A Day to Be Remembered
(No. 2665)
INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S DAY, MARCH 11, 1900.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING,
OCTOBER 1, 1882.
"And Jesus said unto him, This day has salvation come to this house."
Luke 19:9.
OBSERVE, dear Friends, that our Lord spoke this sentence to Zacchaeus.
Some of us may have fancied that He said it to the objecting people,
but He did not. They may have heard it and their objection may have
been answered by it, but the main purpose of our blessed Lord, in
uttering those words, was not to answer objectors, but to comfort one
who might feel dispirited by their murmuring remark. Therefore, "Jesus
said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house."
It is always better to comfort Believers than to answer quibblers. The
quibblers scarcely deserve a reply, for they are pretty sure to find
fault again–it is according to their nature to do so. But as for the
poor distressed people of God, who gladly receive the Truth of God, and
yet have to endure unkind observations, let these be cheered, for has
not the Lord, Himself, said, "Comfort you, comfort you My people"? Now,
what could give Zacchaeus greater consolation than for the Lord Jesus
Christ to bear witness to the fact of his salvation? "Jesus said unto
him, This day is salvation come to this house."
I fancy that I can hear some of you say, "We should count it the
happiest day in our lives if the Lord Jesus would come and tell us that
salvation had come to us." But, Beloved, you cannot have Him come, in
the flesh, to say that to you, for He has gone away, to carry on His
service elsewhere. Among other things, He has gone to prepare a place
for you who believe in Him. But His Spirit is equally Divine and He is
always with us–and you may have the Spirit of God bearing witness with
your spirit that you are the children of God. No, I trust that you not
only believe that you may have this Witness, but that you actually have
hadit–you have had that secret, silent, inward evidence which no man
understands but the one who receives it–and you know, in your own
soul, that you have passed from death unto life because the Holy Sprit
has sealed that Truth of God upon your heart! Therefore, dear Friend,
be joyful. Yes, be exceedingly glad! If anything can make a man leap
for joy, it ought to be the assurance of his eternal safety. If
salvation has come to your heart, you ought to be as happy as an angel!
I think that there are some reasons why you should be even happier, for
an angel cannot know, by personal experience, the bliss of having his
sins forgiven. You who have realized this wondrous blessing ought to
cause the wilderness and the solitary places to resound with the melody
of your thanksgiving! And with the music of your grateful delight you
should make even the desert to rejoice and blossom as the rose. Oh,
what bliss it is to be assured by the Holy Spirit, Himself, that you
have passed from death unto life, and that salvation has indeed come to
you! May many of you enjoy that bliss from this very hour!
Now let us come directly to the text. "This day," says Christ, "is
salvation come to this house." You will not forget the outline of the
sermon, for it is very simple, and one that can be easily remembered.
First, This day–what?Secondly, This day–why?Thirdly, This day–why
not?
I. First, THIS DAY–WHAT? What about this day?
Christ says, "This day is salvation come to this house." He seemed to
cut that day out of all the rest of time and to say concerning it,
"This day–this particular day–on this very day–is salvation come to
you." Then, let this day be a holy
day and let it be a holiday! Let it be remembered for many a year, yes,
let it be remembered throughout all time and throughout eternity, too.
"This day."
You know that there are some people who observe certain days which God
has not ordained to be kept in any special manner. The Galatians did so
and, therefore, Paul wrote to them, "I am afraid for you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labor in vain." We do not judge those who act in a
similar way, today, but still, like Paul, we are afraid for them–that
is to say, we fear they are mistaken in what they do. But there aresome
days which God commanded to be observed.
The first was the day when the work of creation was finished,
concerning which we read, "On the seventh day God ended His work which
He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which
He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:
because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created
and made." The completion of the creation, when, "God saw everything
that He had made and, behold, it was very good," deserves to be
remembered! And does not the new creation also deserve to be
remembered? When the Lord creates in a man a new heart and a right
spirit, shall we not say, one to another, "This day–this joyful
day–this Divine day–this new creation day–is a day to be observed
very specially"?
