"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.'