Tag Archives: Jericho

TODAY IS SALVATION DAY

Christian Life, ,

TODAY IS SALVATION DAY

“Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there…Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way…so he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree…

“When Jesus got to the tree, He looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest at your house.’  Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree…delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant…’What business does He have getting cosy with this crook?’ Zacchaeus stammered apologetically, ‘Master, I give away half my income to the poor…’

“Jesus said, ‘Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.'” Luke 19:1-10 (The Message).

Another much-loved Sunday School story with so much in it that we can miss!

This incident epitomises the difference between the attitude of Jesus and the people around Him (and all of us as well because we are all infected with the same tunnel vision).

Zacchaeus was a man with a conscience who did bad things. He made a comfortable living preying on the public who hated him but could do nothing about it. However, there came a time when he became sick of his way of life and his alienation from his fellow Jews. How do we know that? What crook would climb a tree to catch a glimpse of a rabbi whose sheer goodness would be repulsive to him unless there was a deep-seated yearning to change?

Why did he climb a tree? Just to get a close-up view of Jesus, or because he was too embarrassed to get close to Him? What did he hope to achieve by getting a passing glimpse? To satisfy his curiosity or to fix in his imagination a picture of the person he would like to be? We don’t know but, once again, Jesus’ spiritual radar screen picked up the blip of a man who wanted to see Him.

As always, His response was immediate and, as always, He was not put off by the external trappings of the man’s life. He zeroed in on Zacchaeus’ heart and stopped under the tree. Knowing that Zacchaeus would feel too unworthy to invite Him home, He invited Himself, sweeping aside all the tax man’s false notions and emotions about himself. Jesus saw him, not as a rotten, thieving henchman of the Roman government as those around Him did, but as a son of Abraham!

Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus’ generous attitude towards him is startling. How could a greedy and conniving crook suddenly become generous and open-handed to the poor and to those he had outwitted? It just does not happen in the natural. Something had transpired in the man’s heart in his encounter with Jesus that radically and permanently changed his disposition.

Light had exposed and dispelled darkness and the result was transformation! His money, unlike the other rich man who refused to let go of his wealth even for the prize of eternal life, was tossed out of the way because it stood between him and Jesus and Jesus knew that Zacchaeus had been rescued from his self-destroying choices and was back on the path to the Father.  

There are so many beautiful lessons for those of us who are disciples of Jesus to learn. As disciples, we are called to be imitators of Jesus. Our first major lesson is to look at people through the eyes of our Master. To Him, they had no past. His atoning sacrifice took care of that. He never accused or blamed. He accepted and embraced every returning prodigal with generosity and compassion. They were lost sons coming home.

Secondly, Jesus never saw failure but always, potential. As a son of Abraham, this one-time criminal had a renewed calling: “…All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3b (NIV). With the Messiah in charge of his life, he could bless the very people he had robbed by sharing his faith and his wealth.

The crowd were indignant with Jesus for associating with a robber. Jesus was elated because the robber had returned home as a son!

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – TODAY IS SALVATION DAY

Bible Study, ,

CHAPTER NINETEEN

TODAY IS SALVATION DAY

“Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there… Zaccheus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way…so he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree…

“When Jesus got to the tree, He looked up and said, ‘Zaccheus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest at your house.’  Zaccheus scrambled out of the tree…delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant…’What business does He have getting cosy with this crook?’ Zaccheus stammered apologetically, ‘Master, I give away half my income to the poor…’

“Jesus said, ‘Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zaccheus, son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.'” Luke 19:1-10.

Another much-loved Sunday school story with so much in it that we can miss!

This incident epitomises the difference between the attitude of Jesus and the people around Him (and all of us as well because we are all infected with the same tunnel vision).

Zaccheus was a man with a conscience who did bad things. He made a comfortable living preying on the public who hated him but could do nothing about it. But there came a time when he became sick of his way of life and his alienation from his fellow Jews. How do we know that? What crook would climb a tree to catch a glimpse of a rabbi whose sheer goodness would be repulsive to him unless there was a deep-seated yearning to change?

Why did he climb a tree? Just to get a close-up view of Jesus, or because he was too embarrassed to get close to Him? What did he hope to achieve by getting a passing glimpse? To satisfy his curiosity or to fix in his imagination a picture of the person he would like to be? We don’t know but, once again, Jesus’ spiritual radar screen picked up the blip of a man who wanted to see Him.

