BIBLE STUDY
Study on Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (NIV)
I’m sure, it is not the first time we read and study the above story of Zacchaeus. Even, may be in our childhood when we went to Sunday-school, we had often heard the story of Zacchaeus. But, for me, it’s precisely shows the richness of our Bible, that each time we read and study the passages of the Bible, dig it again and deeper again, we always encounter new thoughts; new thoughts which we can understand and draw some principles of truth from them.
Zacchaeus’ interest.
Before I understand one of a personal -Bible study -method (I’ll share it on another post), it’d often said to us that Zacchaeus wished to met Jesus, because Jesus’ popularity, and because the news about marvelous things Jesus had done. And, just because he was little in stature, Zacchaeus had to climb the tree to saw Jesus.
But after I tried to understand it any further (by applying inductive Bible Study method); I found that there is a far stronger reason, a farm deeper one, than merely finding any satisfaction against his curiosity to saw someone so popular.
When we saw someone who was little in stature and had to climb a tree to saw Jesus, it might, for most of us, not such a big deal. But things could be different, when the one who climbed the tree was someone called Zacchaeus. Why? Because, what Zacchaeus had done, truly need such great guts to go through a remarkable risk.
Why do I mention about great guts and remarkable risk?
In above readings, Zacchaeus was described as a figure of a rich head tax-collector. By then, a tax-collector can be interpreted as one who was despised by the Jews, for they were assumed as a traitor by working for Roman government, and many among them misused their authority to extort the Jews more over.
Let’s imagine it: a rich man (often with such a pride), but being a public enemy, so dared to climbed a tree among the crowds, done such a countrified action, just to saw Jesus in a procession with His followers. Surely, when Zacchaeus got out of his house, and climbed the tree, people might shout at him and even mocked him against his awful deed.
Our next question is: “Why then Zacchaeus really, really wanted to take such a risky action in the middle of the crowds who shouted at him?”
When someone dared to done such a risky action, it’s so obvious that the answer would be that there’s a reason so strong; a real important reason that encouraged him done such an act against the people.
What then, was that reason to Zacchaeus?
Let us now, pay attention to previous passages and chapters, in this gospel of Luke. At least, there were 3 events heard by Zacchaeus, and which then become the strong reason for him to took such a risky act.
First, described in Luke 18 : 35~43. The passages told of a blind beggar getting attention and asked for help from Jesus, and he experienced God’s miracle on him. Secondly, before the event of that blind beggar, in verses 15~17, was told how the disciples of Jesus became angry to the parents who brought their children to be touched by Jesus, but on the contrary Jesus prohibited the disciples for hindering the children, because Jesus would greeted and blessed them. Then third, noted in Luke 17 : 11 ~ 19, about event of ten men who got leprosy met Jesus, asked to be healed, and they got healed by Jesus.
Who actually were the blind beggar, the children, and the men that got leprosy in those three events?
For the Jews by then, they were all be included as remoted people, marginal ones, could be equally mentioned as a second-class people, even they could be said as a low people, a group of people who is not worth to got any attention from others.
Very well then, apart from the three kinds of groups of people, there also were another groups avoided by the Jews, the groups that they called as sinners and pagans. And amongst the sinners were the tax-collectors, just as Zacchaeus was.
Zacchaeus himself aware that he was included as the public’s enemy and marginal people, and when he heard how Jesus was willing to received and greeted even marginal people in the former events, it’s emerging a giant puzzle in his heart: “Am I, as a marginal people, as the one they said as sinners, would be received by Jesus either, as He did treat the other groups of those marginal peoples?” For Zacchaeus, it was his only precious chance to prove if it’s true that Jesus would received and greeted marginal people, including the one as himself as sinners as the people called. Thus at that moment, for Zacchaeus, there were no barriers so difficult which cannot be passed by and there were no efforts that so heavy to took, even if it meant took some risky and dangerous act, went through people who was mocking and shouting at him.
