April, 1936
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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selling, angrily resents any suggestion that what the members are doing is wrong. More than one faithful pastor has been driven out simply because he has raised his voice in protest against merchandis ing in the house o f God. Golden Text Illustration “Well, George,” said a country clergy man to an old man who sat by the way- side breaking stones, “that pile doesn’t seem to get any less.” “ No, Vicar,” replied the old man, “them stones is like the Ten Commandments; yer can go on breakin’ ’em, but yer can’t get rid o f ’em.”— Christian Herald and Signs o f Our Times. A Visit from Jesus L u k e 19:1-10 Memory Verse: “Ye should do that which is honest” (2 Cor. 13:7). Approach: Today our story is about another man who was a publican. Publi cans, you know, were men who collected one publican when he met Jesus. Lesson Story: Zaccheus lived in the city o f Jericho. He was the chief among the publicans, and he was very rich. One day Jesus was to pass through Jericho. Many people in the city wanted to see Him, for they had heard much about Him. They crowded along the side o f the road to see Him go by. Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus, too. But Zaccheus was a very short man, and he couldn’t see over the heads o f the people already gath ered there. What should he do? Zaccheus had an idea. By the road grew a syca more tree. Zaccheus ran ahead o f the peo ple, climbed the tree, and sat on one of the branches. He could see all up and down the road from there. No one would have a better view. Soon Jesus and His followers came along the road. Zaccheus looked at the kind face. At that moment, Jesus looked straight at Zaccheus up in the tree and said something like this: “ Come down, Zaccheus, I’m going to stop and have din ner with you.” How surprised Zaccheus was! Did Jesus know that Zaccheus was a hated publican? Yes, Jesus knew. But He knew, too, that in a very short time Zaccheus was going to say to Jesus, “ Half o f my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Seeing Jesus made Zaccheus a different man. Object Lesson G ir l s a n d G l a s s e s Objects: Two water glasses, and a pitcher of water. (Leave one glass empty, and fill the other with various trinkets.) Lesson: Are any of you thirsty this morning? Yes, a few are. Would you like to drink out o f this glass? (Pretend to start filling the glass which has the trin kets.) “Not that glass! Use the other one.” the taxes from the people. These tax- gatherers were usu ally not very honest. They charged the people too much and kept the extra money for them selves. Because of this practice, the people didn’t like publicans. But this is what happened to
cism is no handicap, when the individual is face to face with thei Saviour.
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Points and Problems 1. The title given this lesson, “Jesus Inspires Honesty,” is good as far as it goes, but it tells only part of the story in the case of Zaccheus. This little Jewish publican not only offered to restore what he had taken from others by fraud, but to restore it fourfold. And that is not all he proposed. Having restored fourfold what he stole, he will now go on to divide what remains, “the half o f my goods,” with the poor who had no claim whatever upon him. This is more than mere hon esty. It is grace. This is the effect of the grace o f God upon the hearts o f men. They not only pay their debts, but become seized with a kind o f holy recklessness which leads them to pour out their re sources on behalf o f others. If we want an example in giving, let us not take the Pharisee of last week’s lesson. He was a mere tither, and proud of it. Zaccheus is better. 2. “And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought" (v. 45). W e are hearing a great deal today of “What would Jesus do?” about this or that if He were here now’. Certainly we need not specu late on one point: He would cast out the sellers and the buyers who are desecrating the houses dedicated to His worship. This is a sin that has become so common that if'y ou lift up your protest against it, you will be regarded as a fanatic. Yet nothing seems to have stirred our Lord more than this sin, even to the point of driving the commercializers out with a whip, over throwing their tables, and pouring out their money on the floor (John 2:14-16). And do not forget, He is the changeless Christ. 3. “The house o f prayer . . . ye have made it a den o f thieves" (v. 46). Some have argued , that dishonesty, rather than the selling, was what aroused the indigna tion of Christ. But read the account in John 2:16 where He says nothing about thievery. The command is simply, “Make not my Father’s house an house of' mer chandise." Even if the sellers are entirely honest with the buyers, it is to be remem bered that both alike are guilty of robbing God, for they have robbed Him o f the place that belongs to Him, the place He has set apart as the place of prayer and worship for Himself, and are using it selfishly to extract money from the world in order to relieve themselves of its support. 4. “ Sought to destroy him" (v. 47). Why? Because He drove the sellers and buyers out of the house of prayer! In the account in Mark, this attempt to kill Him is connected directly with His cleans ing of the temple (cf. Mk. 11:17, 18). Even to this day it is astonishing how the average church, engaged in buying and BLACKBOARD LESSON
C H R I S T I A N G R E E T I N G C A R D S F or Sale o r fo r P erson al U se EA ST ER G R EET IN G S — New, attrac tive, with worthwhile sentiments, many with Bible Texts,—in great variety of artistic settings,—the type of Greeting Christian people are looking for. EV ER Y DA Y Greetings,—comforting, encourag ing messages of cheer to the sick and sorrowing. Birthday, etc.—many with Bible Texts. Cards that are different—not found in stores—Boxed and Unboxed— good profit, no investment necessary. Write early for free Catalog and attractive Sale Plans. P E A S E G REE TIN G C A R D S, INC. 260 Laurel Street D ept. K B u ffalo, N . Y . — MONEY— F O R Y O U R S O C I E T Y Large Profits :: Quality Product P HU R J E L L A Delicious Gelatine Dessert Supplied under your own label for sale to your members. Easy to sell. Address P. O. Box 197, Wabash, Ind. The assurance of Zaccheus’ salvation is seen in the words o f Jesus: “This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son o f Abraham” (v. 9). All the bystanders knew that Zaccheus was a son o f Abraham by natural descent, but now he was also a son o f Abraham by faith. Others in the company were the natural descendants of Abraham, but they were not sons o f Abraham in the sense meant by Jesus. The reason for Zaccheus’ salvation is found in the character of Christ’s mission on earth. He came to seek and to save the lost (v. 10). The publican felt he was lost, and hence was ripe for salvation; the Pharisees believed they were sufficient in themselves, and therefore they missed the salvation. II. T h e R u le r s R e b u k e d (45-48). Under the guise o f worship, the temple had become a place for carrying on a business that belied the character of God. Instead of prayer, there was cheating; and instead of worship, there were nefarious transactions which robbed the unwary and defamed the name o f God (vs. 45, 46). The Lord “taught daily in the temple” (v. 47). But instead of profiting by our Lord’s teaching, the leaders allowed their hearts to be filled with murderous hatred. “The chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,” but they were deterred in their action by fear of what the multitude would do. “ The people were very attentive to hear him” (v. 48). The rulers were time-servers and self-seekers, without heart or desire for what God had to give them. Clothed with a profession o f worshiping God, they were in reality getting ready to murder the Son o f God. The Lord sees the heart o f every man, and loudness o f profession is o f no ad vantage, and bitterness o f enemies’ criti E XT R A M O N EY E A S IL Y EA R N E D
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