But let those who follow You be happy and glad. They love you for saving them. May they always say: "Praise the Lord!"
Lord, because I am poor and helpless, please remember me. You are my helper and savior. My God, do not wait. (vs. 16-17)
"Come, follow Me." Disciples going about their daily lives, fishing or collecting tax money. Being normal. Fish scales stuck in the hair on their chests. Burly men. Some were accountants, so to speak, with pencils behind their ears. Members of the local synagogue. Bachelors and fathers. "Come, follow Me." Just like that. If you have not heard Him call you out, you will wonder why these men left life as they knew it and followed the young rabbi all over Israel. I know why. I left my nets, too.
Zacchaeus was a little man with a big appetite for money. Not the favorite son of Jericho. For all his riches, he could not buy what he needed most - respect. Jesus came to town and such a crowd gathered that this little guy had to climb a tree just to catch a glimpse of the miracle-working teacher from Nazareth. Everyone in a dither. The poor, blind and wretched brought to the rabbi for healing and deliverance. Important work. Way more weighty than the heart of a little Jewish tax collector.
Pushed forward by the throng, Jesus seems too preoccupied to notice details. Like a man in a tree. But something stops Him. He looks up. "Zacchaeus, come down from that tree. I must stay at your house today!"
What? Nobody can believe it. The last man in town who deserved the privilege of hosting Jesus. A sinner, for Pete's sake! A big one! He has stolen money from everyone in Jericho. Jesus must not know......except, He knew Zacchaeus's name. And saw his needy heart.
Zacchaeus, down from the tree, straightening his tunic and adjusting his hat, wipes the sweat from his cheeks and declares: "I will give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I will repay them four times what I took!"
What? Just like that? Jesus did not say he must do this thing. Jesus only said: "I see you in that tree."
"Salvation has come to your house today, Zacchaeus," said Jesus. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them."
The little man with all his wealth was smart enough to know that he could not buy what Jesus had to offer. Significance.
We love Him for saving us. For seeing us that day when we were going about our business as usual and He walked by to say, "Follow Me." Like the woman who poured an entire bottle of expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus then wiped the residue off with her hair, we who have been forgiven much, love much. The fragrant nard she poured on Him cost a year's wages. Nothing too extravagant to match His inestimable love. Significance.
She was in love with a married man who came to her on rare occasions. It was wrong. But she was caught up in the adultery....as was he. The leaders of the synagogue got wind of the affair and trapped the two having an afternoon tryst. Naked and exposed, she is dragged from her bed with only enough time to throw a blanket around herself before the rulers of the temple dumped her into the street at the feet of Jesus.
"Look what we found!" they sneered into Jesus's face. "We found her in the very act of adultery! What are you gonna do about this?" They had Him. The law said stoning. He had to uphold that.
"Hmmm." Jesus bends down to write something in the sand. Don't know what. But maybe He just penciled with the finger of God the sins of the men glaring at Him as they waited for justice to be done. Couldn't wait to get those stones in their hands and pummel the sin out of this whore!
Standing. "Which one of you have never sinned?" Good question. They are caught in their own trap. Walking away is the only way to save face.
"You, dear woman....where are your accusers?" Jesus asked.
"They are gone." Saved from death. Absolved of shame as they are put on the same level as she. Significance.
"Don't sin anymore." That is all.
And she loved Him for saving her. With her lover's arms around her, she thought she was someone special. Someone loved and precious. She was wrong. Where was this man when she about to be stoned to death? He did not care about her heart, only her body. This new kind of love....the love that saves....would change her forever.
We love You for saving us. May we always say, "Praise the Lord!"
Lord, because I am poor and helpless, please remember me. You are my helper and savior. My God, do not wait. (vs. 16-17)
"Come, follow Me." Disciples going about their daily lives, fishing or collecting tax money. Being normal. Fish scales stuck in the hair on their chests. Burly men. Some were accountants, so to speak, with pencils behind their ears. Members of the local synagogue. Bachelors and fathers. "Come, follow Me." Just like that. If you have not heard Him call you out, you will wonder why these men left life as they knew it and followed the young rabbi all over Israel. I know why. I left my nets, too.
Zacchaeus was a little man with a big appetite for money. Not the favorite son of Jericho. For all his riches, he could not buy what he needed most - respect. Jesus came to town and such a crowd gathered that this little guy had to climb a tree just to catch a glimpse of the miracle-working teacher from Nazareth. Everyone in a dither. The poor, blind and wretched brought to the rabbi for healing and deliverance. Important work. Way more weighty than the heart of a little Jewish tax collector.
Pushed forward by the throng, Jesus seems too preoccupied to notice details. Like a man in a tree. But something stops Him. He looks up. "Zacchaeus, come down from that tree. I must stay at your house today!"
What? Nobody can believe it. The last man in town who deserved the privilege of hosting Jesus. A sinner, for Pete's sake! A big one! He has stolen money from everyone in Jericho. Jesus must not know......except, He knew Zacchaeus's name. And saw his needy heart.
Zacchaeus, down from the tree, straightening his tunic and adjusting his hat, wipes the sweat from his cheeks and declares: "I will give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I will repay them four times what I took!"
What? Just like that? Jesus did not say he must do this thing. Jesus only said: "I see you in that tree."
"Salvation has come to your house today, Zacchaeus," said Jesus. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them."
The little man with all his wealth was smart enough to know that he could not buy what Jesus had to offer. Significance.
We love Him for saving us. For seeing us that day when we were going about our business as usual and He walked by to say, "Follow Me." Like the woman who poured an entire bottle of expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus then wiped the residue off with her hair, we who have been forgiven much, love much. The fragrant nard she poured on Him cost a year's wages. Nothing too extravagant to match His inestimable love. Significance.
She was in love with a married man who came to her on rare occasions. It was wrong. But she was caught up in the adultery....as was he. The leaders of the synagogue got wind of the affair and trapped the two having an afternoon tryst. Naked and exposed, she is dragged from her bed with only enough time to throw a blanket around herself before the rulers of the temple dumped her into the street at the feet of Jesus.
"Look what we found!" they sneered into Jesus's face. "We found her in the very act of adultery! What are you gonna do about this?" They had Him. The law said stoning. He had to uphold that.
"Hmmm." Jesus bends down to write something in the sand. Don't know what. But maybe He just penciled with the finger of God the sins of the men glaring at Him as they waited for justice to be done. Couldn't wait to get those stones in their hands and pummel the sin out of this whore!
Standing. "Which one of you have never sinned?" Good question. They are caught in their own trap. Walking away is the only way to save face.
"You, dear woman....where are your accusers?" Jesus asked.
"They are gone." Saved from death. Absolved of shame as they are put on the same level as she. Significance.
"Don't sin anymore." That is all.
And she loved Him for saving her. With her lover's arms around her, she thought she was someone special. Someone loved and precious. She was wrong. Where was this man when she about to be stoned to death? He did not care about her heart, only her body. This new kind of love....the love that saves....would change her forever.
We love You for saving us. May we always say, "Praise the Lord!"
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