A Little Man with a Big Faith
Daniel Rodgers
Luke 19:1-10
HUMOR: It is said that C. H. Spurgeon, known as the ''prince of preachers,'' once put his homiletics class to the supreme test. He would assign each student a text, ask him to go to the pulpit and deliver an extemporaneous short sermon properly outlined according to the theme of the text.
Finally, it was the turn of the shortest member of the homiletics class to receive the text for his sermonette. Mr. Spurgeon gave him the account of Zacchaeus' conversion.
With trembling legs and faltering hands the diminutive student walked to the pulpit, opened his Bible to the nineteenth chapter of Luke, and read with stammering lips the assigned text. Fastening his eyes on his audience, he began:
''My brief sermon has three points. First, Zacchaeus was a little man and so am I. Secondly, Zacchaeus was up a tree and so am I. In the third place, Zacchaeus made haste to come down and so will I'' and on that closing note the timid student went back to his seat.1
INTRODUCTION: Luke, chapter nineteen, give us an interesting story about a man by the name of Zacchaeus. Not much is known about Zacchaeus, except what is given to us in Luke's account. We know that he was a publican. In fact, vs.2 tells us that he was the ''chief among the publicans, and he was rich.''
A publican was a tax collector appointed by the Roman Government. In order to finance its powerful government, Rome levied heavy taxes on the Jewish people. Publicans were Jews who were considered by their people to be traitors. They gouged the people, collecting more than what was due, and then they would pocket the extra money for themselves. Sounds like some of the people in our government today.
ILLUS: I reminded of the story about a man on vacation who was strolling along outside his hotel in Acapulco, enjoying the sunny Mexican weather. Suddenly, he was attracted by the screams of a woman kneeling in front of a child.
The man knew enou ...
Daniel Rodgers
Luke 19:1-10
HUMOR: It is said that C. H. Spurgeon, known as the ''prince of preachers,'' once put his homiletics class to the supreme test. He would assign each student a text, ask him to go to the pulpit and deliver an extemporaneous short sermon properly outlined according to the theme of the text.
Finally, it was the turn of the shortest member of the homiletics class to receive the text for his sermonette. Mr. Spurgeon gave him the account of Zacchaeus' conversion.
With trembling legs and faltering hands the diminutive student walked to the pulpit, opened his Bible to the nineteenth chapter of Luke, and read with stammering lips the assigned text. Fastening his eyes on his audience, he began:
''My brief sermon has three points. First, Zacchaeus was a little man and so am I. Secondly, Zacchaeus was up a tree and so am I. In the third place, Zacchaeus made haste to come down and so will I'' and on that closing note the timid student went back to his seat.1
INTRODUCTION: Luke, chapter nineteen, give us an interesting story about a man by the name of Zacchaeus. Not much is known about Zacchaeus, except what is given to us in Luke's account. We know that he was a publican. In fact, vs.2 tells us that he was the ''chief among the publicans, and he was rich.''
A publican was a tax collector appointed by the Roman Government. In order to finance its powerful government, Rome levied heavy taxes on the Jewish people. Publicans were Jews who were considered by their people to be traitors. They gouged the people, collecting more than what was due, and then they would pocket the extra money for themselves. Sounds like some of the people in our government today.
ILLUS: I reminded of the story about a man on vacation who was strolling along outside his hotel in Acapulco, enjoying the sunny Mexican weather. Suddenly, he was attracted by the screams of a woman kneeling in front of a child.
The man knew enou ...
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