As always, His response was immediate and, as always, He was not put off by the external trappings of the man’s life. He zeroed in on Zaccheus’ heart and stopped under the tree. Knowing that Zaccheus would feel too unworthy to invite Him home, He invited Himself, sweeping aside all the tax man’s false notions and emotions about himself. Jesus saw him, not as a rotten, thieving henchman of the Roman government as those around Him did, but as a son of Abraham!

Zaccheus’ response to Jesus’ generous attitude towards him is startling. How could a greedy and conniving crook suddenly become generous and open-handed to the poor and to those he had outwitted? It just does not happen in the natural. Something had transpired in the man’s heart in his encounter with Jesus that radically and permanently changed his disposition.

Light had exposed and dispelled darkness and the result was transformation! His money, unlike the other rich man who refused to let go of his wealth, even for the prize of eternal life, was tossed out of the way because it stood between him and Jesus, and Jesus knew that Zaccheus had been rescued from his self-destroying choices and was back on the path to the Father.

There are so many beautiful lessons for those of us who are disciples of Jesus to learn. As disciples, we are called to be imitators of Jesus. Our first major lesson is to look at people through the eyes of our Master. To Him, they had no past. His atoning sacrifice took care of that. He never accused or blamed. He accepted and embraced every returning prodigal with generosity and compassion. They were lost sons coming home.

Secondly, Jesus never saw failure but always, potential. As a son of Abraham, this one-time criminal had a renewed calling: “…All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3b (NIV). With the Messiah in charge of his life, he could bless the very people he had robbed by sharing his faith and his wealth.

The crowd were indignant with Jesus for associating with a robber. Jesus was elated because the robber had returned home as a son!

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?

Bible Study, ,

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?

“He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for hand-outs. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, ‘Jesus the Nazarene is going by.’

“He yelled, ‘Jesus! Son of David!  Mercy, have mercy on me!’

“Those ahead told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, ‘Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!’

“Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, ‘What do you want from me?’

“He said, ‘Master, I want to see again.’

Jesus said, ‘Go ahead – see again! Your faith has saved and healed you.’ The healing was instant. He looked up, seeing – and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.” Luke 18:35-43.

This story is a wonderful illustration of how faith interacts with the power of God. Luke has not identified this insignificant blind beggar, but we know from the other gospels that his name was Bartimeus. From God’s point of view, he had a name; he had an identity; he was a person of value who had a disability which made him an outcast of society, but not of God. He was worthless to people, a parasite, but not to Jesus.

To the untrained ear, the sound of his voice begging for hand-outs mingled with the shouts of the rest of the crowd and was lost in the din, but not to Jesus. He always hears the cry of the needy, raised in hope and expectation.

Bartimeus was tiresome; he refused to be put off by the heartless people around him who ordered him to shut up. Why should he? He had a sudden hope and he wasn’t about to let the opportunity to be freed from his blindness be lost because of other people. Instead of keeping quiet, he yelled all the louder. It’s no wonder Jesus heard him! He didn’t hear his voice as much as He heard his heart.

Isn’t that just like Jesus! The gospels record many similar incidents – Jesus responding to a heart cry. The outer covering of the crying heart didn’t matter to Him – lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, blind, lame, sick, deaf, rich, poor, Pharisee or sinner; He heard and responded to them all.

The interaction between the blind man and Jesus was very simple – no long prayers, no beating about the bush, no reasoning or explanations, just a simple question, ‘What do you want from me?’ and an equally simple response, ‘Master, I want to see again.’ Interaction over, transaction done! ‘Go ahead – see again!’

How tragic that we, in the tradition of those who have gone before us, are perpetuating the terrible distortion of the gospel, which we call Christianity. We have turned this simple exchange between Jesus and us into a rigmarole, with religious paraphernalia, elaborate rituals, and teachings that twist and distort the simplicity of a partnership with Jesus in submission to Him and in the company of His redeemed people.

When I watch some of the goings-on on so-called Christian TV, sadly, I ask myself, ‘Is this why Jesus came?’ and my heart bleeds for the people who are sucked into the deception and who are missing out on the beauty and simplicity of a union and communion with Jesus that shifts all the weight of living onto His shoulders.

Jesus sternly rebuked the disciples for getting between Him and the little children whom mothers had brought to Him for His blessing. Being drowned with a millstone around their necks was a better option than hindering anyone from coming to Him, He said. What about the leaders who mindlessly perpetuate all the nonsensical practices that take ordinary people’s attention away from Jesus? He came to set us free, not to tie us up in endless deviations from His pure and simple truth.

My plea to the people of God is this: Don’t let people shut you up and keep you away from getting close to Jesus. All that matters is that you and He keep interacting so that you can walk close to Him in the confidence that you are hearing and listening to each other.

He will do the rest!