It is clear, from the practice of the Apostles, that the Lord intends
us to observe the first day of the week, because that was the day of
Christ's Resurrection from the dead, the day of the completion of our
redemption–and well may we commemorate the complete redemption even
more than the complete creation! Shall not each saved man especially
celebrate the day when he was redeemed from sin? Shall he not count it
worthy to be observed, with holy rites of preaching, praise and prayer,
and to be had in grateful remembrance as long as he lives? Each
Believer can say of the Lord's Day, "This day the Lord redeemed my soul
out of the land of the enemy and set me free forever." God has
appointed but one day to be kept sacred above all others–that is the
Lord's Day. Your Christmas days, and your Good Fridays and all such
seasons are only observed by man's ordinance–but the Sabbath is
ordained of God–and that is to be observed as the emblem of rest. Now,
surely, when a man comes into rest and "we which have believed do enter
into rest," then that day should be especially observed by him. It
should become a Sabbath unto the Lord throughout the man's whole life–
that happy day in which salvation came to him. Let, then, "this day"
stand as a special day in your calendar! Mark it with a red line, if
you like. Or mark it with a golden seal and let it be had in
remembrance forevermore.
Our Lord said to Zacchaeus, "This day is salvation come to this house."
From these Words I learn, first, that salvation is a speedy blessing.
It can come to a house in a day. No, more, it can take possession of a
man's heartin a day. No, to go further, this great work can be
accomplished in a single moment! I suppose that the new birth is
actually a thing which requires no appreciable period of time–a flash
and it is done! If a man is dead and he is restored to life, there may
be, in certain respects, a gradual operation upon that man and some
time may elapse before he is able to walk. But there must be a certain
instant in which there is life in the man, whereas, a moment before,
there was no life in him. The actual quickening must be a thing that is
instantaneous, so that the working of salvation in a man may not only
be performed this day, or this hour, or this quarter of an hour, but
this minute, or even this second! Between light and darkness there is
usually a period of twilight and so there is in the soul, but, even in
twilight there is a measure of light, and there must be a moment when
the first real beam of light begins to smite the ebonite darkness.
So there must be a moment when Grace first enters the soul and the man
who before was graceless, becomes gracious! I think this is a good
point to be remembered. You poor deluded souls who hope to save
yourselves by your own works will have to keep on throughout your whole
lives at that useless occupation! And even when you lie dying, you may
be sure that you are not saved if you have been trusting to your own
works. But he that believes in Christ Jesus is saved then and there and
he can joyfully sing–
"'Tis done! The great transaction's done! I am my Lord's, and He is
mine." This is a blessed fact, that salvation can come to a soul this
very hour. No, as I have already reminded you, long before the hand of
that clock shall have reached the end of this hour, salvation may have
entered into many hearts that are in this place, as truly as it entered
into the house of Zacchaeus!
Next, I learn from our text that salvation is a discernible blessing.
"This day is salvation come to this house." Christ could see it, so
that it was something which could be seen. Yes, and salvation was also
seen by Zacchaeus, himself, and the fruits of it were soon seen by
those who were in the house with him. Do not suppose that a man can be
saved and yet know
nothing about the great change that has been worked in him. It is not
every man who can say for certain that he is saved, for faith is a
thing of growth and assurance may not come at once. But when a man is
really and completely saved, he has but to use the proper means and he
may become absolutely certain of it. God the Holy Spirit is willing and
waiting to give the full assurance of faith and of understanding to
those who seek it at His hands.
Next, salvation is a perfect blessing. ' 'This day is salvation come to
this house." Well, but only as late as yesterday that man had not even
seen Jesus! Half an hour ago, he was climbing a tree, like a boy might
have done, with no wish but just to get a sight of Jesus! And, now, is
that man saved "Yes," says Christ, "this day is salvation come to this
house." "But, surely, you don't talk as positively as that concerning a
man who came here tonight unsaved and who has just trusted in Jesus?