And obviously . . . . . . . his efforts worked. Jesus drew near to him, and even asked him that He could droped by to his house. The giant puzzle in Zaccheus’ heart then met its answer.
Jesus’ interest.
Most of the time, the fore-knowledge of Jesus to see things which will be happen, become the reason that Jesus would drew near to Zacchaeus, just because Jesus knew already that Zacchaeus would ask forgiveness and then converted.
But, through this Bible study we try to learn to be rational. And, there’s a reasonable explanation why Jesus drew near to Zacchaeus at that moment.
As previously described, that the awful act Zacchaeus had done, would surely caused bold responds from the crowd around. Responds to an action of a ‘public enemy' which was seen so countrified, surely emerging a convulsing scene more than usual and obviously, that commotion in this roadside got the attention of Jesus also, including the mocking shouted by the crowd.
From the commotion that happened back then, Jesus could hear who Zacchaeus really was and Jesus understood that there’s so strong motivation in the being of a tax-collector that he dared to took such a remarkable risky action. And for Jesus, He could understand that beyond this strong motivation, there’s a real and deeper needs that should be answered immediately. For these reasons Jesus drew and greeted Zacchaeus and asked him to open his door.
At this moment, Jesus that was on His way getting through to the town of Jericho perforce to postponed the journey; stopped by to Zaccheus’ house and answered the giant puzzle in him about how his status before Jesus.
From this event, we can learn that, for Jesus, the salvation of even just one man, was so important, and had to get special notice, although that would mean delaying the journey He took.
Crowd’s interest.
On the opposite to Jesus’ view, the crowd who witnessed this event, precisely criticize Jesus for dropping by to Zacchaeus', the sinner.
As we previously mentioned in this Bible Study that it would not ever be happened for Jews to get in touch or even get along with one of the sinner. Especially for the religious leader and Pharisees, who assumed themselves as godly and righteous man, they would never willing to get in touch or get along with sinners, because for them, it would meant defiles them and get them unclean. Attitudes such as these were also blemished by Jesus in the parable on Luke 18 : 9 ~12.
When the crowd shout: “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”, then it could be undersd’s view as described above, would finally made them utandable that not only they assumed themselves as most righteous, more over they tried also to be seen by others as godly and righteous by adhered their custom & traditions of the ancestors, that often ranked as the Law.
The crownable to see the other people’s need, more over the deepest need in someone’s soul. This incapability then be answered and rebuked by Jesus in His last statement in verse 10 later.
Interested to The Truth
Right after the crowd criticized Zacchaeus as a sinner again, he stood up and said to Jesus: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount”.
My question is: did Zacchaeus’ shout about his possessions have been shouted as a moment of self-defense? That he could pay his sins and by doing so, cleansed him from a sinner?
My answer is NO, but rather as a response that he could encounter The Lord himself in Jesus.
Thus this Bible Study would go deeper beyond Zacchaeus’ statement.
What is the most frightening the riches?
Yes! . . . . . . losing their wealth, even more frighten than for the poor, because obviously the poor doesn’t have anything to get lost.
For the riches, they would be restless when their wealth lesser even a few, let alone losing their wealth.
Thus, what was happening to Zacchaeus that easily he released his wealth; released something that he cared and well guarded for his life when he said to Jesus: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor”?
Let us again visualize what was Zacchaeus had been through. He answered Jesus’ request to come to his house, immediately he climbed down the tree, escorted Jesus home to stayed, he sat down and may even ate together with Jesus, so that emerging critics from the crowd.
For the jew back then, when someone get invited to his house, they sat down, and even eat together, it would be pictured as the host who welcome the guest and when they eat together would be pictured as a deep fellowship has been made between them. And when there is a deep fellowship there would be a deep personal knowledge of each other. (c/w. Rev. 3 : 20)
So it was what happened too when Zacchaeus' response’d been proclaimed, it happended right after Zacchaeus encountered and had fellowship with Jesus, where he could know better about who Jesus was, dan even who Jesus was for himself as a man the crowd called as a sinner.
