The Washington herald., 1914-06-13

out they that are sick: come not to call the nsnt
| eous. but sinners"
@ And He spake also this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and set all others at
nought.
QO Two men went up into the temple
to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other
a publican.
un The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself: God, I thank Thee.
that / am not as the rest of men, extor-
TONERS, unjust, adulterers. or even as this
publican.
Q9 I-fast twice in the week; I give
tithes OF all that / get.
03 But the publican, standing afar of,
would not lift up so much as his eyes
unto heaven, but smote his breast, say
ing, God be merciful to me a sinner.
90 l say unto you, This man went
down 10 his house justified rather than
the other;-for every one that exalteth
himself shall be humbled; but he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
% And he entered and was passing
through Jericho
CO And behold, a man called by name
Zacchaeus: and he was a chief publican.
and he was rich.
C0 And he sought to see Jesus who he
was: and could not for the crowd. because
he was little Of stature.
% And he ran on before. and climbed
up into sycamore tree to see him; for
He was TO pass that way.
C5) And when Jesus came to the place
he looked up, and said unto him, Fac
chaeus. make haste, and come down: for
today ] must abide at thy house.
t6 And he made haste. and came down.
and received Him joyfully.
% And when they saw II, they all
murmured saying. He is gone In to lodge
with man that is a sinner.
(S And Zacchaehs stood, and said unto
the Lord, Behold. Lord. the half of my
goods l give to the poor: and IL I have
wrongfully exacted aught OF any man.
restore fourfold.
~ And Jesus said unto him. Today Is
salvation come to this house. forasmuch
as he also is a Son of Abraham.
Q0 For the Son of Man came to seek
and to save that which was lost.
The Narrative.
Our lesson today consists OF two para
graphs. the one containing a parable, and
the other a story, both of them most ia
miliar. They are united by the revelation
they give of Christ the Friend OF sin
ners.
The parable OF the Pharisee and the
PUBLICAN was spoken directly to certain
who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous. and set all others at nought.
The Lord took one OF this particular class
and put him into contrast with one of
those whom he despised. in words of the
simplest nature, presenting a picture that
was perfectly familiar at the time. and
which in essential matters Is as familiar
today. The falseness of human standa rds
is revealed, and the judgment 6f heaven
declared
In describing the Pharisee our Lord
used a phrase which in itself was most re-
vealing. as He said that he prayed with
himself" Conspicuously withdrawing
himself from association with his fellow
men: this man prayed with himself That
withdrawal was also a withdrawal from
association with God. He prayed with
himself II is an almost appalling pic
ture OF the awful loneliness of the man
who trusts in himself The description.
moreover. is justified by the prayer that
he offered. Seeing that it was supposed
to be prayer, it necessarily began by the
name of Deity, God: but thereafter
there was no recognition of Deity, no
praise for anything God bestowed, no Pc
tition for anything that the man needed.
The only recognition of other men was
that of contempt for them. Its language
persisted in the nominative case. the sub
ject being himself, 'I....I....T....I... ="
So ran the thinking of the man. His
language was expressive OF his patroniz-
ing recognition OF God. of his contempt
uous recognition of his fellow-men, and
of his perfect satisfaction with himself
Turning from the Pharisee to the publi-
can, the whole situation is changed. With
outward signs of the shame and humility
of his heart. one swift petition passed his
lips. He also excluded all other men, but
included God. Within the circle of that
swift sentence God and a man are shut
up together. The man. burdened with a
sense OF his sin. casts himself upon the
mercy OF God. There was no trust in
himself and no contempt for his fellow
men, but straight, earnest, passionate
abandonment of himself aad his need to
God.
The verdict OF Jesus was clear. calm.
and conclusive. This man was justified
This then, is the true way TO God.
The story is that of Zacchaeus. the chief
publican. 1t is wholly, one of Christ
seeking of n man. There is no suggestion
on the part of Luke that Zacchaeus was
seeking Jesus at all. Indeed. the evan
gelist is careful to tell us that he was lit
tie of stature, and that his climbing OF
the sycamore tree was in order to see
who ii was that was al the center of the
crowd. II must have been to his utter
amaZement that Jasus named him, and
with the aYIority OF the King, and the
perfunctione f friendliness, commanded
his hospitality.
What took place within the house we
cannot tell. Our Lords entrance violated
all the traditions of the Pharisees. They
felt that to accept the hospitality of such
a man was either a revelation of our
Lords ignorance Of his character. or OF
His carelessncss concerning those things
which were necessary to the maintenance
of His own character. Leaving them to
their wonderings, Jesus dealt with this
man. If We do not know what He said
to him. we do know the result. for Zac-
chaeus' openly declared his intention to
give half his goods to the poor. and to re-
store fourfold where his exactions had
been wrongful 1t was a moral and ethi-
cal renewing. 1t IL interesting to remem-
ber that this is the last man whom the
Lord thus gained as a disciple. and In
with his salvation. He said
that He, "the Son of Man. came to seek
and TO save that which was lost"
The Teaching.
Bringing together parable and story. we
are first OF all impressed with the fact
that the Friend of sinners is no Friend
of sin. Three men are seen, the first a
Pharisee SHINING the sin OF pride, and
contempt for his fellow-men,
This man the Lord in effect declared was