452

ZACCHEUS.

answered him, will hear and answer | ask in prayer, believing, ye shall re.

us, if we pray, as he did, in faith, | ceive.”

for He says, “All things that ye

Matthew xxi. 22.

CCCXI.

fACCHEUS.

  

NX FTER Jesus had cured
x Jericho. There was a
KES} man living in Jericho
named Zaccheus; he was

a publican, or tax-gatherer, and was
very rich. Zaccheus had heard of
Jesus, and wished to see Him: so
he went out to look at Him as He
passed by. But there was a great
crowd of people around Jesus; and
Zaccheus could not see over their
heads, for he was a very little man.
What could he do? Did he give
up trying to see Jesus, and go qui-
etly home again? No; Zaccheus
did not do this. He was determined
to see Jesus; so he ran before all
the people, and climbed up into a
tree by the road-side; and there he
waited till Jesus passed. And did
Jesus see Zaccheus? Yes; as soon
as He came to the tree, he looked
up and saw him, and spoke very
kindly to him, and said, “ Zaccheus,
make haste and come down, for to-
day I must abide at thine house.”
Jesus knew what was in the heart
of Zaccheus; He knew that Zac-
cheus really wished to know and
love Him; and Jesus was always
willing to teach those who were
anxious to learn of Him. So Zac-
cheus came down from the tree, and

went home, and received Jesus joy-

Bartimeus, he went into | fully.

Zaccheus was a rich man; but
his riches did not tempt him to for-
sake Jesus. He was not like the
young ruler, who “went away very
sorrowful, because he was very
rich.” Zaccheus had learnt now to
love Jesus more than all the world,
and to make a right use of the
riches which God had given him.
He stood up before Jesus, and said,
“Behold, Lord, the half of my
goods I give to the poor; and if I
have wronged any man, I will repay
him four-fold.” Zaccheus was sin-
cere in what he professed. His
faith taught him to be kind and
honest ; and this showed that it was
a right, and true, and living faith,
bringing forth good fruit; for
“faith, without works is dead, being
alone.” James ii. 1%.

Jesus said to Zaccheus, “To-day
is salvation come to this house; for
he also is a son of Abraham.”
Jesus meant, that Zaccheus had that
true faith in him, which had made
Abraham so blessed and happy;
many years before.

What a joyful day this was for
Zaccheus! The happiest he had
ever known, because it was the day
when salvation came to him and