August 11

And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. - Luke 19:6.

OUR Saviour was now passing from Galilee to Jerusalem, where he was to give his life a ransom for many:-“And he entered and passed through Jericho.” This city is often mentioned in the Scriptures. It lay under the malediction of heaven. But no place can hinder the admission and the operation of divine grace. Here Joshua had saved a Rahab, and here the Saviour a Zaccheus,-the one a harlot, the other a publican. His conversion is rendered the more remarkable by his condition. There were two obstacles which stood in the way of his salvation.

Let us notice these; and, First, His office. He was a publican. We do not consider this as an impediment to his salvation as far as it furnished employment. But it was the nature of his employment. Publicans were of two sorts among the Jews,-the collectors, and what we should call the farmers general. Zaccheus, therefore, was one of the latter: he was chief among the publicans. The publicans were the appointed collectors or receivers of the imposts or taxes which the Roman governors laid upon the Jews; and they were peculiarly obnoxious to them, because they extorted the last mite from the poor oppressed people, and reminded them continually of their being vassals of a foreign power. We find publicans mentioned in three unfavourable associations in the Scriptures. Along with the heathens:-“Let him be as a heathen man, and a publican.” Along with the harlots:-“Publicans and harlots shall enter the kingdom of heaven before you.” And along with sinners:-“ Your master eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners.” This was his first obstacle.

The second arose from his wealth; for he was rich. Probably he was rich before he undertook that office, for the Roman governors demanded large securities from those who farmed their revenues, and he added to it by his publicanism, perhaps by his injustice. And it must be acknowledged that riches (and men are naturally depraved) manure depravity, and make it grow. They enable a man to “make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof,” and to feed the evils which ought to be banished. They are unfriendly to a life of friendship with God and communion with him; and, though they cannot afford satisfaction to the soul, they can engross it, and turn away the attention from the things that belong to our everlasting peace; and “the prosperity of fools destroys them.” But “with God all things are possible.”

Observe the disposition of Zaccheus. He wished to see Jesus; and who would not have wished to see such an extraordinary personage? Abraham had rejoiced to see his day. Simeon had taken him up in his arms, and, having seen him, wished to see nothing else. What was the happiness of his disciples in the days of his flesh? “We beheld,” say they, “his glory.”

What is the Saviour’s promise to his people? What is his prayer for them? “Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.” And this is the hope and expectation of all Christians: -“It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” However this may be, what was his motive? Perhaps it was only curiosity: he had heard of his fame, of his speaking as never man spake, of his miracles, and wonders, and signs. Perhaps, too, there was something more than mere curiosity; perhaps there was a secret desire produced by the Saviour to become acquainted with him. But two things opposed his inclination when he wished to see Jesus. First, The press or crowd of people.

Secondly, His stature. But he resolves he will not return home till he has obtained the sight he so longed to enjoy. Thus we see that zeal is always increased by difficulties; and exertions and sacrifices are always the tests of the sincerity and fervency of our religious desires. If we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we shall use the means of grace, repair to the house of God, read the Scriptures, “abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good.”

Curiosity has sometimes been overruled for good. So it was here. Behold Zaccheus in the tree. He waits with eager anxiety, looks impatiently through the boughs. The procession appears at a distance; it draws nearer and nearer. He is now all breathless expectation. Oh, he sees him, but there is “no form or comeliness” of a worldly kind in him. Jesus, instead of passing by, makes a pause, and looks upwards; he sees him, and says, “Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thine house. And he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.”