T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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Yet w ith w hat perfect confidence in the b etter Zacchaeus did Jesus approach him. Jesus knew th a t th is man, like every other unsaved soul, was morally “ up a tree .” Zacchaeus’ inner life, to- use our modern term s, was a cruel dichotomy. A false and hated self posed before men as the extortioner and the grinder of th e faces of th e poor. In the deepest dungeon of th e soul th ere lay an imprisoned and to rtu red Zac chaeus whose protests ever and anon reverberated most u n c o m f o r t a b 1y through his “ house of life.” T h at bet te r self is every soul’s possession. There is a “ligh t th a t ligh teth every man com ing into th e world.” Do we believe th a t of one another? Do we believe it of the persons we meet in business or in social life? Do we realize it of our office-companion, our fellow clerk or shopman, or of those in our own home? Could we b u t see beneath all th e ir sur face objections to religion, beneath th eir indifference or antagonism , we should undoubtedly find each soul “ up a tree ." T h at qu ain t colloquialism in dicates th e deep em barassment and per plexity which besets every unsaved soul, however b la tan t may be its outward parade and swagger. Every soul estranged from God car ries deep w ithin itself a conscience which speaks in the evangelist’s behalf. I t is literally amazing what revela tions of inward sp iritual disturbance and pathetic moral w istfulness will b reak fo rth from a soul which is met in another by a strong belief in th is buried b etter self. Often it is no t necessary for the would-be evangelist to say a word or in any sense to force the situa tion. Simply to haVe th a t faith in others which Jesus so tenaciously held supplies magnetism enough to draw fo rth these deep confidences. If only all Christian people would set silent sp iritu al siege to th e souls about them w ith such a holy faith in th e ir redeem- ability! Would no t th e atmosphere of
One grand resu lt of th is estim ate of th e soul was th a t Jesus never ap proached men and women w ith any o th er motive th a n His deep and pas sionate love and respect for them . His Evangelism w as entirely free of th e ta in ts of professionalism and u lterio r motive. We know too well th e evan gelism th a t collects and counts souls as th e Indian brave used to collect and count scalps. “So many conversions th is week, th is y e a r!” I t is th is ta in t of u lterio r purpose th a t has rightly caused a revulsion of feeling against Evangelism in both th e Church and th e World. The w riter rem embers a first in te r view w ith one who afterw ard s became a close friend who greeted him thu s: “I suppose you w ant to do me good? Well: I don’t w ant to be done good to !” One understands all th e fierce resentm ent behind those words of a soul th a t th ink s itself sought for some other reason th a n its own intrinsic worth and dignity. Any suggestion of patronage on th e p art of the saved is fatal to th e ir evangelism. It is not enough to seek souls in order to build up a Church or to in crease one’s own renown as a soul- winner, or to satisfy one’s own sense of Christian duty. Only to th e atmosphere of real genuine personal appreciation and love will souls respond. And they are righ t. Jesus loved the hum an soul in every individual well enough to die for it. His followers m ust learn the same pure passion before they can exert th e same attraction. “Up a T ree” The story of Zacchaeus illu strates powerfully a fu rth e r fundam ental char acteristic of Our Lord’s method, namely, His absolute fa ith in th e power of every soul to respond. No Subject for evan gelism could have been more unprom is ing th a n th is tax-gatherer. He Was ju st th e type we all agree in these days to be hopeless. He was a “ profiteer!”
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