Now we can understand that what Zacchaeus had expressed, flowed from a consciousness that the knowledge of Jesus far more precious than anything else, more precious than wealth he heaped and well guarded along his life. The experience that reminded me to Apostle Paul, when he wrote: “But what things was gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phlp 3 : 7 ~ 8)
But, Zacchaeus' response didn’t stop there. He continued: “. . . . and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold”. There’s something bothering me about this statement, which he continued with “. . . . . . . . and if I have taken any thing. . . . .”.
In this Bible Study, we want to know better who Zacchaeus was.
In its origin, the word Zacchaeus could be translated as something pure. And it customary for the Jews back then, that a name given to someone would more or less described his character or the way he lived. In this case of Zacchaeus, what if that his name indicated his character, that he, with his pure heart, would never ever exhort anyone?
In considering that he had a pure heart, let us carefully look at the sentence of his response. It was in an if-clause which then crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, for along this time Zacchaeus did not ever exhort people, but just as consequence of the public’s opinion that tax collectors would certainly exhort people, so the crowd marked him as sinner. Or, maybe, another option was, as a chief of the tax-collectors he did not enable to exhort people directly by himself.
Or, another thought was that sure Zacchaeus did exhort people, but he did it without consciousness, whether just following the habitual of the other collectors, either he seek his own safety by did what the authority asked.
Amongs those possibility, I find the true meaningful answer, when Zacchaeus continued his statement: “…..I restore him fourfold”.
Why should he say fourfold? Was he intending to show off that he had abundantly so he could effort to restore those people fourfold? Did he feel so guilty that when he restored fourfold could cover up his guilt?
One of Bible Study activity is how we could find the true meaning of a verse by study its cross-refference verses.
When we try study the cross-refference verses for ‘fourfold’ amount, we could find that the amount was not an out-of-the language of the jews for this amount certainly was told to them in their daily life as described in Exodus 22 : 1, “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.” And as King David intended when he responded Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 12 : 6, “He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” Both verses told us that whosoever founded had stolen something, then he or she had to pay fourfold to their victims.
So we can conclude this that in his awareness or not, on purpose or not, whether it really happened an extortion or just a public opinion, one thing is certain that Zacchaeus willingly and in humble heart wanted to consider himself as a thief; or in other word, he claim himself that he was truly a sinner not only because the public opinion and called him as a sinner. And his humble confession on himself followed by an action of repentance by paid back his obligation as the sinner.
From this statement, we can learn that when someone encounters Jesus deeply, then he would see and admit himself that he is truly a sinner. The Bible told us: in the presence of God, all of our goodness even our godly righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64 : 6)
Upon this statement of Zacchaeus then Jesus commented: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. . . . .”.
We learn from this part that Jesus statement of the salvation for Zacchaeus (and his family) happened after the confession as a sinner who need God’s help and followed by respond of faith expressed in repentance and a new way of life in God. And Jesus reminded the crowd that they who called sons of Abraham were not only they whose had a descendant line of flesh and blood of Abraham but more to those who had responds of faith; faith that had been testified by Abraham.
This passage was closed by Jesus’ answer to the previous mockery of the crowd: “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”, that He precisely had to come to the sinners, so the sinners could be saved. But how come a sinner could be saved if he did not confess himself as a sinner and need the salvation Jesus had offered.
I think these are what the author wanted to tell through the story of Zacchaeus that we could meditate it further:
• Do we personally acknowledge that we are sinners who need the salvation in Jesus?
• De we believe that Jesus came for each and every one of us to give the salvation for us personally?
• Do we want to repent against our old life and have a new purpose in our life? The Life in the knowledge and fellowship with God?
May God help us and bless us!
