Luke chapter 19

Zacchaeus meets Jesus. The parable of the ten servants. Jesus triumphantly arrives in Jerusalem. He weeps over Jerusalem. He clears the temple.

 


 

ZACCHAEUS MEETS JESUS

 

VERSE 1. He entered and was passing through Jericho.

 

VERSE 2. There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

 

VERSE 3. He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn’t because of the crowd, because he was short.

 

VERSE 4. He ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way.

 

VERSE 5. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

 

VERSE 6. He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.

 

VERSE 7. When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.”

lodge with a man who is a sinner. Jesus is the friend of tax collectors and sinners. He befriends the outcasts of society.

How about us Christians? Do we befriend the outcasts of our society? Or do we condemn them?

 

VERSE 8. Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”

half of my goods I give to the poor. Zacchaeus understands the biblical nature of giving.

 

VERSE 9. Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.

salvation has come to this house. Jesus says Zacchaeus is among those who are saved!

 

VERSE 10. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

the Son of Man came to seek and to save. What was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he himself define it? Here are the verses we find in the four gospels.

to save that which was lost. Some churches act like clubs for elites. People who are famous or influential go there.

However, Jesus Christ did not come to establish a club for elites. He came to save those who are lost.

Does your church seek people who are lost? Or is it a club for elites?

 

THE PARABLE OF THE TEN SERVANTS

 

VERSE 11. As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately.

God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that God’s Kingdom was not revealed immediately. Rather, it was an ongoing revelation, often punctuated by sudden unanticipated changes.

For example, none of the twelve expected Jesus Christ to be crucified. Or resurrected. None of them anticipated the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

 

VERSE 12. He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

 

VERSE 13. He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins,  and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’

mina. A mina was a monetary unit in ancient Greece.

Conduct business until I come. We can interpret this as a call to be productive for one’s master. In our day, we Christians are called to produce good fruit for Jesus Christ.

 

VERSE 14. But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

 

VERSE 15. “When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.

 

VERSE 16. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

 

VERSE 17. “He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

 

VERSE 18. “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’

 

VERSE 19. “So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

 

VERSE 20. Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,

laid away in a handkerchief. This servant hid his treasure. It benefitted neither himself nor other people.

 

VERSE 21. for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’

 

VERSE 22. “He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down, and reaping that which I didn’t sow.

 

VERSE 23. Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’

 

VERSE 24. He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.’

 

VERSE 25. “They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’

 

VERSE 26. ‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.

even that which he has will be taken away. This is a very difficult passage. Most people ignore it or explain it away or spiritualize it.

However, the simplest thing is to take it at face value. Let’s put to use whatever we have!

 

VERSE 27. But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’ ”

 

JESUS TRIUMPHANTLY ARRIVES IN JERUSALEM

 

VERSE 28. Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

 

VERSE 29. When he came near to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the mountain that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples,

 

VERSE 30. saying, “Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, which no man had ever sat upon. Untie it and bring it.

you will find a colt tied. Perhaps Jesus had arranged this ahead of time with the owner of the colt. But it is more likely that he knew this by divine foreknowledge.

 

VERSE 31. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say to him: ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

 

VERSE 32. Those who were sent went away, and found things just as he had told them.

 

VERSE 33. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

 

VERSE 34. They said, “The Lord needs it.”

 

VERSE 35. Then they brought it to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the colt, and sat Jesus on them.

 

VERSE 36. As he went, they spread their cloaks on the road.

 

VERSE 37. As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,

rejoice and praise God with a loud voice. Very few Christians are willing to praise God with a loud voice.

 

VERSE 38. saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! This phrase was from Old Testament days. But the Lord Jesus applied it to himself, when he triumphantly arrived in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Read more »

the King. This is the first time Jesus is called a King!

 

VERSE 39. Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

rebuke your disciples. Every spiritual assembly has its share of Eeores. They rain on other people’s parade. They rob believers of their God-given joy. They are the spoilsports of the Christian realm.

 

VERSE 40. He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”

the stones would cry out. Praising God with a loud voice is an urgent need.

 

JESUS WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM

 

VERSE 41. When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it,

wept over it. Jesus is motivated by compassion.

 

VERSE 42. saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.

 

VERSE 43. For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side,

your enemies will … surround you. This probably refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the evil Roman Empire in 70 AD.

 

VERSE 44. and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”

 

JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE

 

VERSE 45. He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

drive out those who bought and sold. Jesus sees no overlap between spirituality and commerce. They are incompatible.

 

VERSE 46. saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of robbers’!”

 

VERSE 47. He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests, the scribes, and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.

 

VERSE 48. They couldn’t find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.

 


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LUKE

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