You must mean that he has reached a hopeful stage in his experience and
that, after several years, he may, perhaps, come to be really assured
that he is a saved man." I mean nothing of the sort! I mean just what
the text implies, which is that the moment the Lord Jesus Christ
crossed the threshold of the house of Zacchaeus, his sins were forgiven
him, his heart was renewed, his spirit was changed and he was a saved
man. "But," someone asks, "is anybody ever saved before he dies?" Yes,
certainly! Were those persons dead of whom Paul wrote, "For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness, but unto us
who are saved, it is the power of God." They were living men and women,
yet the Apostle said that they were saved–and so they were! And, at
the present moment, there are hundreds of thousands of believers in
Jesus upon the face of this earth who are as truly saved, now, as they
will be when they stand before the burning Throne of God "without spot,
or wrinkle or any such thing." In God's judgment, by virtue of the
Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, on whom they are resting by faith,
they have been delivered from condemnation, they have escaped from the
dominion of sin and, in a word, they are saved! So, you see dear
Friends, that salvation is a perfect blessing.
Notice, next, that it is a much-containing blessing. A man who believes
in Christ is saved directly, but he does not fully know how much that
word, "saved," means yet. It is like a big box that comes into the
house and you begin to open it and to take out, first, one thing and
then another. "There," you say, "that is all." "Oh, no!" somebody says,
who looks more carefully, "here is another packet." "Well, then, that
is surely all. There is nothing but straw at the bottom of the box."
You put your hand in and you cry, "Why, there is something more, and
something more–what a boxful it is!" And what a boxful salvation is!
You have no idea what there is in it–not only the pardon of sin, but
justifying righteousness. Not only that, but regeneration, a new heart
and a right spirit! Not only that, but sanctification, adoption,
acceptance, power in prayer, preservation, perseverance, victory–yes,
we are to be more than conquerors through Him that has loved us–and
all that is in the box!
Yes, and more, too, for we are to have a safe and happy departure out
of this world and an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of
God our Father! All that is in the box and all that had come into the
house of Zacchaeus when the Lord Jesus Christ came there. And you,
also, have all that if you have Christ, for it is all in Christ. You
know how He said, "All things are delivered unto Me of My Father," and
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "All things are yours: whether Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come; all are yours; and you are Christ's and Christ is
God's." You will never get to the bottom of that box which bears the
name, "salvation." However great your needs may be, you may keep on
taking out of it all that you require and still there shall be more
left! Or, to change the figure, salvation is a springing well from
which the more you draw, the more there is remaining, for drawn wells
are always the sweetest and usually the fullest. So, bring your buckets
to this great well of Gospel Grace that is springing up at your very
feet! Thus you see that salvation is an all-containing blessing.
And, next, it is a spreading blessing, for salvation had come to the
house of Zacchaeus–not to him only, but I hope it means to his wife,
his children, and his servants. I never like to have the servants left
out, though I am afraid that they often are. You servants who live in
Christian families, mind that you do not get left out, for remember
that Noah, although he was a good man, did not get a servant into the
ark with him and his family. Also remember Lot. He was a good man of a
very poor sort and he only got his two children out of Sodom, and no
servant went with them. It is a sad thing when you live and labor in
the midst of Christian people and yet you remain unsaved. I hope and
believe that in the case of Zacchaeus, all in his house were saved when
salvation came there.
But, once more, the salvation which had come to the house of Zacchaeus,
was an abiding blessing, for I never read that it went away. If
salvation comes to a man's house, it comes to stay there, as Christ
said to Zacchaeus, "I must abide at your house." I can never believe in
a man being saved for a time and then falling from Grace–and having to
begin all
over again. If he does not hold on his way to the end, it is clear that
he was never really saved at all. As I have often told you, I can
understand a man being regenerated, that is, being born again–but then
some people tell us that it is possible for him, afterwards, to fall
away from Grace. But what is to become of him the next time? Why, I
suppose that he must be re-regenerated, born again and again! But I
never read in Scripture anything of the kind. A man may be born again
once, but he cannot be born again, and again, and again, and again, and
again, and again! That cannot be! When the work of regeneration is once
done, it is done forever! The work of man comes to an end, but the work
of God fails not. That which is born of God is as immortal as God
Himself! The new life that comes into the converted man from God cannot
die. How often do we ring in the ears of our friends those glorious
words of our Lord, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father,
which gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck
them out of My Father's hand." Happy is the man to whose house
salvation comes, for it comes to stay, world without end! That must
suffice for the first head, This day–what?