Study on Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (NIV)
I’m sure, it is not the first time we read and study the above story of Zacchaeus. Even, may be in our childhood when we went to Sunday-school, we had often heard the story of Zacchaeus. But, for me, it’s precisely shows the richness of our Bible, that each time we read and study the passages of the Bible, dig it again and deeper again, we always encounter new thoughts; new thoughts which we can understand and draw some principles of truth from them.
Zacchaeus’ interest.
Before I understand one of a personal -Bible study -method (I’ll share it on another post), it’d often said to us that Zacchaeus wished to met Jesus, because Jesus’ popularity, and because the news about marvelous things Jesus had done. And, just because he was little in stature, Zacchaeus had to climb the tree to saw Jesus.
But after I tried to understand it any further (by applying inductive Bible Study method); I found that there is a far stronger reason, a farm deeper one, than merely finding any satisfaction against his curiosity to saw someone so popular.
When we saw someone who was little in stature and had to climb a tree to saw Jesus, it might, for most of us, not such a big deal. But things could be different, when the one who climbed the tree was someone called Zacchaeus. Why? Because, what Zacchaeus had done, truly need such great guts to go through a remarkable risk.
Why do I mention about great guts and remarkable risk?
In above readings, Zacchaeus was described as a figure of a rich head tax-collector. By then, a tax-collector can be interpreted as one who was despised by the Jews, for they were assumed as a traitor by working for Roman government, and many among them misused their authority to extort the Jews more over.
Let’s imagine it: a rich man (often with such a pride), but being a public enemy, so dared to climbed a tree among the crowds, done such a countrified action, just to saw Jesus in a procession with His followers. Surely, when Zacchaeus got out of his house, and climbed the tree, people might shout at him and even mocked him against his awful deed.
Our next question is: “Why then Zacchaeus really, really wanted to take such a risky action in the middle of the crowds who shouted at him?”
When someone dared to done such a risky action, it’s so obvious that the answer would be that there’s a reason so strong; a real important reason that encouraged him done such an act against the people.
What then, was that reason to Zacchaeus?
Let us now, pay attention to previous passages and chapters, in this gospel of Luke. At least, there were 3 events heard by Zacchaeus, and which then become the strong reason for him to took such a risky act.
First, described in Luke 18 : 35~43. The passages told of a blind beggar getting attention and asked for help from Jesus, and he experienced God’s miracle on him. Secondly, before the event of that blind beggar, in verses 15~17, was told how the disciples of Jesus became angry to the parents who brought their children to be touched by Jesus, but on the contrary Jesus prohibited the disciples for hindering the children, because Jesus would greeted and blessed them. Then third, noted in Luke 17 : 11 ~ 19, about event of ten men who got leprosy met Jesus, asked to be healed, and they got healed by Jesus.
Who actually were the blind beggar, the children, and the men that got leprosy in those three events?
For the Jews by then, they were all be included as remoted people, marginal ones, could be equally mentioned as a second-class people, even they could be said as a low people, a group of people who is not worth to got any attention from others.
Very well then, apart from the three kinds of groups of people, there also were another groups avoided by the Jews, the groups that they called as sinners and pagans. And amongst the sinners were the tax-collectors, just as Zacchaeus was.
Zacchaeus himself aware that he was included as the public’s enemy and marginal people, and when he heard how Jesus was willing to received and greeted even marginal people in the former events, it’s emerging a giant puzzle in his heart: “Am I, as a marginal people, as the one they said as sinners, would be received by Jesus either, as He did treat the other groups of those marginal peoples?” For Zacchaeus, it was his only precious chance to prove if it’s true that Jesus would received and greeted marginal people, including the one as himself as sinners as the people called. Thus at that moment, for Zacchaeus, there were no barriers so difficult which cannot be passed by and there were no efforts that so heavy to took, even if it meant took some risky and dangerous act, went through people who was mocking and shouting at him.
