LESSON XI.—SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1900
1 "AND He entered and was passing through Jericho. And 2 behold, a man called by name Zaccheus; and he was a chief 3 publican, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who 4 He was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of 5 stature. And he ran on before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see Him; for He was to pass that way. And 6 when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I 7 must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came 8 down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a 9 man that is a sinner. And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the 10 poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salva-tion come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost." NOTE.—The time of this lesson is A.D. 30, just a few days before the crucifixion of Christ. To-day's lesson may with profit be connected with the last four verses of lesson 9, Matt. 19: 23-26. The disciples had asked how a rich man could be saved. The lesson of Zaccheus explains their question. Compare this lesson with the three parables in Luke 15. Commit verse 10, and Luke 5:32. Golden Text: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19: 10. (1) In what city did the events of this lesson occur? V. 1 Note 1. (2) What well-known character is introduced in this lesson? What was his occupation? What is said of his finan-cial standing? V. 2 Note 2. (3) What was Zaccheus at this time trying to do? What stood in the way of accomplishing his object? V. 3. (4) What did Zaccheus do to overcome these obstacles? V. 4 Note 3. (5) When Jesus saw Zaccheus, what did He tell him to do? What did the Saviour say He must do that day? V. 5. (6) What did Zaccheus do? V. 6. (7) What did the multitude say when they saw that Jesus would dine with Zaccheus? V. 7. (8) What did the Lord's invitation to Zaccheus lead him to declare? V. 8. Note 4. (9) Upon hearing Zaccheus' statement, what did Jesus declare to him? Whose son did He acknowledge Zaccheus to be? V. 9. (10) What did Jesus then declare His own mission to be? V. 10. 1. Was passing through Jericho.—Evidently the newer city of Jericho, built and embellished by the Romans; and it would naturally be in this more Roman city that the chief tax-gatherers would be found. The incidents of this lesson seem to have followed closely after the healing of Bartimeus, which evidently took place between the two Jerichos. 2. A chief publican.—His name shows that he was a Jew; but he had adopted an occupation heartily despised among his people, that of gathering the taxes levied by the Roman Government. The work of gathering the taxes was farmed out by the gov-ernment to men of wealth, who, in turn, employed sub-collectors. The collector paid a certain sum into the treasury for the privilege of collecting the taxes, and the taxes thereupon became his property. This custom, which is still followed in the East, per-mits of the grossest extortion; and the tax-gatherer is feared and despised. 3. Sycomore tree.—Note the spelling. This was a different tree from our sycamore or buttonwood tree. The name sycomore signifies fig-mulberry. It resembled the fig in the fruit it bore, and its leaves were like the mulberry. Its branches ex-tended horizontally far out from the trunk of the tree. With its short trunk and low branches, it was not difficult for a man of Zaccheus' stature to climb into such a tree. 4. I restore fourfold.—"Before Zaccheus had looked upon the face of Christ, he had begun the work that made him manifest as a true peni-tent. Before being accused by man, he had con-fessed his sin. He had yielded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and had begun to carry out the teaching of the words written for ancient Israel as well as for ourselves, 'Ye shall not therefore op-press one another; but thou shalt fear thy God.' Lev. 25:17. Among the publicans there was a confederacy, so that they could oppress the people, and sustain one another in their fraudulent practises. . . . But no sooner did Zaccheus yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit than he cast aside every practice contrary to integrity."—Desire of Ages.