THE KING’S BUSINESS
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two notorious sinners, Rahab the harlot and Zacchaeus the publican were saved. Its lo cation was tropical, luxuriantly fertile; it produced famous ■ and valuable balsams, gums, spices; its extensive commerce kept a corps of revenue officers of which Zac chaeus was chief. 2. Zacchaeus. Four points made; him chief of sinners in Jewish eyes; He was a publican, a chief publican, a rich one, and a Jew; fattened on extortion. All, .in turn, made his salvation a striking example of the grace of God, and condemnation of that contempt with which fellow sinners scorn their kind. The Saviour of Zacchaeus and Paul (1 Tim. 1:15, 16) will save any sin ner. The Jews, no doubt, excommunicated and ostracized this chief publican; and he returned curse, for curse; It is, also, prob able that now he would have given largely to be reinstated with social standing as an heir of the kingdom, but, like Esau, “found no place” (Heb. 12:17). Perhaps John’s preaching (Luke 3:12, 13), for he minisr tered near Jericho (Luke 3:3), had roused conviction and hope of being owned “son of Abraham” (chps. 3:8; 19:9). 3. The Lost Pound and Saved. Jesus’ treatment of his fellow publicans and “sin ners” had come to his ears. He had great curiosity to see this very peculiar Rabbi; no thought of personal relations with Him; the throng passing through Jericho to the approaching Passover crowded Zacchaeus and overtopped him, for he was short, and after trying (so the original) here and there to get sight of Him, he climbed into the low branches of a sycomore (a sort of fig) to see. He was certainly in earnest to get a glimpse of Him, not thinking that “There is life in a look.” “When Jesus came (to save? v. 10), to the place H e looked up and saw him” (not to be disap pointed, as when He looked into another fig tree—Matt. 21:19). He said, “Zacchaeus (He knew' him? yes, and all about him, yet He called him), make haste . . . ( “D elay not, delay no t, O sinner, draw n e a r” ) for today (no need of special preparation, (C oncluded on page 285.)
publican was guilty of all these, but was “justified rather ■than the other ” (1 John 1:8-10). “Or as this (fellow), the publi can." Had he known he would have wish ed to have been like that same publican. He supposed Jehovah, like himself, set him “at naught,” but he got things “wrong end foremost.” “I fast twice in the week" The Law asked it but once a year. “1 give tithes of all I get” (R. V.). The Law demanded only to tithe the increase of field, flock and herd. Where is the great virtue of these sacrifices of self-righteous ness? What does God care? (Isa. 1:10-17; 58:5-9). The “I” in this “prayer” is the pivot round which all revolves. In “The Lord’s prayer” (Matt. 6:9-13) “I” does not occur once! We cannot boast what we are, for that is of grace; nor what we do, for haying done all we are unprofitable (Luke 17:10). 4. The Publican’s Prayer. "Standing (not “stationing, himself,” but shrinking in to the shadow anyway, anywhere, as worthy to be nowhere, “afar off” as if unworthy to come near), “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven” (for humility and self-abasement), “smote (lit. “was beat ing”) upon his breast (in contrition and self-reproach), saying (lit. “kept saying”), God, be merciful (propitiated) to me a (Grk. “the”) sinner." As setting “all the rest at naught the Pharisee thought himself the righteous, so, passing all others, the penitent called himself “the sinner” (1 Tim. 1:15). 5. Jesus’ Application^—“This (the sin ner) went . . . justified rather than that” (the self-righteous). Take the place of the righteous and God counts you a sinner; take that of the sinner and He counts you righteous—through the propitiation (Rom. 3 :20-28). Humble yourself and He will exalt you, exalt yourself and He will hum ble you (Phil. 2:1-11). II. T h e C a se of Z acchaeus . Seeking and saving a seeking sinner. 1. Jericho. An accursed city (Joshua 7: 26), type of a doomed world, out of which
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