II. Now, secondly, we are to think of another aspect of the subject,
that is, THIS DAY–WHY? Why had salvation come to the house of
Zacchaeus that day?
I answer, because that day Zacchaeus was called by effectual Grace and
whenever effectual Grace comes to anyone, it brings salvation.
"Therefore, brethren," as Peter says, "give diligence to make your
calling and election sure," for these are the "things that accompany
salvation." If you are sure that you are called of God, you may be
quite certain that you are saved, for "this day"–the day in which a
man is effectually called by Grace–this day does salvation come to his
house. Look, dear Friends, God chose His people in His everlasting
purpose, but salvation did not come to their houses that day. They knew
nothing of it at that time, for they were not then born! Christ
redeemed His people when He died on the Cross, but salvation did not
come to their houses that day, for the most of them were not then in
existence. But, in the fullness of time, the Gospel was preached to
them and they heard it. Yet, in all cases, salvation did not come to
their houses that day, for though they heard it, they refused it. But
the moment that effectual Grace says to anyone, "Today I must abide at
your house," that Grace at once gains admission and salvation comes,
then and there, to that man's house. You remember how the Apostle Paul
wrote to the Romans, "Whom He called, them He also justified: and whom
He justified, them He also glorified"? These great blessings are joined
together, like the links of a chain, and you cannot pull them apart!
There is the calling that fits into the justification and the chain is
so made that the two links never can be separated. And then
justification fits into glorification in such a way that you cannot
possibly part them. It is no use for anyone to try to separate them.
The devil may pull and hammer as much as ever he likes, but all his
efforts will be in vain. I have sometimes likened that passage in
Romans to a vast suspension bridge between earth and Heaven–"For whom
He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.
Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He
called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also
glorified." If you get your foot firmly resting on that great plank of
effectual calling, you may be quite sure that you will be able to cross
all the rest of the bridge and will most certainly reach the other
side–and be "forever with the Lord."
But how do we know that Zacchaeus was really called? I answer in such a
way that you may know whether you, also, are called or not. The call of
Zacchaeus was an effectual call, first, because it was a personal call
He was up in the sycamore tree and He heard Christ call, "Zacchaeus!"
"Why," he said to himself, "That is my name. He is calling me."
"Zacchaeus, make haste and come down." "Then He can see that I am up
here! His description exactly fits my case." Now, when you come and
hear me preach the Gospel, I try to put the Truth of God before you in
a clear and very pointed manner. Some people say that it is wrong to be
personal in preaching, but I always try to be as personal as I can. Yet
I know that many of my hearers pass on to their neighbors and friends
what I say to them. "Oh, that just fits Mrs. So-and-So," says somebody.
No, my dear Sir–it is meant for you, but you will not take it home to
yourself. But when the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, calls, then the man
says, "Dear me! I do not believe that the preacher can see me right
here, yet he is speaking straight at me. I am sure that he is. How
amazing! He just mentioned something that cannot have occurred to
anybody but me. He has exactly described my case."
Those are the times when God is about to bless the soul–when the man
feels himself picked out from the rest of the congregation and the
Gospel sharpshooter is just covering him with His rifle of Grace! I
pray that the blessed bullet of
the Gospel may find its mark in the very center of your heart and bring
you down at the feet of Jesus as a weeping penitent! "Zacchaeus!" The
Lord knew that was the name of the man up the sycamore and He also
knows your name and your character. And when He means to call you by
His effectual Grace, He will hold your photograph up and make you say,
"Yes, that is my portrait! There is nobody else exactly like that."
Next, it was a royal call. Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today I must abide
at your house." One of our proverbs says, "Must is for the king." And
when the King speaks, He mustbe obeyed! We who are His ministers try to
be very pressing and urgent, but when the Master Himself utters the
call, where the word of that King is, there is power! I hope He is
saying to someone here, "Today I must abide in your heart." Now you
have come to the point when you, also, will have to say, "I must."
