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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S down? (Eccl. 9 :10 .). (6 ) Under w hat conditions will He abide In th e house of our hearts? (John 14:23.) (7 ) Did Jesus come to save P h a r isees o r sinners? (v. 10; 1 Tim. 1:15.) (8 ) How did Zaccheus prove his conversion? (Ex. 22:1-5; Prov. 6:3.) (9 ) W a s Zaccheus pronounced saved? (1 Cor. 5:9-11.) Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus and Jesu s sought to save Zacchaeus. How th e publican’s h e a rt must have swelled w ith joy and g ratitud e as th e g reat P rophet paused be- I)EVOTIONAli n e a t h th e tree, COMMENT looked up, and call- By F . W. F a r r ing him by name, announced th a t he would be a guest in his house! The glorious Messiah a guest of the exe crated publican! This is a faith fu l saying th a t Jesus Christ came into th e world to save sin ners. Deity and hum anity are both represented in Jesus, who is called Son of God and Son of Man. He is not re lated to th e angels b u t He is our kins- man-Redeemer.
(4 ) THE SEEKING SINNER SAVED, vs. 8-10. “This day is salvation come to th is house.” They said He had “ gone to he the guest of a sinner,” and it was tru e ; hut when He left, H e left th e house of a sain t; for “Zaccheus the sinner” had be come “Saint Zaccheus”— a son of Abra ham— by faith in Jesus Christ. (Rom. 4 :1 6 ). How do we know th a t Zaccheus was saved, th a t he had real sp iritu al sight? F irst, because he called Jesus “Lord” and no man can call Jesus “Lord” but by th e Holy Spirit. Second, he confess es Him before men. Third, he recog nizes Jesu s’ rig h t to his possessions'and gives h alf of his goods to th e poor a t once. This was a g reat test. I t is easier to sing, "O, how I love Je s u s ;” or "Jesus, I my cross have ta k e n ;” or “Surely th e Master can depend on me,” th an it is to seek some poor lost soul, or give a tithe, or discommode ourselves th e least b it for His glory. F o u rth , he made restitu tion in a four-fold measure. H ere is a wonderful illu stration of the new birth. A close-fisted Jew becomes a conscience-stricken sinner, a Christ- confessing saint, a cordial giver of goods to the poor and a conscientious resto rer of stolen goods. W hat g reater proof would you need of th e Deity of our Lord and of th e transform ing power of the Gospel th a n th is picture? W hat a day fo r th e sinner and for his home, and w h at a day for the Son of man! Zac cheus was the last recorded convert be fore th e crucifixion, except th e th ief on th e cross. (Acts 4 :1 2 ). QUESTIONS (1 ) Why did Zaccheus want to see • Jesus? (Mark 2:1.) (2 ) How can we make people want to see Him? (John 8 :28 ; 12:32.) (3 ) W hat other man had to be taken up to see Jesus? (Luke 5:19.) (4) Does Jesus see us when we are up a tree, or under a tree? (John 1:48.) (5 ) Why make haste and come
The m u ltitude murmured long and loud th a t th e Master should visit one whose calling was a symbol of th e n a tional degradation. The gracious words of Jesu s were more to Zacchaeus than th e jeers and in su lts of the crowd. He would strive to be more worthy of his glorious guest. Standing fo rth among them , he gave expression to th a t vow which as one unselfish act of magna n im ity a t th e same tim e dem onstrated his repentance and sealed his forgive ness. This sacrifice of th a t which had always been dearest to him, the public confession and restitu tion of all dishon est gain was an evidence to his Lord th a t H is grace had no t been in vain. Thus did love unseal and open th e foun tain s of penitence which contempt and scorn would have closed forever. No WORK FOR THE $350.00 SCHOLARSHIP.
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