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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
and that is more than a recompense for being laughed at. Saturday, February is. Luke 19 : 5 - 10 . Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in the tree and knew his . name; How? (John 1:48). “ Make haste,” said Jesus, “and come down.” There is no time for delay if one would find Jesus. “ Today I must abide at thy house.” The emphasis is upon the “today.” It was the Lord’s last day at Jericho, and Zacchaeus was one o f the sheep that must be found, so there could not be delay until another day. Zacchaeus would never have dreamed o f daring to invite Jesus to his home, but he gladly welcomed Him when He offered to come. The most honored home in Jericho that day was the home of this despised publican, and Jesus is willing to come in and abide with us too (John 1:4-23; Rev. 3:20). There was great joy in the heart o f Zacchaeus as Jesus’ wonder ful words fell upon his ear. His obedience was very prompt and joyous. Not all men are ready to receive Jesus so promptly and joyously.. Jesus was glad too, but the people were not. They took up their customary criticism o f Jesus’ treatment of sinners (cf. ch. 5:30; 7:34, 39; 15:2). The genuineness o f Zacchaeus’s conversion was shown by the way it affected his pocket- book. He made restitution and gave bountifully to the poor. The giving to the poor was doubtless easier than the making restitution. The love and power o f Jesus transformed a hard-fisted extortioner into an honest, large-hearted and self-forgetting saint. It is a wonderful description o f the mission o f our Lord Jesus Which He Him self gives us in verse-10. W e should note who it was that came, “the Son o f man,” God’s pattern man, the only true man that ever lived. For whom He came, “the lost :” there are no hopeless cases then. For what He came, “to seek (a world of meaning in that), and to save” (a great and meaningful word that word “save” ). A man must take. his place as lost before Jesus can save him.
being saved. It is a hard thing to save a rich man (cf. ch. 18:24), but even this is possible with' God (ch. 18:26, 27). The reason why Zacchaeus was saved in spite o f his riches was that he was willing to let go o f them. In Chapter 18:18-24 we see a rich man lost because he was unwil ling to give his riches up; he chose earthly wealth instead o f heavenly wealth. The rich man in this case was saved because he chose Christ instead o f gold. The rich young man who was lost was certainly by natural temperament and character the far more attractive and amiable man o f the two. He was also the more moral and religious, he stood far higher |in public esteem. Any one would have said he was far the easier to save, but it did not prove so. It is often the case that the more moral and religious man is lost and the more hopeless man is saved. The first step toward Zacchaeus’s salvation was that he sought to see Jesus. The best thing any sinner can do is to seek Jesus. There is saving power in a look at Him (John 3:14, IS; Isa. 45:22). But while Zacchaeus was seeking Jesus, Jesus on His part was seeking Zac chaeus. It was partly curiosity that drew Zacchaeus out to see Jesus, it was also partly heart dissatisfaction with his present condition. There had been other opportu nities for him to see Jesus, but he had been too much immersed in the daily affairs of life to see Jesus. It was fortunate he went this time, for Jesus never passed that way again. Doubtless what he had heard of Jesus’ treatment o f publicans and sinners drew him toward Him. He would not have gone far out o f his way to meet one o f the ordinary rabbis o f the day. If we would win men we must be kind to them. Zacchaeus found great obstacles between himself and Jesus, but there were hone that could not be overcome. There never are. Almost any man in the crowd seemed to have a better chance o f seeing Jesus and getting a blessing from Him than little Zacchaeus. But he was more in earnest. Climbing the sycamore was a very undigni fied proceeding and doubtless occasioned much merriment, but Zacchaeus saw Jesus
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