There must be no turning back, now, dear Friend! You must not say to
Christ, "Go your way for this time." No, but you must say, "This time
is the time when I, also, will say, 'must,' as Christ says it to me."
That is an effectual call when it comes as a royal mandate, a warrant
from the King! "I must."
Then, next, it was a call which produced immediate obedience. The Lord
said to Zacchaeus, "Make haste and come down." And we read, "He made
haste and came down." I think I see him coming down that tree a great
deal faster than he had gone up! He had not moved at such a rate as
that for a long while, but he scurried down, for he was told to make
haste by One whose command compelled him to obey. When the Lord Jesus
Christ calls any of you effectually, you will not put off your decision
till the next morning. You will not say, "I will wait till I can get
home and pray." You will not even say, "I will wait till the end of the
service and then talk with a Christian," but your prayer will be,
"Lord, help me to look to Jesus, now. I yield myself up to You this
very instant. I am in a hurry about it. Lord, I am making haste to get
to You! Make haste to come and save me. I would not delay a single
second longer. I want to be Yours alone, and Yours at once." That is a
mark of effectual calling, when immediate obedience is given to the
call.
Another mark in the case of Zacchaeus was, that it was joyful
obedience. "He made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully."
Oh, the joy of the heart that receives Christ when Christ Himself does
really come to the soul! The moment I believed in Christ, I wanted to
shout, "Hallelujah," and if I had done so, I think that I might have
been forgiven. The moment one believes in Christ and knows that his sin
is all gone, what extravagance would be extravagant under such
circumstances? Is not the man justified in being joyful when at length
his iniquity is blotted out and his transgression is covered? It is a
mark of effectual calling when we receive Christ joyfully. In the case
of Zacchaeus, observe that his obedience was complete, for Christ said,
"Today I must abide at your house" and, "he made haste and came down,
and received Him joyfully" at his house, for the people murmured
because Christ had gone to be his guest. Now, dear Friends, will you
also receive Christ? That is the point. Are you willing to let Him come
to you and be your salvation? Are you eager that He should come? Do you
beg Him to Come? Depend upon it, He will come to you when you are ready
to receive Him–but mind you–do not trust for salvation to anything
else or anyone else but Christ! Be satisfied with nothing but the
ever-living Savior to be your Savior from first to last.
There was yet one more mark of the effectual calling of Zacchaeus, and
that was that He received Christ in a spiritual sense, for he did not
only take Him into his house, but he took Him into his heart. I know
that he did so because he began at once to purge his heart by driving
out covetousness. That was a splendid way of getting rid of it when he
said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor." Then he
began to drive put his former grasping habit, for he said, "And if I
have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore to him
fourfold." That was clear evidence that he meant to receive Christ in
all His holy, gracious teaching, not merely as a man and a stranger,
but, spiritually, as his Master, his Ruler, his Teacher, his Guide–in
a word, as his Savior!
III. Now, lastly, THIS DAY–WHY NOT?
And now, change the day altogether, for I mean this very day when I am
speaking to you, this first of October in the present year of Grace,
1882. "This day." This day–why not? Why should we not, "this day,"
give ourselves to Christ? I have tried to think of a reason why a man
should not give himself up to the Lord Jesus Christ this day and I
cannot find one. Then, why should he give himself to Christ this day,
on this particular day? I think I know several reasons why he should do
so.
First, it is late enough. Surely you do not need to wait any longer!
How old did you say you are, Friend? Seventy-six? Eighty-six? What? As
old as that and not yet saved? You do not need one like me, so much
younger, to urge you to a speedy decision. Or did you say that you are
not more than my own age–not yet fifty? Well, I find it is quite late
enough
for me. There are certain influences and sensations creeping over me
which make me realize that I am somewhat different from what I used to
be–and I expect it is the same with you. I think it is getting rather
late in life for you to be still undecided. Perhaps some younger person
says, "But I am only twenty-one." Well, that is late enough to be
without Christ! It is a thousand pities that the devil should have had
21 years of your life. I was converted to the Lord Jesus Christ when I
was fifteen, but I wish it could have been 15 years before. Oh, that I
had known and loved Him as soon as I knew anything and had lisped His
name with the first words I ever uttered! I think every Christian will
say the same. Whatever our age is, the time past may well suffice to
have worked the will of the flesh. Do not you think so, my Friend? Have
not you had quite enough of sin? What profit have you ever received
from it? It is surely quite late enough for you to receive Christ as
your Savior!
