II. Two THINGS wmorr CONTRIBUTED TO, WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR, HIS POPULARITY. 1. The illustrativeness of his style. He called to his aid all visible nature all homely occupations, the familiarities of social and domestic life. ' " He talked of grass and wind and re.in, And fig trees e.nd fair weather, And made it his delight to bring Heaven and the earth together. He spoke of lilies, vines, and corn, The sparrow and the raven; And words so natural, yet so wise, Were on men's hearts engraven." 2. The fearZessfront he showed to those who were the worst enemies of the peoi:,le. He denounced in unsparing terms the selfishness and rapacity as well as the pretentious- ness and actual impiety of tho8e who were fastening the bonds of a merciless and oppressive legality on the necks of their victims; and the people looked on with approval and with enjoyment. Men always listen with delight when oppression is unspa.ringly deoonnced. They always like to see the mask torn off the face of false- hood. But it is not here that the secret of the popularity of Jesus is to be found. Ill. FOUR THINGS WHICH MADE CHRIST'S TEACHING ACCEPTABLE TO THOSE WHO HEARD HIM, and may well make his doctrine acceptable to us to-day. 1. He spoke of those things the truth of which the people most wanted to know. They did not want to know a number of legal niceties and small social and domestic proprieties of which the scribes spoke to them. They wanted to know what God thought of them, and how he felt toward them, and what was the way by which they could gain and claim bis favour; what was the meaning and the purpose and the possibility of human life; what followed death; and what was the true hope for the after-time. On such themes Jesus spoke to men, and we need not wonder that " all the people listened attentively " as he spa.ke. 2. He spoke as one that knew. He spoke "with authority, and not as the scribes;" "His word was with power." He did not indulge in hair-splitting argumentations, nor in vague and dreamy imaginings, nor in doubtful and unreliable guesses. He spake as one that knew; as one who could speak about God, because he came forth frorc. him, and dwelt with him; a.bout prayer, because he was in constant communion with Heaven; about righteousness, because he himself was pure in heart; about love, because his whole life was one act of self-denial. Out of the depths of a living soul he gave the known facts of experience, the certain truths of God. 3. His teaching was that of helpfulness and hopefulness. He saw men "as sheep without a shepherd, tired out and lying down," wandering, smitten, dying. He grieved over the multitudes that were being misled, and he longed to do them good, to lead them back; he knew that he coulu help, that be could restore them. So be announced himself as that One who came "to preach good tidings to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive; " he offered himself as One to whom all the heavy-laden might repair, and in whom they would find rest unto their souls. He stretched forth au uplifting hand to those who were thought by every one else to have fallen beyond recovery. He breathed hope and life into despairing and dying ears. 4. His doctrine was sustained by his character and his Zi/e. Men listened to him, not only because he " spake as never man spake," but because he lived as never man lived before-in such perfect purity, in such constant devotion, in such self-forgetting love, with such gracious and tender sympathy in his heart and upon his countenance. They listened to him with such wrapt attention because they loved him for his goodness e.nd for his love. (1) Snch popularity as springs from such sources as these we may desire and seek to obtain. (2) For these same reasons we should be e.s attentive to hear the Master as were "the common people who heard him gladly" when he Jived amongst us.-C.
Vers. 1-10.-.A son of ~braham found in Zacchreus the publican. The healing of blind Bartimreus was not ihe only sa.vin!!: act done by Jesus at Jericho. A notable publican, en.lied Zacchreus, becomes the object of our Lord's compassion and the subject of his grace. He was at the bead of the custom-house, as we should now call it, and in his importn.nt post he bad become rich. Having heard of Jesus and 11een the advancing LUKE,-11, If 162 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [en. xrx. 1-48.