Again, I believe that Zaccheus was
at boa rt an honest man and wanted to
do right. When a man ls converted
and says to Christ, "Behold, Lord, the
half ol' my goods I give io the poor,
and if I have taken anything from any
man hy false accusation I restore to
him. fourfold," he gives good evidence
that he had primarily been of an hou
-t nature. Then perhaps it was bia
honesty that led the Bomana to offer
the office of tax collector to him. Per?
haps the Roman olheials came to him
and said: "Zaccheus. would voil not
like to be the tax collei tor for the city
of Jericho'.' You know everybody. You
know just how much they are worth.
You can make more out of it than any?
body els..." -oh, no," i think I hear
Zaccheus say, "I do OOt want the posi?
tion. It ls one of the meanest aud
most contemptible positions on earth."
"I know it," says the Roman governor,
"but, remember, somebody has to take
this position, and If you take it think
of all the money you can make and
how rirh you can leave your family.
You had better take it. Zaccheus."
Then in a moment of great temptation,
perhaps, Zaccheus fell. Do you not
think he ever regretted that he took
that position? And when Jesus called
him back to the better life do you
wonder that he gladly climbed down
out of that sycamore tree and asked
Christ into his home? Po not make
the mistake of thinking that a gnat
sinner never bas a desire to come buck
to the better life.
