Chapter 8. The Publican.
WHEN we read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we cannot help noticing the frequent mention of the publican or tax gatherer. And we notice too, that in every case, he is spoken of with dislike and contempt.
The publican is spoken of in the same class as “The sinner,” or “The heathen,” and one of the reproaches thrown at our blessed Lord was “He eateth with publicans.” Why was this hatred? we may perhaps inquire, and what was the cause of it? We must remember, to begin with, that the Jews at this time were not a free people; they had come under the dominion of the Romans. Roman soldiers, and their centurions walked the streets of Jewish cities and towns; Roman castles and temples adorned their streets, and even in Jerusalem itself, Herod the king, had built a magnificent theatre, and amphitheater, to which gladiators were brought from all parts of the world, and in which heathen games were continually held. And from every country under her dominion, Rome must have money, and this money must be collected; yes, and taken often times by force, from the people of the cities, and the country round about.
Far away in distant Rome, lived rich noblemen, who were the real publicans, but of them we hear nothing in the Scriptures. They did none of the work, only secured their share of the profits. They employed men in Palestine to carry on the work, and they in their turn let it out to slaves, or some of the lowest of the people. These are the publicans of the New Testament.
If we turn to Luke 19, we read of “Zacchaeus, which was chief among the publicans,” and it adds that he was rich. This was natural, as he was one of the supervisors, or master tax-gatherers in the rich district of Jericho, and no doubt he had had his share of the taxes paid on the balsam grown in the country around and exported in large quantities.
For everything brought into the country or taken out of it, was heavily taxed —there were harbor taxes, bridge taxes, road taxes, town taxes. The farmer had to pay taxes on his grain, the merchant on his goods. The traveler, the caravan, the peddler, met the publican at every bridge along their road, at the entrance to every city. Every bale had to be unloaded, and all its contents tumbled about and searched; even letters were opened, and on everything the tax gatherer laid his own rate of taxation, often far beyond its value. Need we wonder that the publicans were hated by all, that the Jewish Rabbis ranked them with heathens, and with sinners, with murderers, and highwaymen; that they were not allowed to bear witness in a court of law, and that their charitable gifts were refused.
And yet, how wonderful to think that these men, hated and despised by all, were the very ones our Saviour collected around Him.
Can you not picture to yourself the publican, Levi, sitting on the busy road side, at the receipt of customs. He is waiting to stop the passersby, to examine their merchandise, to extort as much from them as possible, but suddenly a gracious voice strikes upon his ear. How different from the tones of hatred, defiance, or entreaty, he is wont to hear, and what marvelous words meets his ear, “Follow Me.”
Was he ready to do this? Yes, the ill-gotten gains had no longer any attraction for him. He leaves all, and follows that One, who is in future to be His Master, and his Lord. It is Luke who tells us this, and also that Levi made a “great feast in his own house” for Jesus and His disciples, but when Levi (who perhaps you know is also called Matthew), tells us the story of his own call in Matt. 9, he does not speak of the great feast, or remind his hearers that he had left all. A true disciple of Jesus, he has learned something of the humility which always marked his Master. It would take too long to mention in detail all that is said of the publican in Scripture; but one trait we notice all through, he is ever welcomed by the Lord Jesus. His loving heart is willing to receive and to pardon the man despised and hated by all. Not that the sin was overlooked by Him, but He loved the man, the sinner, and He Himself tells us that He had come on purpose to call such to repentance. The proud Pharisees, the respectable, and outwardly religious class, had no use for Jesus. What had they to repent of? But the vile and degraded publicans welcomed with joy, One who could forgive sins, whose loving words led to repentance from even grievous sins, and to renouncing them forever. Let us listen to what the Lord Jesus tells us about this very thing, remembering whose words we are reading:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give titles of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, ‘God be merciful to me, the sinner.’” (Luke 18:10-1310Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:10‑13).) Will you ask yourself the question solemnly, Have I repented even as this publican?
ML 10/20/1912