Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-05-04
'Caln1aqe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, ID. D.


Los Angeles, Cal. April 28.-That
Gods way of judging men and choos-
ing them for some special task is total
" different from mans way is en-
phasized in this sermon, the text OF
which is taken from Luke xix, 8, ITO
day / must abide at thy house"
1t is amazing how long the world
compels some Of its most honored chill
dren to struggle amid the quicksands
Of poverty, obscurity, misrepresenta-
ton and slander before it allows them
to climb the mountain tops Of immor-
talty and fame. 1t Is hard to under
stand why some men have to spend so
much of their lives fighting for
mere existence when they would have
been able to do so much more good for
their fellow men il the world had only
been willing to encourage them in
stead Of turning the cold shoulder
upon them. Every one remembers the
famous couplet by tiSpoet Haywood:
Seven cities warred for Homer being
dead,
Who living had no roof to shroud his
head
Well, that Is the history Of many Of
the worlds greatest heroes and hero
ines. For years and years they battled
with poverty. For years and years
they had to fight for mere physical ex-
istence. Then came wealth, fame, po-
sItion. honor The world was bowling
at their feet to do their bidding.
The lot Of the obscure peasant Is
necessarily hard, yet when Christ was
TO come into the world it was that lot
he chose. as if he desired to know by
experience the sorrow and hardship OF
humanity. Christ for thirty years had
lived in poverty and obscurity. When
nj last he started forth on his worlds
mission he was opposed at every step.
He was maligned and slandered. Then
there came a sudden change which
placed him on the top wave OF popu-
larity. We find him no longer the un-
known peasant. All his countrymen
are talking Of him, and many of them
call him a great teacher. His fame,
too. has gone abroad, and certain
Greeks have asked to see him. lie Is
now on his way to Jerusalem, where
he will be acclaimed as the Son OF Da-
vid. He has reached Jericho, and the
people turn out to see the young
prophet who may prove to be the long
expected Messiah.
The PubIican's Home.
Who will have the honor Of enter
toining him? To which home does he
90? He can practically 60 and lodge
in anv home that he will. Does he go
TO the home of the good and pure man!
Does he 20 to the home Of the arlsto-
crat? No; he goes to the home OF a
desnised publican. When Christ stops
and looks up and sees the desplsed
publican Zaccheus perched upon the
overhanging bough Of sycamore tree,
he seems to say: Come, Aaccheus'
Come down! Come and let me go
home with thee. Come and let me
teach the world that my mission Is TO
save souls which are lost. Come ana
let me lodge with one who is universal
" ostracized by his countrymen. come
down. Zaccheus. Come down. tor
today must abide at thy house!
Now why did Christ choose to WISH
Zaccheus' home in preference TO al
the other homes Of jericho WHICH
would gladly have opened their doors
10 receive him as their honored guest
Christ lodged In Zaccheus house IL
thc first place because it was the mos
despIsed home in all Jericho. 1t rep
resented all that was bitter and crue
and tvrannical and unjust. 1t repre-
: sented extortlon and dishonesty. /
renresented the fiendish power whicl
would take a community in its vlsehK'
orin and squeeze the last drop o
financial blood out of a man and thei
turn him out of his home and let hin
storve Murderer, thief, destroyer
> assassin. hangman, were names hohor
cd and respected by the Jews IN con-
: narison with that word publican" /
] woe q name the most hated or al
names in the Hebrew language. Iher
was no Indictment more opproDrlou
which could be hurled against Chris
thon TINT he was friend of publican
and sinners, for of all sinners the wors
sinner In Hebrew eyes was the pun
Icon In order TO understand why tn
: house of Zaccheus was the most eA
: coriated in all Jericho we must stuu
= for LITTLE while the attitude OF III
e Roman government toward us prov
o inces. NJ A.
The Roman government was ike th
. Turkish government In the capltai G
Const1ntinople sits the sick man Z
Eurone.p He opens the map OF Ill
kingdom and says: Here is one OF III
nrovinces. / will sell this to the h'si
est bidder Then | will make the I'd
I' collector Of this province pay me
certaIn amount each year. All I'll
moneys he can squeeze out OF tlloS
neople above that amount he can nav
n. for himself" SO the sultan sells n
90 nrovinces. Just as capitalist wou
A rant = farm. Then the tax collect'
40 goes to that province, and he puts II
90 financial thumbscrews upon those pc
pie. o
Such was the province of Judaea
m. the time Of Christ. The Roman go
- ernment had stationed its tax colleC
ors everywhere It had sold the
provinces and cities to the differe
m. huvers. That the Hebrew must oea
So So but he was Inundated when one
80 his own people stopped to thus ser
I5 the tyrant. Zaccheus was one OF the
m. publicans, with his headquarters
. Jericho. He was one of Rome's I
m | to h1oI tho nnOnlp I