences that he had passed from deatl
to life. We must keep in mind and stant
firm on this, that there is no salvation BY
works revealed in Scripture (Rom. ill.,, 20
iv., S: Eph H., o.. We rest only and wholly
in Christ for salvation, but being saved VI
must prove it in our lives. Here is maj
who right off, as soon as he receives Christ
decides to give half Of his goods to the poor
and make full restitution according to tn
law lex. xii, /; II Sam. xii, g.. Surel.
this is genuine case of receiving Christ, ant
of determination to be wholly His.
9. "And Jesus said unto him, This day L
salvation come to this house. forsomuch a.
he is also son Of Abraham" Salvation i
of the Lord.n '.Behold, God is my saliva
ton" Neither is there salvation in an.
othcru Jonah H., o; lisa. xii, q Acts w., 12l
| God manifest in the flesh had como to tina
man, and to that house, and had been re
ceived; and where Jesus is there 10 salvation
10. ''For the Son Of Man is come to seel
and to save that which was lost" This name
''Son OF Man" mas speclal reference 10 III
Christ as son of David, and yet reaches be
vond to Christ as the true Isaac, the tru
seed of Abraham, in whom all nations shal
DO blessed He is now gathering out tn
heavenly seed that He may come again an
restore the earthly seed. The Church an
Israel. Notice that He is after lost people
not good or righteous or whole, but such Q
the Denitent publican and as have the littl
child spirit He does not wait for men t
come to Him; He seeks them He does no
help men to save themselves; he saves then
by His mighty power Who will let him
Who will he n seeker of lost men with hlm?-