To The Metal

19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up ^[a]and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, ^[b]make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶ So he ^[c]made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all ^[d]complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

⁸ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus comes to Zacchaeus’s house.  Z, a wealthy tax collector did not know Jesus but sought to see him so greatly that he humbled himself to the point of climbing a tree merely to catch sight of him.  As Jesus passed by, he looked up, called him by name, and stated He was to stay at Z’s house. 

Jesus was received joyfully, much to the dismay of the Pharisees and others who cared more that Z was a tax collector, a sinner, than someone in need of salvation.  Christ Himself said that salvation had come to Z’s home, He knew that Z was lost, the 1 of the 99, and sought him out.

³⁵ Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. ³⁶ And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. ³⁷ So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. ³⁸ And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

³⁹ Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, ⁴¹ saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

⁴² Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Luke 18:35-43

A blind man receives his sight.  I do not see it as coincidence that as Christ approached Jericho whose walls fell be faith and obedience to God, that a blind man should cry out to him in faith.  He knew that Jesus could tear down the walls that blinded him.  When others attempted to stop him, he only cried out to Jesus more, as we all should! 

He had faith that Jesus would hear and heal him, and nothing was going to stop him from reaching out to Christ.  Such a simple request made in faith with such a staggering result.  Not only did this man receive his sight, he believed without ever seeing and was blessed!  That he joined the multitude, glorifying God, showed how truly grateful he was for the gift Jesus had bestowed upon him. 

³¹ Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be ^[a]accomplished. ³² For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. ³³ They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

³⁴ But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Luke 18:31-34

Jesus a third time predicts His death and resurrection.  This third time in Luke, Jesus shares with His apostles what comes next for Him, that the prophecies will be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  He will be delivered to the gentiles, mocked, insulted, spat upon, scourged, and killed… that He shall rise again on the third day.

It is specifically pointed out each time that the apostles do not understand what He is telling them.  They were Jews, they knew the scriptures and prophecy, they were living it!  Still the thought that not only would Jesus be tortured and killed, but rise again on the third day was incomprehensible to them. 

How could the Son of God who they have known, loved, and followed for three years, Who performed miracles and wonders before them, suffer and die?  I only have conjecture here based on what I have read, but I can understand it simply not making sense to them.  Such a loss, such a gain was beyond them.

²⁴ And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

²⁸ Then Peter said, “See, we have left ^[a]all and followed You.”

²⁹ So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Luke 18:24-30

With God all things are possible.  After seeing how saddened the rich man became, Jesus exclaimed how hard it is for those with worldly wealth to enter the kingdom of God.  He compared it to a camel trying to enter a very narrow gate into Jerusalem (the eye of the needle).

The only way to proceed is to shed that worldly wealth in favor of spiritual wealth in heaven.

All can be saved by God, but we must choose to be saved.  We must follow Him, and we must believe in Him first.  That cannot be done if we drag the world behind us like a leg iron. 

Peter then points out for he and the other sisters have left all to follow Jesus, Who responds by stating clearly that anyone who has left behind possessions, family, etc for the sake of the kingdom of God would receive many times more today… and eternal life in the age to come.

The key here is a full focus and attention placed on God to receive the full reward of that faith in Him.  Any distraction here draws us further from there.

¹⁸ Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁹ So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²¹ And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

²² So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²³ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Luke 18:18-23

Jesus counsels the rich young ruler.  The ruler here apparently was raised with the last but still felt lacking when it came to inheriting eternal life. 

As always, Christ raised the bar, telling the man that he should sell all his possessions and distribute the profit to the poor so he may lay up treasures in heaven.  As he cherished his wealth to a greater degree than eternal life, he left saddened.  

Christ began this change with humility and pointed to the Father as the only one who is good, making it clear who this ruler should be seeking.  He then sees how the ruler justifies himself with the law, and challenges him to sacrifice.

This modern generation puts far too much value in fleeting worldly wealth, myself included. Christ set this standard impossibly high so that we must strive to reach for it every single day of our lives.  He overcame the world, and now it is our turn to have such faith in Him that we may do the same. 

Such a thing is more difficult for the exalted than it would be for the humble. 

¹⁵ Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Luke 18:15-17

Jesus blesses little children.  Here people are bringing their children and infants to be blessed by Jesus.  The disciples rebuke the people, however Jesus stops them and does not waste the opportunity to teach all present.  Children are innocent, pure, bursting with faith and wonder.  Christ makes it clear that this is how they should receive the kingdom of God, as a child receives a perfect gift. 

Without approaching the kingdom as a child would, they will not enter it.

⁹ Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be ^[a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  Such a clear distinction is made here by Jesus when comparing a self-righteous Pharisee to a humbled tax collector. 

One feels deserving of exaltation while the other pleads for mercy knowing he is a sinner.  To use a modern colloquialism, the Pharisee is virtue signaling for his own glory while in stark contrast the tax collector confesses his sin to God in far fewer but more significant words, humbly.  May we all be so humble. 

18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, ² saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor ^[a]regard man. ³ Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ^[b]‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ ⁴ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, ⁵ yet because this widow troubles me I will ^[c]avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷ And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:1-8

Pray and do not lose hope.  I’d imagine that the judge in this parable has lost heart.  He holds no regard for God or man, likely due to a long career where he has seen the horrible things men can do to each other in this fallen world in spite of God.

He only helps this widow so she will leave him alone. He has grown tired of hearing her cries for justice, and only plans to do it because it is his job…  Not out of genuine love or concern. 

The Lord has heard our cries since creation, He will avenge quickly, but in His time.  The concern raised here is a very stark one… When Christ returns,  will He still find faith here?  He will if we continue to pray, and not lose heart.

³¹ “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his ^[a]goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. ³² Remember Lot’s wife. ³³ Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. ³⁴ I tell you, in that night there will be two ^[b]men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. ³⁵ Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. ^36 [c]Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

³⁷ And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”

So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Luke 17:31-37

Here Christ alludes to what will happen at His return.  That who value their life and possession will remain behind while those who follow Christ will be taken in an instant.  Whoever remains will be subject to the natural order as vultures circle overhead because the time to turn to God and seek salvation has passed.