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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S the publican, for th e Bible tells us we I will say it and then we will bow our are all sinners, and the only perfect one heads, and say it as a prayer to Jesus, is Jesus. Our memory verse is a prayer. Dear Lord Jesus, teach us how to pray. as- 3 Lf afe? FEBRUARY 18, 1923 JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS Golden Text: “The Son of man came to seek and to save th a t which was lost.” Lu. 19:10. LESSON TEXT Luke 19:1-10. (1 ) A n d J e s u s e n te r e d a n d p a s s e d th r o u g h J e r ic h o . (2 ) A n d , 'b e h o ld ,
m a d e , h a s te , a n d c a m e d o w n ,.a n d r e c e iv e d h im jo y fu lly . (7 ) A n d w h e n th e y s a w it, th e y a ll m u rm u re d , s a y in g , T h a t h e w a s g o n e to be: g u e s t w ith a m a n t h a t is a s in n e r. (8) A n d Z a c c h a e u s s to o d , a n d s a id u n to th e L o rd : B e h o ld , L o rd , th e h a lf o f m y g o o d s I g iv e to th e p o o r; a n d if I h a v e ta k e n a n y th in g fro m a n y m a n b y f a ls e a c c u s a tio n , I r e s to r e h im fo u rfo ld . (9 ) A n d J e s u s s a id (in to h im , T h is d a y is s a lv a tio n co m e to th is h o u se,. fO rso m u c h a s h e a ls o is a s o n o f A b ra h a m . (10) F o r th e S o n o f m a n is c o m e to s e e k a n d to s a v e t h a t w h ic h w a s lo s t. Zaccheus was a rich man— chief of th e tax g atherers. He was a servant of the government of Rome and was de spised by his own countrymen. He was no longer considered a son of Abraham , b u t counted as a foe to Israel and class ed w ith sinners. He wa,s a sharp, shrewd business man, making th e most of his opportunities to amass a fortune and careless con cerning th e injustice done to his own people. Had he lived in our country he would have been less lonesome. Zaccheus was rich bu t not happy. His money could supply every need bu t one — and th a t th e need above all others— h is'so u l need. There is no rest for the sinner, nor any peace of conscience. Zaccheus knew th a t th ere was a God to meet, an. etern ity to face, and was driven by th e same impelling motive th a t caused blind B artim aeus to cry for mercy, (Luke, 18:38) and th e rich young ru ler to fall at His feet (Luke 18:18-24). Zaccheus may have had a question which many a Jew had then and now:
th e r e w a s a m a n n a m e d Z a c c h a e u s , w h ic h w a s th e c h ie f a m o n g th e p u b lic a n s , a n d h e w a s ric h . (3 ) A n d h e s o u g h t to s e e J e s u s w h o h e w a s ; a n d c o u ld n o t fo r th e p re s s , b e c a u s e h e w a s l i ttl e . o f s ta tu r e .. (4) A n d h e r a n b e fo re , a n d c lim b e d u p in to a s y c o m o re tr e e to s e e h im : fo r h e w a s to p a s s t h a t w a y . (5 ) A n d w h e n J e s u s c a m e to th e p la c e , h e lo o k e d u p , a n d s a w h im , a n d s a id u n to h im , Z a c c h a e u s , m a k e h a s te , a n d c o m e d o w n ; f o r to d a y I m u s t a b id e a t th y h o u s e . (6 ) A n d h e In tro d u c tio n : Jesus is in Jericho. He is travelling to Jerusalem on His way to th e cross. There are two incidents th a t must ever be .associated w ith th is visit,B-one, the healing of the blind LESSON man (Mark 10:46-52) EXPOSITION and the other th e one T. C. H orton we are to study today, -—a despised, blind beggar and a despised revenue collector. W hat th e ten thousand priests who were housed in Jericho could not do to m anifest the m iraculous power of God and break down the walls of unbelief th a t separated men from th e light, life and glory of the grace of God, th is Man of Galilee, th is “ God manifest in the flesh,” did do. He halted the procession which accompanied Him to stretch out a hand and open the eyes of th e blind, and, w ith th e o ther hand, push open the door in the home of a hungry sinner and sit down in fellowship w ith him. (1) THE SINNER SEEKING TO SEE JESUS, vs. 1-4. “And he sought to see Jesu s.”
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