Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-05-14


which is least is faithful also in much; and
he that is unjust in the leass is 2,njust also
in much.-Luke 16: 10.
THE SECTION includes only 10: 1-2S, be-
cause tllis is all the record we have of the
brief time between the giving sight TO Bar
timeus as he entered Jericho. and the ar
rival at Bethany, where our next lesson
begins.
TIME.-The last of March. A. D. 80. Prob
ably just after the healing of Bartimeus
Just a week before the crucihxion.
PLAcE.-A street of Jericho and the house
OF Zaecheus.
LESSON NOTES.
Jesus was now in Jericho, passing
through the city, never to return thith-
er again. Zaccheus Immediately planned
TO see Jesus. Zaccheus was a rich man.
He had gained considerable portion
OF his riches by extortion and fraud.
He could not enter Gods kingdom and
retain this mammon of unrighteous-
ness. He promptly and completely dis
carded his old life, and MADE not only
the required restitution, bat more.
and slew his love of money 10y giving
half of his property to the pocr. This
day salvation came to his house. He
trusted in jesus and became His fol-
lower. ''For,s' said Jesus, 1.-THE Son of
Man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost .'As they heard these
things" which Jesus had been saying
in the house of Zaccheus, where He was
guest, He added and spake par
able"
Jesus had repeatedly of late given the
impression that the kingdom was COM
ing, and that His going to Jerusalem
had something to do with it. fSee.
Luke 1920, 80; 1929, 30; Matt. 1929
And they thought that all their dreams
about the kingdom were to be visibly
realized Immediately and in their way.
IL fact, the great events necessary to
its com crucifixion and resur-
rection-were soon to take place; and
the rays of its dawn were to shine in
the Pentecostal gift of the Holy Spirit,
but the disciples would not recognize
these things, nor would the kingdom
appear to them; and its complete COM
ing was yet far away; nor would it
ever come in the way they expected it.
This parable was to put them on their
guard against disappointment; to teach
them their true way of waiting, in
faithful, patient service. for the COM
ing of the kingdom; and that at some
time it would certainly come.
The following is about as fair an in
depreciation of the preamble as our
space will allow:
The man of noble birth represents
Christ Himself, of royal blood and Di-
vine descent. He was the realization of
the highest ideal of nobility, noble in
character, in power, in deeds, in ability
The far country represents Heaven,
and the state of glory with His Father.
| where Jesus went after His death and
resurrection to remain unseen till the
time of His appearing shall come.
The kingdom He was to receive is
the Messianic kingdom of God, holding
it benign sway over all the earth.
The servants were Gods protested
| people-the nation to whom such
| great interests had been committed.
| The pounds must denote something
which is the same to all, so that no one
at the first can have more than another,
and yet this sometimes is of such sort
! that it can be very differently en-
! ployed or increased by each one. not so
much according to his ability as ac-
| corting to his faithfulness or industry.
| Such are the words of God, the means
| of grace, the redemption in Jesus. the
| presence and power of the Holy Spirit,
! opportunities to be faithful and true,
faith, hope, love, and all the fruits of
the Spirit.
The citizens represent all men over
whom He is the rightfui King, and who
live within the limits of His kingdom.
He was going to the far country of
4 Heaven for the purpose of obtaining
this kingdom. But they rejected Him.
He came unto His own, and His own
received him not" Especially did the
Jews distinctly say: Eve will not have
! this man reign over u.s.
| Christ is coming again to receive His
/ Kingdom and to judge the world Matt.
| %: 31-46). But not only then, but often
times there comes a day of Judgment to
| nations and to individuals. The de-
| struction of Jerusalem was one of those
| times; SO are Providential crises, the
| hour of revelation of crime long contin-
ned in secret, and the hour of death.
| Every one has to give a strict account
| Of all that God has intrusted to him.
At the close OF this parable Jesus
makes statement of tie principles:
Unto everyone which hath shall be
| given; and from him that hath not,
even that he hath shall be taken away
from him." He has only true possess
sion of thing who uses its powers and
forces. He does not really 'have'' any,
thing which he does not make step
! ping-stone to something better. The
opportunities pass away, the abilities
diminish, the powers wane.
And the fate of those who reject
Christ is just as certain. There was
fulfillment of verse 81 at the destruc-
ton of Jerusalem, 40 years later, when
not Christian persisted, but more than
million Jews were slain. But that de-
| struction was but one example of the