1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8But 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." 9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' 15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." (NIV)
Main Points
A. Jesus brings the rich as well as the poor into His kingdom.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8But 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." 9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' 15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." (NIV)
Main Points
A. Jesus brings the rich as well as the poor into His kingdom.
2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
9Jesus said…"Today salvation has come to this house….”
Recall how our Lord said in Luke 18 that “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." But this story of Zacchaeus – as well as the account of the centurion (Lk 7:1-10) – reminds us that “what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Lk 18:27).
What ultimately counts in God’s eyes is a “poverty of spirit” – the realization that, no matter how much – or little – you own, you look upon yourself as helpless and hopeless before a holy God (Isa 57:15; 66:2; Luke 18:9-14). The eagerness with which Zacchaeus sought out Jesus (by climbing a tree) may have indicated that - even then - he had come to this place in his heart; being in a tree was not the most dignified position for someone like him (especially as a “chief” tax collector, who presided over many others in the same role) to be in!
B. Generosity is one of the fruits of saving faith.
8…"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." 9Jesus said to him, "this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
Zacchaeus’ commitment to provide for the poor was not a condition of salvation, but was rather a reflection of a transformed heart.
Reflection question: Is my faith in Christ made manifest through what I give?
C. Once again we are reminded of the purpose of Jesus' mission: to save sinners.
10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
An important recurring theme in Luke’s gospel account – see also Lk 5:31-32, and the entirety of chapter 15. We need always need to be reminded of this, lest we fall into the trap of embracing an idea that's often associated with “liberal Christianity” or even some aspects of the “emerging church movement” – i.e., that Jesus’ main purpose was to bring a moral and social revolution.
D. It was Christ's design to go away and return again, as opposed to taking reign immediately.
11…the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return…”
E. Since Christ has yet to return, His disciples must be faithful with what He has entrusted to them.
'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
”minas” – “…more than 3 months’ salary. The mina was one-sixtieth of a talent, meaning that the 10 servants in this parable had been given a considerably smaller sum to account for than any of the 3 servants in the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30)." (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1553)
In the same way that the master of the parable has entrusted money to his servants, so the LORD has entrusted His people to be faithful with any gift He’s given them: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms” (1 Pet 4:10).
F. Christ will reward faithfulness when He returns.
16…'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
18….Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
There is considerable Biblical evidence for this concept of “reward” (Mt 6:1-18; 10:40-42; 16:27; Lk 6:22-24, 35; 1 Co 4:5; Col 3:23-24; 2 Jn 8; Rev 22:12), even though it is never quite made clear just what it is. For some interesting and persuasive insight, however, I recommend a sermon of John Piper’s on 2 Cor 5:1-10 (click here)
Reflection question: Do I continually realize that God will hold me to account for what He has entrusted to me? What am I doing with my time, energy and resources?
G. Those who do not believe in God – no matter what “relationship” they might have with Him – ultimately end up with nothing at all.
21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man….
24'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
“I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant”(v. 22): Although in fact the master was not harsh (look at how he treated the other two servants), he is condemning the third servant by the same standards that the latter is holding the former to – i.e. Has the servant received what he “put in”? (no, because he never “put in” , or invested his mina to begin with); Has the servant “reaped” what he’s sown? (no, for the same reason). ”The third servant represents all those tied to the community who neither trust nor know the goodness of the master Jesus. Perhaps a figure like Judas is in view here. Mere association with the community counts for nothing; what counts is personal relationship to Jesus.” (Bock, NIV Application Commentary: Luke, p. 487)
An important recurring theme in Luke’s gospel account – see also Lk 5:31-32, and the entirety of chapter 15. We need always need to be reminded of this, lest we fall into the trap of embracing an idea that's often associated with “liberal Christianity” or even some aspects of the “emerging church movement” – i.e., that Jesus’ main purpose was to bring a moral and social revolution.
D. It was Christ's design to go away and return again, as opposed to taking reign immediately.
11…the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return…”
E. Since Christ has yet to return, His disciples must be faithful with what He has entrusted to them.
'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
”minas” – “…more than 3 months’ salary. The mina was one-sixtieth of a talent, meaning that the 10 servants in this parable had been given a considerably smaller sum to account for than any of the 3 servants in the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30)." (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1553)
In the same way that the master of the parable has entrusted money to his servants, so the LORD has entrusted His people to be faithful with any gift He’s given them: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms” (1 Pet 4:10).
F. Christ will reward faithfulness when He returns.
16…'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
18….Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
There is considerable Biblical evidence for this concept of “reward” (Mt 6:1-18; 10:40-42; 16:27; Lk 6:22-24, 35; 1 Co 4:5; Col 3:23-24; 2 Jn 8; Rev 22:12), even though it is never quite made clear just what it is. For some interesting and persuasive insight, however, I recommend a sermon of John Piper’s on 2 Cor 5:1-10 (click here)
Reflection question: Do I continually realize that God will hold me to account for what He has entrusted to me? What am I doing with my time, energy and resources?
G. Those who do not believe in God – no matter what “relationship” they might have with Him – ultimately end up with nothing at all.
21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man….
24'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
“I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant”(v. 22): Although in fact the master was not harsh (look at how he treated the other two servants), he is condemning the third servant by the same standards that the latter is holding the former to – i.e. Has the servant received what he “put in”? (no, because he never “put in” , or invested his mina to begin with); Has the servant “reaped” what he’s sown? (no, for the same reason). ”The third servant represents all those tied to the community who neither trust nor know the goodness of the master Jesus. Perhaps a figure like Judas is in view here. Mere association with the community counts for nothing; what counts is personal relationship to Jesus.” (Bock, NIV Application Commentary: Luke, p. 487)
H. Those who do not accept Christ as their King and Ruler will experience His wrath.
27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.
“Kill them in front of me” – a horrible picture, to be sure, but we should bear in mind that this image only provides a picture of something far worse, i.e. eternal judgment for those who have rejected Christ.
Reflection question: Have I come to terms with just how horrible the reality of everlasting judgment is? Am I praying for my non-Christian friends, family members, coworkers, etc. as a result?
27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.
“Kill them in front of me” – a horrible picture, to be sure, but we should bear in mind that this image only provides a picture of something far worse, i.e. eternal judgment for those who have rejected Christ.
Reflection question: Have I come to terms with just how horrible the reality of everlasting judgment is? Am I praying for my non-Christian friends, family members, coworkers, etc. as a result?