And, further, it is late enough in the year I t seems to me, when the
leaves are falling all around you, as if they all said to you, "We all
do fade as a leaf," is it not fully time to seek the Lord? I know of no
season that seems more suited for pensive thought than just now when
the year seems to be weeping itself into its tomb–and burying itself
amid falling leaves. Now is the time to yield yourself to the Lord!
There cannot be a better period than just now–before yet the year is
fully gone.
The mercy is, dear Friend, that though it is quite late enough, it is
not too late for anybody here. There is yet time for you to seek the
Lord! It is a pity to have put the Lord off until you have got into the
sere and yellow leaf, but yet there is time to turn to Him! What? Have
you reached the eleventh hour of life? It is late, it is very late, but
still, it is not yet too late! It is not yet too late even if you are
to die this week–and there are some out of this great company who
will, I suppose, pass into the unseen world this week. Dear Friend, I
know not who you are, but you who stand nearest to your eternal
destiny, it is not yet too late even for you! I pray you, clutch at
once at the great mercy now offered to you! God help you so to do!
Every week I have to hear of some out of our number who have passed
away. There have been some this last week, and some whom I certainly
thought we might have had with us for a long time. They were,
apparently, in good health, yet now they are to be buried at the
beginning of the week, for they have gone from us quite suddenly. And
why may not some of you be the next to be taken? Do not postpone your
decision any longer–I would that we could say tonight, "This day,
October 1st, some soul did receive salvation! Let the recording angel
mark it down." The harvest is not quite over, though I thought it was.
We down south have almost forgotten it, but there is a farming friend
up with us today, who said to me, "We have not finished our harvest,
for we have not got the beans in yet." So, you see, the harvest is not
quite over, but I do not want you to have to say, The harvest is past,
the summer is ended, and we are not saved." I would like to get some of
you to come in with the beans, just with the last crop. Oh, that you
might be brought to Christ just at this end of the harvest! The Master
is willing that you should come to Him even now, so do not delay.
"Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." "Behold,
now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation!"
Remember, also, that today is Gospel time. Still is Christ preached to
you! The door of mercy is still set open before you! "Come," is still
the cry uttered by the Spirit, and the bride, the Lamb's wife echoes
it, "Come!" Still the Water of Life is freely flowing for all who are
willing to receive it!
Recollect, too, that this is praying time. You are still on praying
ground. A prayer will yet find God. A traveler tells us that when he
was in the East, he saw the procession of a Sultan passing through a
certain city. The monarch was there–all bedizened with gems and every
kind of barbaric ornament and surrounded by his guards. There was a
poor wretch who wanted to get a petition to the Sultan, but he did not
know how to manage it. He had no money with which to bribe the
officials and he could not force his way through the armed men. So, in
his desperation, he got near enough to throw the petition down at the
monarch's feet, but one of the soldiers stuck a spear through it and he
held it aloft–and that was the end of it, for the Sultan took no
notice of the incident–he was much too great a man to attend to the
petition of his poor subject. It is never so with God! Cast your
petition–now you may–at His dear feet! He will answer it and send you
on your way rejoicing!
You are not only on praying ground, for tonight seems to me to be a
very auspicious season, for it is Communion time. God's people are
presently coming together around His Table to remember Christ. Will you
not also remember Him? We are about to receive Christ spiritually
through the emblems of bread and wine which will set Him forth to us.
Why should not you also receive Christ, in a spiritual fashion, by
faith, as your Savior? Oh, that you would press
through the throng and bow at the feet of Jesus Christ, our Lord! If
you do so, He will accept you, and again it shall be said, "This day is
salvation come to this house." God grant it, for Christ's sake! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: LUKE18:35-43; 19:1-10.
