Luke 19
COMMENTARY:
: 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come, to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham. (4991 “salvation” [soteria] means deliverance, preservation, health, safety, or the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians.)
DEVOTION: Again we meet a publican that wants to meet Jesus. Matthew was a publican who Jesus called to follow HIM. In the last chapter we see the difference between a publican and a Pharisee praying in the temple.
Now we have a short man who wants to meet Jesus. He climbs a tree to see HIM. Jesus looks up and tells Zaccheus that HE is coming to his house to eat. Those in the crowd didn’t like the idea of HIM eating with this publican.
Zaccheus made it plain to Jesus that the meant business. He offered to give up half of his wealth to give to the poor. Also, he offered to repay any that he had cheated as a tax collector.
This verse is Jesus response to his actions. HE was sent to seek and save those who were lost. Zaccheus was one of those individual.
Jesus didn’t have a problem crossing social barriers to meet people who needed to be given the blessing of a relationship with HIM. He ate with Pharisees. He ate with his disciple’s relatives. He ate with friends.
Here was a Jew who had allowed himself to become a tax collector but still wanted to be a follower of God through Christ. We need to learn from the life of Zaccheus. We need to seek the LORD will all our being. We need to show that we love him with all our finances. We need to love him enough to invite him to eat with us on a regular basis. We are not saved by our actions but by the actions of LORD Jesus Christ on the cross and our actions show that our commitment is real. What are our actions saying today?
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD what is holding you back from a full commitment to HIM? Does the LORD know that you mean business with HIM?
: 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. (622 “lost” [apollumi] means perish, to put out of the way entirely, abolish, to declare that one must be put to death, or to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell.)
DEVOTION: Jesus is the “Son of Man.” HE liked to use this name to identify HIMSELF. HE wanted the HIS disciples to understand that HE was experiencing everything they were without sinning. HE wanted them to understand that HE was here on this earth in a public ministry to seek out and save those who were lost.
Jesus didn’t care about social status. HE worked with both groups. HE worked with the religious leaders who were willing to listen to HIS message. HE worked with those who were Jews but who were working for the Roman government as tax collectors. They were the worst of sinners in the eyes of the religious leaders and the rest of society.
We have the same responsibility. We are to seek and save those who are lost with the message of salvation that Christ brought down from the cross. We are to preach and teach the gospel to those who are in our world. They need to know that Christ died for their sins. HE was buried and rose from the grave. HE is now sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for all those who have become followers of HIM.
Are we a seeking people or a settled people? It seems that we are a group that will let others go and seek those who need Jesus rather than getting ourselves involved in our world to reach a many as we can with the message of hope.
CHALLENGE: Pray about who you should be seeking. Then go and do it.
: 22 And he says him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. (840 “austere” [austeros] means harsh, rough, rigid, exacting, or severe.)
DEVOTION: The servant had a right view of his master. He knew that he was a man who was harsh. He knew that the people around him didn’t want him to become king of the area because they knew how cruel he could be. His master gave him money to see if he was worth being his servant. If he didn’t produce he was going to get rid of him.
The evil servant could have put the money somewhere to get interest at least. He didn’t have to hide it in the ground or in a napkin. Investment is what the master expected. Even if he lost the money it would have been better than doing nothing out of fear.
This servant was judged rightly by this cruel master who became king of the area. His one coin was taken from him and given to another who had earned income from his coin.
Too often we have the wrong opinion of what God wants from HIS servants. We look at HIM as if HE is just like this cruel master. We think that God is a cruel God that is just looking for an excuse to send us to hell. This is all wrong.
God does deserve our reverent fear of HIM but not a general fear of HIM like those who are shaking in their boots type of fear. HE is not in heaven just waiting for us to sin and then punish us. HE is there to help us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to be a better servant. HE blesses those who serve HIM faithfully. HE corrects those who need correcting to get them to be better servants of HIM.
We sometimes act on our false beliefs regarding the LORD. Or in this case this servant didn’t act he just hid the money hoping the master would not hold him accountable. God doesn’t want us to hide our gifts. HE wants us to use them for HIS glory in the local church.
We are supposed to be good servants of the LORD. We are going to give an account of our actions for the purpose of rewards. Our sins are forgiven. If we get out of line with God HE will chasten us to the point of death if we don’t repent of our disobedience.
CHALLENGE: Worship and serve God in fear that is reverent not a phobia. Understand that HE loves HIS children and only wants them to mature.
: 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear HIM. (1582 “attentive” [ekkremamai] means to heed, conceived of as being suspended form something, hang on every word, to pay close attention to, to consider seriously, or bind.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was not afraid to face those who opposed HIM. HE went into the Temple and cleaned out those who were robbing the people in the name of religion. They were cheating them out of their money. They had made the house of prayer into a den of thieves.
HE didn’t mix HIS words. HE said what HE meant. HE didn’t care what the religious leaders thought. The people loved HIM for his honesty. They listened to what HE had to say because HE spoke with authority. The people listened to every word HE had to say because they knew HE had a message from God for them.
The religious leaders only thoughts were on how they could kill HIM. What a difference between those who claimed to be close to God and those who knew they needed to be closer to God.
We need to be very attentive to the words of God that are found in the Word of God. We are not to go along to get along with everyone.
CHALLENGE: We are here to spread the Word of God without compromise. That is the message those who are seeking want to hear.
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.