The Story

We were with the Lord and the disciples among the gardens of Jericho when the blind man cried out to Him for help and the Lord healed his blindness. Perhaps they were then just coming to Jericho. Now they had entered and were passing through the city. A great crowd of people were following the Lord and pressing about Him. Zaccheus wanted to see Him. He was chief among the publicans, the tax collectors, and was rich, but he was a small man and could not see the Lord on account of the crowd. He saw what road the Lord was taking and ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree by the roadside to see the Lord as He passed. The sycamore-figs are large spreading trees and are often planted by the roadsides for shade. They bear many little figs, but not good. When the Lord came to the place He looked up and saw Zaccheus, and said, "Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house." Zaccheus made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. What would some of the people say when they saw the Lord a guest at the house of the publican? But the Lord was often with the publicans, and found many among them who were ready to hear Him and to be good men. Matthew was a publican in Capernaum, when the Lord called him to be a disciple. Zaccheus felt the Lord's spirit and resolved to be a better man. A half of his goods he would give to the poor, and if he had taken anything from any one unfairly, as the publicans often did, he would give back four times as much. And the Lord said, "This day is salvation come to this house."

Leaving Jericho the Lord with the disciples went up the road toward Jerusalem, and as they went He told them a parable, the story of a nobleman who went to a far country and left a pound (about $2) with each of his ten servants. They were to trade with this money and make it useful and bring to the master when he came home what they had gained. We read the story to see how much they gained. One gained ten pounds, another five pounds, and the master was pleased with them. But one had gained nothing; he had kept his pound laid up in a napkin, and the master was not pleased. As we read the story we are thinking of money and strength and knowledge and other things which the Lord entrusts to us, that we ought to be making useful.

The story of the blind man in the last verses of chapter 18 tells us where we are with the Lord and the disciples, at Jericho, passing through the gardens and the town. Pictures show us fine drives almost arched over by sycamore trees. You might easily climb into the spreading branches and watch one passing on the road.

What can you tell about the publicans? For Zaccheus was a publican, and rich. Who were the publicans, and why did the people despise them? What did John the Baptist say to the publicans who came asking, What shall we do? (Luke 3:12, 13) Which one of the Lord's disciples had been a publican? It would seem that Zaccheus had not got all his riches in honest ways, but what he said to the Lord (verse 8) shows that he was now resolved to be honest and kind. The Lord's answer, "This day is salvation come to this house," seems also to show that Zaccheus was with His help beginning a new and better life.

The parable of the pounds in this chapter is much like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, but there are important differences, and they are probably not the same but two different parables. As you read them both, what differences do you notice?

The nobleman going to a far country to receive a kingdom and to return, suggests Archelaus (the son of Herod) and others whom the people had seen set out for Rome to be appointed over some district. And in the case of Archelaus the people had sent messengers after him to beg that he might not be appointed. The nobleman left one pound (about $2) with each of his ten servants. To "occupy" means to trade. The word is the same as the last word of verse 15. See also Ezekiel 27:16, 19, and on. Some of the servants used the pounds that their master left with them, one gained ten pounds, another five. When the nobleman came back he placed. these servants over ten and five cities. But one servant was not faithful. He laid his pound away and it did not increase at all. His excuse seems to mean that he thought the master would take all the increase for himself, and he would not work if he was not to have the reward. The master's answer means that even if it were so (which it was not) that the servant should have no reward, still he ought faithfully to have used his pound for his master's sake. Not only was it not increased, but it was taken from him. Read verses 12-27. "Usury" today usually means excessive interest, but it means here fair interest, money paid for the use of money.

The verse that comes just before this parable (verse 11) shows one meaning of the story. The Lord was going to Jerusalem, and the disciples were full of hope that He would now make Himself a great king and would make them rulers in His kingdom. (Matthew 20:20-24) The parable meant that it would not be as they expected. The Lord had given them a little knowledge about heavenly life, and a little strength; now He would seem to leave them for a time and they must use faithfully what He had given them. By and by He would come to call them to the heavenly kingdom, and then each one would enjoy good things according to the use he had made of the little knowledge and strength that the Lord had given him. And it means us too. The Lord gives each of us some knowledge and strength to make use of for Him; it is our pound; and the use we make of the knowledge and strength that we have determines whether we shall be able to enjoy much or little or none at all of the life and happiness of heaven by and by.

1. Jericho. Where was it? What does the name mean? What other name did Jericho have in old days? Tell me one thing that the Lord did at Jericho?

2. Publicans. Who were they? How were they treated by the Jews? Tell me the names of two publicans?

3. What parable did the Lord speak about a nobleman and his servants and pounds? What did it mean about the kingdom which the disciples expected?

4. What does the parable mean for us? What is our pound? How does the Lord go away? How does He come to reckon with us? How does He wish us to use our pound? What will happen if we use it well? What will happen if we do not?

Spiritual Study

Little of stature. Could these words be applied to our spiritual growth? Compare Luke 12:25. Would littleness of spiritual stature make it hard to see the Lord?

When Nathaniel sat under the fig tree, it was representative of his spiritual state. The fig tree represents the knowledge of uses of natural benevolence. The position of Zaccheus in the sycamore tree has a somewhat similar meaning. The sycamore-fig is larger than the orchard fig but with much poorer fruit. It represents an interest in kind uses, but as yet almost wholly natural and with much that is selfish in it. See 1 Kings 10: 2 7. Even this helps to prepare us for the Lord, when we are little in spiritual stature. (Verse 8; T. 537) The poorness of the fruit is so marked a characteristic of the sycamore-fig (Jeremiah 24:2; Amos 7:14) that it sometimes stands for schemes that are wholly selfish. (Luke 17:6; E. 815)

What does it mean spiritually to be a son or a daughter (Luke 13:16) of Abraham? (John 1:12, 13; John 3:1-8; A. 3373)

What is meant by the nobleman's going into a far country? It means the seeming absence of the Lord. He does not let us feel His presence too plainly, for He wants us to be faithful and use His good gifts of our own free will. Otherwise there is no real nobility or happiness in them. (P. 129)

In this parable the same amount of money, one pound, is given to each of the servants. In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:15) five talents were given to one, two talents to another, and one to another, "to every man according to his several ability." Which seems to describe the manner of the Lord's giving talents or other means of usefulness to us? From one point of view the gifts are very various. From another point of view they are the same, to each one what the Lord knows will be most favorable for him in developing a heavenly life.

The pound that was not used was taken away. Even in this world, knowledge that is not used is soon forgotten and it is completely so when we go to the other world. No matter how learned one may have been in heavenly things, if his learning has not become a part of his life by faithfully doing it, it is forgotten and he becomes utterly stupid. (H. 501, and on.)

to next Lesson