Luke 18:35-39. And it came to pass, that as He was come near unto
Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: and hearing
the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant And they told him that
Jesus of Nazareth passed by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me! And they who went before rebuked him, that he should
hold his peace. "Hush," they cried, "how can you disturb the blessed
Master's discourse? Be quiet."
39, 40. But he cried so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me!
And Jesus stood still Prayer held Him fast. Here is a stationary
Savior, held in His place by the cries of a blind man. Oh, the power of
prayer! It stays the onward march of the Son of God. "Jesus stood
still."
40, 41. And commandedhim to be brought to Him: and when he was come
near, He askedhim saying, What do you want Me to do for you? And he
said, Lord, that I may receive my sight It is a great thing to know
what you really need. There are some persons who are so blind that they
do not know that they are blind–and because they say, "We see,"
therefore is their blindness the more intense! I fear that there is
many a person who professes to pray, yet who, if Christ should come
into the room and say, "What do you want Me to do for you?" would not
know how to answer the question. This man did. He said, very briefly,
and very clearly, but in a very full way, "Lord, that I may receive my
sight."
42. And Jesus said unto him, Receive your sight Often, the blessing
from Christ's lips is the echo of the prayer which fell from ours. The
blind man said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." Echo answered,
"Receive your sight."
42, 43. Your faith has saved you. And immediately he received his sight
See how the prayer, the Word of Christ and the immediate effect of it,
all tally? "That I might receive my sight." "Receive your sight." "He
received his sight."
43. And followed Him. Christ likes not blind followers–"and followed
Him."
43. Glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise
unto God. They seemed to be greatly impressed, but we shall see that
some of them soon spoke in another fashion.
Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. There was to be
a miracle at each end of Jericho. Long before, it had been cursed–now
it was to have a double blessing!
2. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was the chiefamong
the publicans. That is, tax-gatherers.
2. And he was rich. As they often were, for they farmed the taxes and
then squeezed every farthing they could out of the people.
3. Andhe sought to see Jesus, who He was, and couldnot for the crowd,
because he was little of stature. That was a fortunate thing for him.
We need not all wish to be so tall as some people are. Perhaps
Zacchaeus would not have gone up the sycamore tree if he had been a
tall man. But the whole story turns upon something which many regard as
a disadvantage–"he was little of stature."
4-7. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him:
for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to theplace, He looked
up andsaw him, andsaid unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down;
for today Imust abide atyour house. Andhe made haste and came down, and
received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they allmur-mured. There
is a great contrast between this verse and the last one in the previous
Chapter–"All the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God." Here
it is, "When they saw it, they murmured." Yet, very likely many of them
were the same people! Certainly they were the same sort of people that
we hear of every now and then! "When they saw it, they all murmured."
There are far too many of that kind still about. We do not quite know
who they are, nor where they are– they have a sort of nondescript,
mysterious existence that finds expression in the words, "They say
so-and-so and so-and-so." They have been saying something about the
minister, something about the Sunday school, something about the Bible
class, something about your work and mine. You see, there always were
such people about, and they always would talk, and their talk often
took the form of complaining. "When they saw it, they all murmured,"
7. Saying, He has gone to be guest with a man who is a sinner. If He
had not done so, He could not have gone anywhere, for all men are
sinners! "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." But
this man was a sinner above
others, for he had sold himself to the hated Roman power and was
authorized to collect the conqueror's taxes from his own people. So, of
course, in the estimation of the Jews, he was the worst kind of sinner
that could be found anywhere. 8. And Zacchaeus stood. And he did not
talk at all like a sinner!
8. And said unto the Lord; Beheld, Lord, the half of my goods I give to
the poor Some of those saints, as they reckoned themselves, had not
done anything like as much as that! "The half of my goods I give to the
poor."
8. And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I
restore him fourfold. Which restitution was an act ofjustice–and when
charity and justice go hand in hand, what more can we expect of men?
9, 10. And Jesus said unto him, Today is salvation come to this house,
because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost And that day He had both sought and
saved one of the lost ones, for He had found Zacchaeus up in a sycamore
tree, and He had brought salvation to the tax-gatherer's house. May He
do the same for many who are here!