And obviously . . . . . . . his efforts worked. Jesus drew near to him, and even asked him that He could droped by to his house. The giant puzzle in Zaccheus’ heart then met its answer.
Jesus’ interest.
Most of the time, the fore-knowledge of Jesus to see things which will be happen, become the reason that Jesus would drew near to Zacchaeus, just because Jesus knew already that Zacchaeus would ask forgiveness and then converted.
But, through this Bible study we try to learn to be rational. And, there’s a reasonable explanation why Jesus drew near to Zacchaeus at that moment.
As previously described, that the awful act Zacchaeus had done, would surely caused bold responds from the crowd around. Responds to an action of a ‘public enemy' which was seen so countrified, surely emerging a convulsing scene more than usual and obviously, that commotion in this roadside got the attention of Jesus also, including the mocking shouted by the crowd.
From the commotion that happened back then, Jesus could hear who Zacchaeus really was and Jesus understood that there’s so strong motivation in the being of a tax-collector that he dared to took such a remarkable risky action. And for Jesus, He could understand that beyond this strong motivation, there’s a real and deeper needs that should be answered immediately. For these reasons Jesus drew and greeted Zacchaeus and asked him to open his door.
At this moment, Jesus that was on His way getting through to the town of Jericho perforce to postponed the journey; stopped by to Zaccheus’ house and answered the giant puzzle in him about how his status before Jesus.
From this event, we can learn that, for Jesus, the salvation of even just one man, was so important, and had to get special notice, although that would mean delaying the journey He took.
Crowd’s interest.
On the opposite to Jesus’ view, the crowd who witnessed this event, precisely criticize Jesus for dropping by to Zacchaeus', the sinner.
As we previously mentioned in this Bible Study that it would not ever be happened for Jews to get in touch or even get along with one of the sinner. Especially for the religious leader and Pharisees, who assumed themselves as godly and righteous man, they would never willing to get in touch or get along with sinners, because for them, it would meant defiles them and get them unclean. Attitudes such as these were also blemished by Jesus in the parable on Luke 18 : 9 ~12.
When the crowd shout: “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”, then it could be undersd’s view as described above, would finally made them utandable that not only they assumed themselves as most righteous, more over they tried also to be seen by others as godly and righteous by adhered their custom & traditions of the ancestors, that often ranked as the Law.
The crownable to see the other people’s need, more over the deepest need in someone’s soul. This incapability then be answered and rebuked by Jesus in His last statement in verse 10 later.
Interested to The Truth
Right after the crowd criticized Zacchaeus as a sinner again, he stood up and said to Jesus: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount”.
My question is: did Zacchaeus’ shout about his possessions have been shouted as a moment of self-defense? That he could pay his sins and by doing so, cleansed him from a sinner?
My answer is NO, but rather as a response that he could encounter The Lord himself in Jesus.
Thus this Bible Study would go deeper beyond Zacchaeus’ statement.
What is the most frightening the riches?
Yes! . . . . . . losing their wealth, even more frighten than for the poor, because obviously the poor doesn’t have anything to get lost.
For the riches, they would be restless when their wealth lesser even a few, let alone losing their wealth.
Thus, what was happening to Zacchaeus that easily he released his wealth; released something that he cared and well guarded for his life when he said to Jesus: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor”?
Let us again visualize what was Zacchaeus had been through. He answered Jesus’ request to come to his house, immediately he climbed down the tree, escorted Jesus home to stayed, he sat down and may even ate together with Jesus, so that emerging critics from the crowd.
For the jew back then, when someone get invited to his house, they sat down, and even eat together, it would be pictured as the host who welcome the guest and when they eat together would be pictured as a deep fellowship has been made between them. And when there is a deep fellowship there would be a deep personal knowledge of each other. (c/w. Rev. 3 : 20)
So it was what happened too when Zacchaeus' response’d been proclaimed, it happended right after Zacchaeus encountered and had fellowship with Jesus, where he could know better about who Jesus was, dan even who Jesus was for himself as a man the crowd called as a sinner.
