The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-12-13


No intervening events between last
lesson and this are. recorded in the
Gospel. The time is toward the end
Of March, A. d., and the place Jericho.
LESSON ANALYSIS.
Zaccheus the Man n................Vs. 1-2
Bound to See Jesus ..................Vs. 81
Jesus Calls to Zaccheus ................V. S
Zaccheus Response ...-.................N. 6
COntemptuous Attitude of Pharisees...V. 7
ZaScheus Repentance (and) ........"N. 5
SalVatlon ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. .
The Mission OF Jesus on Earth 10
Zaccheus the Man.-One of the nota-
BILE things about this lesson is the
fact that in SO brief space is so CON-
plete a description given of one Of
the story's principal characteristics.
More things are told about the man
Zaccheus than we would at first think
possible to be crowded into the limits
OF ten short verses. (D He was a jew
for Jesus mentions ". 81 that he was
"a son of Abraham" (2) lie was a
citizen of the city Of Jericho, for it
was there that Jesus stayed in his
house. (3) He was n publican, or we
before meeting with Jesus, no excep-
tion to the general run of taxgather-
ers-that is. in the way of rapacity
aud eXtortion. We know this from
the fact that when he repented he
promised to restore fourfold to those
from whom he had taken anything
"by false accusation" Some of his
wealth was honestly acquired, or he
could not have restored fourfold. (5)
He was rich both from what he had
rightfully earned and wrongfulIy ex-
torted. co. He was leader by ma
ture and disposition. for we are told
that he was chief publican. (7) He
was short of stature. (s) He
was persistent and determined. We
could infer this from the material
success which he had achieved, but it
Is shown in the manner by which he
accomplished his purpose of seeing
Jesus. (9) He was enthusiastic, for
we are told he received Jesus 10y
fully" (1O) Lastly. his must have
been more than ordinarily generous
disposition; in fact. "a good fellow"
He did not have to restore fourfold to
those whom he had overcharged.
Many good people would have stopped
with paying merely the amount
wrongfully taken. adding only the
accumulated interest.
Bound to See Jesus.-He had heard
of Jesus probably during more or less
Of the Masters three years Of public
ministry. He must have heard Of
some ut least Of the wonderful mir
acles performed. He must have heard
OF His forcib!e. authoritative preach
ing. He could hardly not have heard
of some Of the disputes with the
pharisees, in which every time the
latter had retired baffled. defeated.
He wanted to see Jesus, but, being
shorter than the crowd, he had to sac
rifice his dignity and climb into a
tree. "Where there's win there's
q way"
Contemptuous Attitude of the Phar-
isees.-Contrast Jesus open-hearted
way in which Jesus had entered into
the home of this man, and the small,
mean manner Of the pharisees, who
stood aloof and murmured at Jesus
having "gone to be guest with a man
that is sinner" This was only an
other proof Of their self-righteous-
ness and bigotry.
! Zaccheus' Repentance. - Zaccheus
faced the Christ life and the phari-
saical smallness of mind. In this
hour he found himself compelled to
choose between sin and righteousness.
Zaccheus' Salvation - Jesus COM
mended Zaccheus for the stand he had
taken and implicitly rebuked the phar-
isees, for Jesus says "he also is a son
of Abraham" Though a publican,
Zaccheus had repented Of the evil he
had done. He was a Jew, but more
than this he had now become a "son
of Abraham" in way the pharisees
had not.
The Mission Of Jesus.-But Jesus
had further reason for associatine
with such men as Zaccheus. 1t was
His supreme mission on earth to bring
back the sinners to the way of eter.
nal life. ITO seek and to save thai