Stepping in the Light

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.” Luke 19:1-5

Zacchaeus was an important man. At the very least, he was the leader of the tax collectors in Jericho, but it is possible that his title applies to the whole region, or even the entire country. Zacchaeus had evidently heard about Jesus and wanted to see him. He wasn’t trying to use his connections to get the opportunity to talk with Jesus, he just wanted to get a glimpse of Him. Zacchaeus figured out which way Jesus was travelling, hurried ahead, and climbed up in a tree so he could get a good look at Him as He passed by. You may be sure that Zacchaeus was surprised that Jesus stopped right under the tree where he was, called him by name, and announced that He was coming over to his house that day. Some people criticized Jesus for being a guest at a sinner’s house, but Jesus told them that He came to seek and to save the lost. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus that day, but he didn’t realize that Jesus was looking for him. It matters not whether they are short or tall, rich or poor, popular or obscure; Jesus wants to save sinners of every kind.

“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:22-27

It is quite natural for people to think that good works somehow earn us favor with God. The ruler who came to Jesus in this passage asking about how to gain eternal life certainly was thinking that way. He told Jesus that he had kept the commandments his whole life. The people standing nearby who heard their conversation were also thinking the same way. They assumed that since this man was living a good life and had plenty of money, he would certainly get to heaven. When they heard Jesus say how difficult it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, they asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus told them that God can do things which are impossible for people. What they didn’t understand was that it is impossible for any person to save himself. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so that it would become possible for everyone to be saved. All things are possible with God!

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

The Pharisees were highly religious and commanded a great deal of respect from their peers. The publicans were Jews who collected taxes on behalf of the Roman government, and they were known for taking a hefty portion of the money they collected for themselves. Because of this, the publicans were hated and despised. In this parable, Jesus helps us to see the importance of humility before God. The Pharisee thought he was a very good person, but the Lord would not hear him. In contrast, the publican saw himself as totally unworthy. He stood far away from the temple because he thought that he was not good enough to even get close to it. He kept his head bowed as he prayed, admitted that he was a sinner, and asked God for mercy.  Jesus said that this man went to his house justified rather than the other. Which one of these men can you relate to the best? Are you proud or humble in your approach to God?

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:28-32

When the angels came to Sodom to take Lot and his family out of the city before the fire fell, they told Lot and his wife not to look back at the city. Lot’s wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Her life ended because she could not overcome the overwhelming desire that she had for the things that she and her husband had in Sodom. She did not know what was going to happen to her if she looked back. She did not realize what that one fleeting glance was going to cost her.

Jesus used Lot’s wife as an illustration to help us understand how important it is to be ready for His return. In order to live the kind of life that will enable us to be prepared to meet Him, we have to understand what is really important. We have to place more value on eternal things than we do on temporal things. If Jesus came today, is there anything in your life that you would have a difficult time letting go of? He wants us to be so eager for His return that we won’t even need to look back.

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Luke 17:12-18

Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him. They had all called out to Him for mercy. In that regard, they had all exercised faith in Him. They believed that He could heal them, but there is a difference between faith and gratitude. Faith is believing in what God can and will do for us, but gratitude is recognizing Him and thanking Him for what He has already done. Without God, we are just like these lepers. The disease they suffered from was painful, humiliating, and deadly. By nature, we are sinners who suffer from a painful, humiliating, and deadly condition. When we receive Christ, He cleanses us from all of our sin. The penalty is lifted, the guilt erased, and we are set free. How often do we return to Him and thank Him for saving us? We should take time every day to express our gratitude for the miracle of salvation.

