Episode #63. This chapter includes the story of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, the parable of the ten minas, and, once again, the Triumphal Entry and the cleansing of the Temple.
Transcript
Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #63. Today we’ll read the 19th chapter of Luke together. This chapter includes the story of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, the parable of the ten minas, and, once again, the Triumphal Entry and the cleansing of the Temple.
Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast. I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together. Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should. It’s just easier to do it with a friend. So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud. I’m so glad you’re here!
Praise God! Yosemite National Park is opening back up! We live about an hour outside the gate and Mitch goes hiking there A LOT. I mean, I feel so blessed that he has been using this time of sheltering at home to check off myriad projects around the house. But sometimes, the boy just needs to get away and see something beautiful. It restores his soul. So, this morning we spent way too much time on a site that was never meant to accommodate millions of people all at once trying to get one of only 1700 tickets per day just to get inside the Park. But God smiled on us. So, this girl is gonna pack us some chicken salad wraps and we’re gonna do lunch in Tuolumne Meadows next week. Thank You, Lord.
Luke Chapter 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since He was about to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully. 7 All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to lodge with a sinful man!” 8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much!” 9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” 11 As they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away. 12 Therefore He said: “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return. 13 He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’ 15 “At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those slaves he had given the money to so he could find out how much they had made in business. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.’ 17 ” ‘Well done, good slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’ 18 “The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.’ 20 “And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth 21 because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’ 22 “He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! [If] you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow, 23 why didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!’ 24 So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.’ 25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has 10 minas.’ 26 ” ‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. 27 But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’ “28 When He had said these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As He approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples 30 and said, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent left and found it just as He had told them. 33 As they were untying the young donkey, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the donkey?” 34 “The Lord needs it,” they said. 35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their robes on the donkey, they helped Jesus get on it. 36 As He was going along, they were spreading their robes on the road. 37 Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen: 38 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven! 39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!” 41 As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, 42 saying, “If you knew this day what [would bring] peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. 44 They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” 45 He went into the temple complex and began to throw out those who were selling, 46 and He said, “It is written, My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves !” 47 Every day He was teaching in the temple complex. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to destroy Him, 48 but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard.
This chapter starts with a story we haven’t heard before. The story of Zacchaeus the tax collector is only told in the Gospel of Luke. I wonder why? I mean it’s a great story. Zacchaeus was rich…he had done well for himself. He had money in the bank, probably a well-funded 401k. His wife probably had a nice wardrobe and all the finest new kitchen gadgets. But all this came at a cost, didn’t it? I bet Zacchaeus was a good Jew but was enticed by the riches that being a tax collector brought. Then that temptation led to his cheating and overcharging, like it usually did with tax collectors. He did that to his own Jewish brothers and it seemed as if he had regrets about that and was perhaps weary of being hated. Then, he heard Jesus was passing thru. He had probably heard about Jesus but more than that he seemed drawn to Him. What else would cause a successful businessman to forego his poise and dignity and climb up into a tree just so he could see over a crowd. And then, like Jesus will do for anyone who seeks, He stopped and invited Himself over. And Zacchaeus’ heart was changed. Maybe by a feeling of acceptance, maybe by hope. But whatever is was, he was changed. Let’s pray. Lord, I don’t know why Luke told this story when none of the other gospel writers did, but I hope You’ll tell me someday. Thank You, Jesus, that You so profoundly affected Zacchaeus and have done the same to me. Thank You that You are still changing hearts today. I pray that You are changing a heart right now. Amen.
Thank you for joining me here today. I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here. In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort. Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us. If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you right here tomorrow. Be well!
Show Notes
- Awesome Video of Solomon’s Temple
- These will help! Overview videos of all books of the Bible
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Bible Study Resources
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