Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-06-11
Humility of Heart.

HumiIlty OF HeaTI
(2) The Publican regarded himself
as the sinner" ". Is K. V. marg.).
He knew he was a great. an irrelig-
ious offender against law and grace.
He had sacrificed everything to &C.
qure money. He comes with no out
ward show except an abundant evil
dence of the shame and humility or
his heart. He also was excluded from
men but not from God. Burdened
with the sense Of his sin, he casts him.
self upon the mercy of God. He Is
absolutely devoid of any trust in him
self, any contempt for others, and
makes a straight, earnest, passionate
abandonment of himself and his nee
to God. He goes away Justified
Judged right. Why? Because he
had taken the right place, a sinners
place before God, and found pardon.
No one who claims a place before God
because he is a righteous man Will
be justified in his sight. The true
way to God Is the one OF the Publican,
uot that Of the Pharisee.
u. The Second Section Is a story
and deals with an individual case. FAC
cheus, who was q chief Publican
Jesus sought him (see Golden Text,
whereas Zaccheus was animated by
curiosity, and the writer informs us
he was small of stature, hence the
necessity of climbing the sycamore
tree. He went up the tree because
of curiosity, he came down because
of conviction. He wanted to see this
man In the center Of the crowd n
was amazed to hear Jesus call him by
name and with the authority Of a
king commands his friendship and
hospitality.
Must Yield Wealth.
Zaccheus was rich, dishonest, dissat.
isfied, but desperately in earnest, and
a man Of prompt decision. The esti.
nation of his fellow-citizens is indi-
Gated by v. 7. Notwithstanding all Of
this Zaccheus was not so welded to
his none as to let 1t keep him out
Of the kingdom. In chapter Is we
read of the rich man who lacked one
thing" He was lost-"went away
because he would not yield his wealth
(see also 1925, 27). What took place
within the house Of Zaccheus we are
not told, but for the Master to enter
was looked upon either as amazing
ignorance of Zaccheus' character or
else extreme carelessness concerning
the maintenance of his own character.
Jesus was dealing with one man, not
the multitude, hence he leaves them to
their amazement. While this Is true,
yet we can surmise something of that
interview by the result ". 81 for FAC
cheus seems to have made a public
avowal of his ethical and moral
change Of heart. Note the steps:
% He sought to see Jesus" John
3:14, Is; lisa. 45:22. (2) He was very
much in earnest, climbed a, sycamore
tree" Luke 1924. (3) He made no
delay, make haste" lisa. $3.50. The
result was hat Of great blessing to
the people and Joy in the heart Of
Zaccheus. (4) He was obedient, Joy
ously and promptly. The genuineness
of his transformation was evidenced
by the way 1t affected his pocketbook.
He made abundant restitution and
gave bountifully to the poor. The
love Of God shed abroad In the heart
of o misery, selfish man or church
will promote honesty both to God and
man. and make men large-hearted.
self-forgetting, mlnietering saints,
Prov. 1924; Rom. 1913; II Cor. S:5.
It was as son OF Man" that Jesus
went to the house Of Zaccheus. Gods
pattern. Gods man. He made no ref
erence to race, nor to caste. His pur.
pose was to reach a LOST" man and
twas for such he came into the world,
to "Save the lost"
From the combined parable and
story We can read the lesson that Je-
sus Ia the friend of sinners and MT