BUT BLIND Bartimeus was not the only man in Jericho who was eager to
meet Jesus. In that city was living a very rich man named Zaccheus, who
was the head of all the tax collectors in that part of the country. He
had heard that Jesus was unlike other Jews, in being friendly toward the
tax gatherers, and he greatly desired to see him. But Zaccheus was a
small man, and in the crowd he could have no chance to look at Jesus, so
he ran on ahead and climbed up into a mulberry tree that stood beside
the road, and from a place among its branches he could look down upon
the passing multitude.
When Jesus came opposite to the tree, he stopped, looked up and saw
Zaccheus, and said to him:
"Zaccheus, make haste and come down; for I must stop at your house
today!"
He was surprised and glad that the great Teacher should choose his
house, out of all the homes in Jericho, to stay in. He came down and
walked with Jesus to his house. But all the people began to find fault,
saying:
"He has gone to visit at the house of a man who is a sinner!"
For they took for granted because many of the tax gatherers were wicked
men and robbed the people, that all of them were bad.
[Illustration: Jesus called out to Zaccheus in the tree: "Make haste and
come down, for I must stop at your house today!"]
Zaccheus knew how they were feeling and what they were saying; so he
came forward, and stood before Jesus and said:
"Hear me, Master! I will give half of all that I own to help the poor;
and if I have robbed or cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times
as much as he has lost!"
"Today," said Jesus, "in this house a man has been saved from his sins;
since even Zaccheus here is a true son of Abraham our father. For the
Son of Man has come to look after the lost ones and to save them."
As the people were listening, he went on and spoke a parable to them;
for he knew that as he was going up to Jerusalem, they were looking for
the kingdom of God to be set up at once. This was "The Parable of the
Pounds."
"A certain prince," said Jesus, "was going to a city far away, to be
made a king, and then to come back and rule over his own land. Before
leaving, he called ten of his servants, and gave to each one five
hundred dollars, and said to him, 'Trade with this until I come back.'
Then he went away.
"But the people of his land hated him, and sent messengers to follow him
to the distant city and to say, 'We will not have this man as our king.'
"However, the prince was made king and came home to reign over his land.
Then he sent for his servants to whom he had given the money, so that he
might learn how much each one had made by buying and selling. The first
servant came and said:
"'My lord, the five hundred dollars which you gave me has gained five
thousand dollars.'
"'Well done, you good servant,' said the king, 'because you have been so
wise and faithful with a small amount, I will make you the governor over
ten cities in my kingdom.'
"Then came another servant, who said, 'My lord, your five hundred
dollars has made five times as much as you gave me. Here are twenty-five
hundred dollars.'
"'Very well,' answered the king, 'you may be the ruler over five
cities.'
"Soon one of the servants came, saying, 'My lord, here is your five
hundred dollars, just as you gave it to me. I have kept it safe for you,
wrapped up in a napkin. For I was afraid of you; you are such a hard,
selfish man. You pick up what you never put down; and you reap what you
do not sow.'
"'You worthless servant!' answered the king, 'out of your own words will
I pass judgment upon you. You knew, did you, that I was a hard man,
picking up what I never put down, and reaping what I did not sow! If you
knew this, why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I
came home I could have gotten interest upon it, the money gained by
lending it.'
"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take away from him the five hundred
dollars, and give it to the one who has five thousand dollars!'
"'My lord,' they said, 'why, he has five thousand dollars already! Why
give it to him?'
"'That is the very reason why he should have it,' said the king. 'I tell
you, that to him who has, more shall be given; and as for him who has
not, even the little that he has shall be taken away from him.'"
"'And now, for these enemies of mine,' the king went on, 'those men who
sent word that they would not have me for their king, seize them, and
bind them in chains and bring them here. Let them be slain in my
sight!'"
With these words Jesus went onward up the mountain road leading to
Jerusalem.
The Alabaster Jar