The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1901-10-12
Zacchaeus--Is He
misunderstood?
BY Rev. Jno. w. Primrose, D. D.. Of
Greenvills. MISSISSIPPI, IN the
Bible Student.

4 M. AVr W Jnls interview.
ns view is maintained by Godet. i.
ioou' behold, is in keeping with the
unexpected revelation SO far as ~
pubic are concerned, of this rula ~
1aechaeus, till then unknown nv all
and which he now reveals. onlv to
show the injustice of those murmurs
with which the course Of Jesus is met
Thou hast not brought contemnt on
thyself by accepting me as thy host.
publican though l am; and it is no i'll
gotten gain with which entertain
theep In this sense the statheis de-
put ne STOOD, is fully Ineligible. !"
This indignant outbuTst was occas-
ioned by the contemptuous and mali
clous charge that Jesus was gone 20 be
guest OF a man who was a sinner.
What more natural than that the man
snould rebut the SANDER by calling at
tentlon to his practice, not necessarily,
"tlll then unknown to ALL but which
ne now reveals but a practice of
oounteous charity, we'll known to all.
repeat-no account of the CONVEX
sion OF Zacchaeus is given. Jesus is
not reported as having said anything
to Hacchaeus save only, make haste,
and come down for today must abide
at thy house." 1t is contended that
the words : "foresmuch as he is son
Abraham" assert his conversion. So
they do, if "son of Abraham" is to be
taken in a spiritual sense. Bnt even
in that case they reveal nothing as to
the time when he was converted.
What he was then, he may have been
for years.
If evidence there be that Zacchaeus
was converted on this occasion, it must
be found in the words: "This day, (R.
v. today is salvation come to this
house." Why MUST they mean that
salvation as an experience has come to
Zacchaeus? Is there no significance
In the use of "house?" The word
''house" is used both for household and
for dwelling. They who insist that
this passage points to the CONVERSION
of Zacchaeus, should go farther and
find in it the conversion of his family.
Why may not Jesus mean that saliva
tion in his person has this day visited
the literal house of Zacchaeus whose
gvest he is? Jesus had said; "Today
must abide at thy house:" and being
received into it, he now says: "Today
salvation has come to this house.
Defilement could not come to Him
from the hoGse of the publican, but sal
vation in his Iperson did undoubtedly
visit that house. Salvation is in Christ
personally. Simeon said, when he
looked upon the infant Jesus: "Now
Lord lettest Thou Thy servant depart
in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation. He was divinely assured
that he would not die until he had
seen the Christ, and when he saw Je-
sus he recognized in Him the Christ
the Lords salvation. We know that
God hath given unto us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. Said Isaiah:
'"the Lord Jehovah is my strength and
my song, for he also is become my sal
yation," Eternal life is the reward OF
Righteousness, and Christ is made unto
us of God righteousness and redemp-
tion. Long ago jeremiah prophesied:
"Behold the days come that
will raise unto David righteous
branch =. (. and this is.his name where
by he shall be called. The Lord our
Righteousness''-xxiii. s. 8.
That this is the most natural in
depreciation will appear if we con-
slider why Jesus uttered these words.
Zacchaeus had exculpated himself
from the charge of being a sinner In
the sense of extortioner and oppres-
sor of Gods people. What now does
Jesus mean when He speaks, not to
Zacchaeus alone, for he speaks OF him
in the third person? Does He mean
to excuse himself? Does He mean to
exonerate Himself from the charge OF
eating and drinking as the guest OF
sinner, by explaining that zaccnaeus
"a now a reformed man, and that there
fore, He Himself does not CONTRACT oe-
fiIementp Does Jesus seek exeulpation
bv nointing to the conversion OF zac-
chaeus as consequence of His conde-
scension and risk of detilement? The
theory that Jesus.is explaining to the
crowd that Zaccheaus is now saved
man puts Him in a humiliating, apollo
oetic attitude. Itassumes too that Tue
crowd of Jews had the same Intelligent
apprehension Of what is meant by con-
version and salvation as would a mod
ern Christian audience. They were
not lookise for Christ who would save
th.lr souls. but for Christ who should
,,,,ocIaim himself the Dayidic heir to
an earthly throne and deliver His peo-
nls from their earthly foes. They
would scout the idea of renegaoe
publican being accounted worthy Oh
tha Messiah's notice.
And when did Jesus ever apologize
for intimacy with sinners3 he ooes
indeed maiesticalIy yindicate Himself,
bns ~ not Il ali on the ground that zac-
s,...S.,- -. csayer.ed. lie sly es.'s;;;..