The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-03-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

GOLDEN TEXT-Tne son OF man Is come 10
seek and to save that which was lost.-Luke
T1ME-The last OF March, A. D. 30 Only
little more than O week before the crucifxion
PLACE Jericho.
INTERVENING H1sToRY.-After the inter
view with the rich ruler, Jesus spoke the par
able of the laborers in the vineyard (Matt 20:
1-l6). Proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. He
announced to His disciples His death and res
direction (Matt 20:l7-lg). Then Salome and
her two sons. James and John, came to Jesus,
as king, for the chief places in His kingdom
Matt 20:2O-s9). When Jesus reached Jer-
icho he restored sight to Bartimeus and au-
other blind man Luke ls: S5-43); and as He
was leaving the city for Jerusalem occurred
the incident Of Zaccheus.
LESSON NOTES.
The Seeker.-"And Jesus entered and
passed through Jericho" On His last
journey to Jerusalem. He had crossed
the Jordan westward since our last les
son. Jericho" city of the moon, or
place of fragrance. The largest city in
the valley OF the Jordan, about twenty
miles northeast of Jerusalem, on the
west side of the river Jordan, north of
its entrance into the Dead sea. In the
time of Christ Jericho was wealthy and
flourishing. Behold, there was a man
named Zaccheus:" He was jew ". 81.
His name is Hebrew from a root meaning
pure, in contrast with his former char
acter and reputation. (which was
chief among the publicans:" or gatherers
of revenue for the Romans. The taxes
imposed by the Romans on subject ma
tions were farmed out to men of wealth,
who, for specified sum paid at once
into the Roman treasury, obtained the
right of collecting,the taxes of a province
or city. These contractors, who were
usually Roman knights, intrusted the
actual collection of taxes to subcon-
tractors or tax gathcrers. This system,
which is still prevalent in the east, gave
the widest scope for rapacity and eStor-
tion.-G. w. Clark. 1t is probable that
Zaccheus was the subcontractor under
the Roman knight who had bought out
this privilege at J ,richo, and las such
he had as abundant opportunities for
enriching himself as Turkish pasha. z"
cat Jericho was one of the principal
custom houses Here alone was culti-
waited the famous balm of Gilead, now
quite extinct, and not a native of the
country, but of the east coast of Africa.
Tradition said it was originally intro
duced by the queen of Sheba, who gave
some roots to King Solomon. From
here plants were taken by Cleopatra
for her gardens at Heliopolis. It was
always government monopoly, and
imperial guards were placed over the
plantations. Hence the Importance Of
the position Of the tax gatherer at Jeri-
cho, who naturally would be chief
officer Of the publicans. Besides the
revenue from the balsam, Jericho was
the great halting place for caravans
from North Arabia to Palestine and
Egypt, and here they paid the duties on
their merchandise. canon Tristram.
The Seel1ing.-V.3 "And he sought
to see Jesus:" Greek, kept seeking,
Reports Of His miracles and teachings
in Perea, not far away beyond the
Jordan, were brought. by crowds who
were coming through Jericho, on their
way to the Passover at Jerusalem, and
the air was full of rumors and stories
about the Great Prophet.
His Motives for Seeking Jesus.-(1) It
is probable that curiosity had some
thing to do with awakening his inter
est. (2) "From many hints in the Cos
pels, it seems that work of grace was
going on among the publicans as u
class. (See Luke 3:12; $50; 1899; 1871;
1910. These should be taken together"
--Sadler. Thus the general pervading
influence around him would move him.
(3) His awakened conscience would
give him no rest or peace. ~ He had
longings for better li}e. (5) What
he had heard of Jesus kindled hope
within him that the CALLING chains
which bound him to his old life might
be broken. Jesus had parted the
clouds and let in rays of light and
hope. A new life was possible, since
the new prophet had been favorable to
publicans and sinners, instead of join
ing in the customary contempt and
hatred,
Hindrances to a Religious Lfe.-
There were not a few hindrances in the
way of Zaccheus, which are well
brought out in Robertson's unsurpassed
sermon on this lesson. ~ There was
the outward hindrance of the crowds,
which presented no small difficulty, be-
cause it must be overcome at once, or
the opportunity would be forever lost.
C2) His profession gave him great and
easy opportunities to do wrong with
impunity, yet to the increase of his own
gains. (3) 1t tended to make him salts
fed with low standard Of morality,
according to the customs Of the busi-
ness in which he was engaged. (4) Zac-
cheus was tempted to that hardness in
evil which comes from having no char
acter to support. Nothing but evil was
expected of him, and thus society itself
held him down. (5) Another hindrance
lay in the recollection of past guilt
"Remorse is like the clog of an insoluble
debt. The debtor is proverbially ex-
travagant. A little more or less makes
no difference, SO he plunges further
into debt" IF a man lose the worlds
respect he can retreat back upon the
consciousness of God within. But if q
man lose his own respect he sinks down
and down, and deeper yet, until he can