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” Luke 16:10-12

Many people like to compartmentalize their lives into secular and sacred. Most Christians would not think of their money as something spiritual, but Jesus pointed to money (the unrighteous mammon) as something that is used as an indicator of trustworthiness.  Jesus was speaking about faithfulness and the importance of little things. He told His followers that there are true riches that will not be entrusted to those who are not faithful in the relatively unimportant things like money. It is easy to take little things for granted; but at the same time, it is natural for us to judge someone else’s character by the routine things that we see them do. Stopping to pick up a piece of paper on the ground and throw it away seems like a small thing, but a person who is above doing this probably isn’t attending to other small things in life that may be very important. When someone is faithful in small things, it causes us to naturally be willing to trust them with more. Every day, God is looking at our lives and deciding how much He is going to invest in us. The more faithful we are in small things, the more likely it will be that He will entrust us with bigger things. The Lord is teaching us here that the little things are important.

“So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.” II Samuel 9:13

David promised Jonathan that when he became king, he would show kindness to Jonathan’s family. Jonathan died in battle before David became king, but David remembered his promise and decided to try to find one of Jonathan’s sons that he could do something special for. In many ways, we can see a picture of what God does for us as Christians in what David did for Mephibosheth. David was the king; Mephibosheth was a cripple. David had power and wealth; Mephibosheth was poor and weak. David sought for Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth had no way to approach the king on his own. David brought Mephibosheth into his home to eat at his table as if he were one of the king’s sons. Mephibosheth was lame in both his feet, but as long as he was seated at the king’s table, his deficiencies were completely covered. David gave Mephibosheth the inheritance of his father and grandfather. These amounted to riches beyond anything that Mephibosheth could have imagined. When we look at this picture, it should cause us to be thankful for everything that God has done for us. He has saved us and washed us from our sins. He has made us to sit at His table as His children and given us an unending supply. While we are seated at His table, our sins are covered by His grace. Praise God that through Jesus Christ, we are no longer poor outcasts, but children of the king!

“And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” II Samuel 6:3, 6-7

God gave very clear instructions to Moses about the Ark of the Covenant. Only certain people were ever allowed to see it or be near it. It was to be covered whenever it was moved, there was a specific way that it was to be carried using poles that slid through rings on the sides of the ark, and only certain people were allowed to carry it. No one was ever to touch it. If a person touched the ark, that person would die. The people were doing a good thing in the passage above, but they went about it the wrong way. They were very excited about bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and they did everything they could to make it a special occasion. The problem was that they failed to follow God’s instructions to Moses about how the ark should be transported. They placed the ark on a cart pulled by oxen. The ark shook as they travelled, and Uzzah reached out to steady it. As soon as he touched the ark, Uzzah died. If we aren’t careful, we can make the same kind of mistakes in New Testament times. It is wonderful to serve the Lord, but we must always be sure to do God’s work God’s way.

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Luke 14:28-30

A tremendous amount of planning goes into every construction project. Blueprints must be drawn for every trade and someone must be prepared to coordinate every phase of construction process. Detailed lists are compiled of the specific building materials needed and orders are placed and deliveries are scheduled well in advance. But before the first shovel of dirt can be moved, someone has to calculate the total cost of the project to be sure that the funds necessary for completion will be available.

Jesus used this illustration to help us understand that there is a cost associated with following Him. There are changes that must be made to our lifestyles. There are sacrifices that He expects us to make if we desire to be His disciples. It is easy to say that we want to be a Christian. It has often been said that becoming a Christian is one of the easiest things that a person could do. Believing in Jesus and asking Him to save us is simple. On the other hand, one of the most difficult things that a person can do is to live like a Christian. Jesus said that if we want to be His disciples, we must first count the cost.

“So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:21-23

Jesus told a parable of a man who hosted a great supper. He invited his friends and the important people in town to his banquet, but they all made excuses as to why they could not come to the banquet. The master was determined that his banquet would be furnished with guests; so he sent out his servants to bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. The servants brought in as many as they could, but there was still room for more. The master sent out his servants again and told them to compel people to come in.

In this parable, the host represents God. The important people who made excuses represent the people of Israel. The poor and sick represent the Gentiles. The servants represent believers in Christ. The primary application of this parable is that God wants everyone to be saved. It doesn’t matter what their background is; He wants them. There is always room for more at God’s banquet table. As believers, we are the servants who are supposed to be bringing people in. Have you invited someone to the banquet lately? There is still plenty of room.