Now we can understand that what Zacchaeus had expressed, flowed from a consciousness that the knowledge of Jesus far more precious than anything else, more precious than wealth he heaped and well guarded along his life. The experience that reminded me to Apostle Paul, when he wrote: “But what things was gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phlp 3 : 7 ~ 8)
But, Zacchaeus' response didn’t stop there. He continued: “. . . . and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold”. There’s something bothering me about this statement, which he continued with “. . . . . . . . and if I have taken any thing. . . . .”.
In this Bible Study, we want to know better who Zacchaeus was.
In its origin, the word Zacchaeus could be translated as something pure. And it customary for the Jews back then, that a name given to someone would more or less described his character or the way he lived. In this case of Zacchaeus, what if that his name indicated his character, that he, with his pure heart, would never ever exhort anyone?
In considering that he had a pure heart, let us carefully look at the sentence of his response. It was in an if-clause which then crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, for along this time Zacchaeus did not ever exhort people, but just as consequence of the public’s opinion that tax collectors would certainly exhort people, so the crowd marked him as sinner. Or, maybe, another option was, as a chief of the tax-collectors he did not enable to exhort people directly by himself.
Or, another thought was that sure Zacchaeus did exhort people, but he did it without consciousness, whether just following the habitual of the other collectors, either he seek his own safety by did what the authority asked.
Amongs those possibility, I find the true meaningful answer, when Zacchaeus continued his statement: “…..I restore him fourfold”.
Why should he say fourfold? Was he intending to show off that he had abundantly so he could effort to restore those people fourfold? Did he feel so guilty that when he restored fourfold could cover up his guilt?
One of Bible Study activity is how we could find the true meaning of a verse by study its cross-refference verses.
When we try study the cross-refference verses for ‘fourfold’ amount, we could find that the amount was not an out-of-the language of the jews for this amount certainly was told to them in their daily life as described in Exodus 22 : 1, “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.” And as King David intended when he responded Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 12 : 6, “He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” Both verses told us that whosoever founded had stolen something, then he or she had to pay fourfold to their victims.
So we can conclude this that in his awareness or not, on purpose or not, whether it really happened an extortion or just a public opinion, one thing is certain that Zacchaeus willingly and in humble heart wanted to consider himself as a thief; or in other word, he claim himself that he was truly a sinner not only because the public opinion and called him as a sinner. And his humble confession on himself followed by an action of repentance by paid back his obligation as the sinner.
From this statement, we can learn that when someone encounters Jesus deeply, then he would see and admit himself that he is truly a sinner. The Bible told us: in the presence of God, all of our goodness even our godly righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64 : 6)
Upon this statement of Zacchaeus then Jesus commented: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. . . . .”.
We learn from this part that Jesus statement of the salvation for Zacchaeus (and his family) happened after the confession as a sinner who need God’s help and followed by respond of faith expressed in repentance and a new way of life in God. And Jesus reminded the crowd that they who called sons of Abraham were not only they whose had a descendant line of flesh and blood of Abraham but more to those who had responds of faith; faith that had been testified by Abraham.
This passage was closed by Jesus’ answer to the previous mockery of the crowd: “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”, that He precisely had to come to the sinners, so the sinners could be saved. But how come a sinner could be saved if he did not confess himself as a sinner and need the salvation Jesus had offered.
I think these are what the author wanted to tell through the story of Zacchaeus that we could meditate it further:
• Do we personally acknowledge that we are sinners who need the salvation in Jesus?
• De we believe that Jesus came for each and every one of us to give the salvation for us personally?
• Do we want to repent against our old life and have a new purpose in our life? The Life in the knowledge and fellowship with God?
May God help us and bless us!
This post first appeared on Bible Study With Simple Bible Study Method, please read the originial post: here
