The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-08
What Zaccheus' Story Teaches.

"nat ZaccneuSs story Teaches.
If one of our politicians whose shady in.
tegrlty 1s an open secret should one day
happen to 90 abroad where some followers
Of Jesus were holding an open-air service,
and should idly stop and listen, and there
in the press of the crowd should come face
to face with the Maeter, and should hear
with startled surprise the voice Of his
Lord speaking to him alone out of all that
the Lords caQ-and should answer Him
with q glad thrill Of joyful welcome, and
should come down surprised and wiling
from his tree of curiosity to the actual
taking of Jesus into his home and life, he
: would be confronted with much such .
problem as Zaccheus had to face. N-S
In the first place, Zaocheus's business was
against MIN. He was publican. And
; tax collector in those days was as shrewd
tricts were farmed out or sold to the high.
est bidder, and everything that could be
collected above the required amount for
the government went into the pocket Of
the tax collector The temptation, there
fore, to extortion was almost irresstible.
All appeals had to be made to the Roman.
courts. The publieans had the backing Of.
the government. Circumstances laid bar.
rier wide and high across the path of hon
cbCy. rftJifa
Then the standard of right and wrong in
his business world was lamentably low.
II a publican cheated man he auieted his
conscience by assuring himself that it was
all in the way of business. We are helped
or hindered more than we know By the
moral atmosphere that We breathe. II IL
q fearfully hard thing for man to be good
when he knows that everybody sets him
down as q rascal. Zacchsus had no repn-
tation to sustain. He was not expected to
be q good man, an honest man or .
Christian.
Yet Zaccheus had heard the Saviour's
call and his own heart waG set vibrating
with an answering welcome. The clear
light Of the eyes of the only. Perfect Man
shone into his, and he saw his own life in
ell its deformity of sin. Instantly new
honesty is born within him. He does not
hasten into his rooms ahead of the Master.
to hide all traces of his business, hoping
thus to escape censure for his wrongdoing,,
but at the very threshold, before the Lord
enters, he confesses his own shaky charac.
things. Zaccheus's surrender of himself
is entire. He withholds no corner Of his
heart for himself and his future occupa-
zion. It is all given up to his new guest.
And it is not only "to.day" one feels sure
that Jesus abode with Zaccheus. but all
the rest Of the days of his life.
There are men and women to-day TO
whom Jesus offers His friendship just as
freely as he offered it to Zaccheus that
day-braving public opinion which said
that Jew should not visit nor eat witaI
come as freely, but they have not Zac-s
cheus's answering chord of welcome in
their hearts when they hear the unexpect-
ed call. Some of them are afraid to get
up into the sycamore tree even for curi-
osity's sake, lest they will be laughed Eat.
Zaccheus was seeking Jesus just out OF
curiosity, to see what He was like, but
even so much of a turning toward Him
God honors. Jesus met this seeking by.
looking straight up into his face and Of
fering him a personal friendship. 1t is
but another proof of the promise, '1f ye.
seek Him He will be found of thee. /"
if we arc trying to walk in Jesus's FOOT.
steps and win back some soul to Him.
Jesus offered the man His friendship at
once. rich and full and free. He did not
speak of his sin, but said, Come down,
for am going home with you"
"To my house?. What! Me, a sinner!
might any Zaccheus exclaim. eyes, you,
if you will have Him.
If Zaccheus had been sick I presume
tueTt were tuOse among his OSWlSu Irltuub,
even among his Pharisee neighbors, who
would have gone for the doctor. IF he had
been besgar they would have thrown
him some money or some food. But gone;
to his house, not much! They would not
have lost an opportunity to talk to HIM
about his sin, but they would have had
nothing to do with him. We sometimes
make that mistake. We try to reach the
sinner before we recognize the man. And
one touch of Jesus's hand opened the, man's>
heart and made him eager TO put away
his sin: Mark this: It was before Zaceheus
made any offer Of restitution that Jesus
told him He would go home with him.
Zaccheus is one Of the few persons Of
whose salvation positive affirmation ID
made. 'This day is salvation come to this
house." That was Zaccheus's blessing. :.
This lesson throbs with the meaning Of
Christ's ifework, to seek and save the,
lost. They must be saved. for Jesus loves
them.-Grace Livingston Hill, in the New.
York Mail and Express. y