Luke 19:1-10
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
January 16, 2002
Introduction
We are in the last weeks of Jesus’ life. He’s on His way to Jerusalem.
:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
entered – eiserchomai – to go out or come in: to enter. Aorist participle.
passed through – dierchomai – to go through, pass through; to go, walk, journey, pass through a place. Imperfect tense – He “was passing through”
Jericho – last week we mentioned that in Jesus’ day there were two Jerichos. There was the ancient Jericho and there was the Roman Jericho. The blind man Bartimaeus was on the portion of road between the two Jerichos. Jesus is now entering into the second, Roman Jericho.
Chuck: The city of Jericho was an oasis. It was a resort town; it was the Palm Springs, except even more lush. The winters can get quite cold in Jerusalem. They get even an occasional snow. But down in Jericho in the wintertime the weather is just really perfect. The days are usually clear. You get less than two inches of rain during the year. And yet because it is about 1100 feet below sea level, there are all kinds of springs and little streams down there in Jericho because of your depth. And there are just these artesian wells or springs and all of this fresh water. And with the warm temperatures that are usually in the wintertime into the 80’s during the daytime, it just makes for lush growing and a year round growing season. And there’s just great citrus and all types of fruits that are grown there in the area around Jericho. So it became a retreat for the wealthy people. They would all have their winter houses down in Jericho.
Jerusalem is just 15 miles up the hill from Jericho.
:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
Zacchaeus – Zakchaios – “pure”
chief among the publicans – architelones (“ruler” + “tax collector”) – a chief of tax collectors, chief publican
The Roman system of collecting taxes, especially the teloi, in their provinces, included ordinarily three grades of officials. There was the highest, called in Latin publicanus, who paid a sum of money for the taxes of a certain province, and then exacted that and as much more as he could from the province. This man lived in Rome. Then there were the submagistri, who had charge each of a certain portion of territory, and who lived in the provinces. Then there were the portitores, the actual custom-house officers, who did the real work of collecting the taxes. The N.T. word telwnhv is used to describe one of the portitores; it is the lowest of these three grades. It does not correspond to the Latin publicanus, and the word publican used to translate it in A.V. and R.V. is apt to be misleading; tax-collector would be better. arcitelwnhv, only occurring in Luke 19:2, evidently describes a higher official than telwnhv, and is probably one of the submagistri, the next higher grade.
rich – plousios – wealthy, abounding in material resources
Publicans – “telones” in the book of Luke:
There were publicans that came to John the Baptist. He told them,
(Luke 3:12-13 KJV) Then came
also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
{13} And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
One of Jesus’ twelve disciples had been a publican.
(Luke 5:27-32 KJV) And after
these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the
receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. {28} And he left all, rose
up, and followed him. {29} And Levi made him a great feast in his own house:
and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with
them. {30} But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples,
saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? {31} And Jesus
answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they
that are sick. {32} I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.
Levi (also known as Matthew) left his job to follow Jesus. He also made a point of throwing a party and inviting all his publican friends to meet Jesus.
Even though some of the “church people” didn’t like Jesus mingling with these people, Jesus classified them as “sick” and as needing a physician.
I sometimes think that Jesus only ministered to the poorest of the poor, but in fact He also spent time ministering to the rich publicans because they too were sinful and needed His help.
Again, Jesus attracted the publicans. He even welcomed them.
(Luke 15:1-6 KJV) Then drew
near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. {2} And the
Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth
with them. {3} And he spake this parable unto them, saying, {4} What man of
you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety
and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
{5} And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. {6}
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying
unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
The “nice people” weren’t too happy about Jesus spending time with the publicans.
Jesus told a parable in which the publican was the “good guy”.
(Luke 18:9-14 KJV) And he
spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others: {10} Two men went up into the temple to pray;
the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. {11} 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. {12} I fast twice
in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. {13} 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. {14} 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.
It would be better to be a wealthy publican who realizes he is a sinner than to be a Pharisee who doesn’t think he needs God’s help.
:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
he sought – zeteo – to seek in order to find. Imperfect tense: he “was seeking”.
to see – eido – to see; to perceive with the eyes; to perceive, notice, discern, discover; to know
could – dunamai – to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; to be able to do something; to be capable, strong and powerful
press – ochlos – a crowd; a casual collection of people; a throng; a multitude
stature – helikia – age, time of life; stature, i.e in height and comeliness of stature
little – mikros – small, little; of size: hence of stature, of length
:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
ran – protrecho – to run before, to outrun
before – emprosthen – in front, before; before, in the presence of, i.e. opposite to, over against one; before, in the sight of
climbed up – anabaino – ascend; to go up; to rise, mount, be borne up, spring up
sycamore
tree – sukomoraia – a sycomore
tree. A tree that looked like a fig tree, but had fruit more like a mulberry
tree, it was sometimes called a “fig-mulberry” or a “sycomore fig” (Ficus
sycomorus). It has an edible pear-shaped fruit that is sweet and slightly
aromatic, but inferior to the common fig. It is easily destroyed by frost and
is found mostly in the valleys or lowlands (like Jericho). It is a large tree,
and is a favorite shade tree in the Middle East.
to pass – dierchomai – to go through, pass through
Yesterday I was down in Newport Beach and happened to pass the route where the Olympic torch was going to come through. The crowds were lining up for a couple of miles to get a glimpse of the torch.
:5 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.
he looked up – anablepo – to look up; to recover (lost) sight
Zacchaeus – How did Jesus know this guy’s name? He knows everything.
make haste – speudo – to haste, make haste; to desire earnestly. “Hurry up, Zack, I want to spend time with you!!!”
come down – katabaino – to go down, come down, descend; the place from which one has come down from
to day – semeron – this (very) day); what has happened today
house – oikos – a house; an inhabited house, home
must – dei – it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper
abide – meno – to remain, abide; in reference to place; to continue to be present; of persons, to survive, live
Lesson
Jesus wants to be at home
with you
On Sunday, I mentioned the little booklet written by Robert Munger back in 1954, “My Heart, Christ’s Home”. Mr. Munger paints a picture of how Jesus comes into our lives and wants to not just be a guest in the way, but to be “at home” in our hearts. Here’s some more of that booklet:
Illustration
The Living Room
From the dining room we walked into the living room. This room was intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere. He said, “This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together.” Well, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in close companionship. He promised, “I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together.” So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and read together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God’s saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. These were wonderful times. However, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. Why, I’m not sure. I thought I was too busy to spend regular time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand. It just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss days now and then. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus. I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, “He is my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as my Savior and Friend, and yet I am neglecting Him.” I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With downcast glance, I said, “Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?” “Yes,” He said, “I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiet time for your own sake, do it for mine.” The truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don’t let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.
My Heart Christ's Home © 1954 Robert Boyd Munger.
To purchase a copy of Mr. Munger’s book from Amazon.com, click here.
:6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
he made haste – speudo – to haste, make haste; to desire earnestly
came down – katabaino – to go down, come down, descend; the place from which one has come down from
received – hupodechomai – to receive as a guest
joyfully – chairo – to rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly
:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured
they saw – eido – to see; to perceive with the eyes; to perceive by any of the senses; to perceive, notice, discern, discover; to know
all – hapas – quite, all, the whole, all together, all
murmured – diagogguzo – to murmur; either of a whole crowd, or among one another; always used of many indignantly complaining. This is a more intensive form of gogguzo, which simply means to “murmur”.
The simpler form (gogguzo) was used in:
Lu 5:30 But their scribes
and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink
with publicans and sinners?
Back in chapter 5, they were “slightly” complaining.
The more intense form (diagogguzo) was used one other place:
Lu 15:2 And the Pharisees
and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
Here, it’s not just the scribes and Pharisees, but ALL are murmuring over this.
As Jesus’ ministry is progressing, so is the complaining and grumbling.
Perhaps in the beginning some of the people were thinking, “Well, give Him some time, He’ll see what a bad move that is …” But now, when Jesus reaches out to Zacchaeus, the whole crowd is complaining.
And after all, why not? As the chief of the tax-collectors, everyone hates Zacchaeus.
Illustration
It would be as if Jesus were walking through Houston, Texas, and came up to Kenneth Lay, the president of the now bankrupt Enron corporation, and said, “Mr. Lay, I want to come to your house!”
Jesus is a person that the people have come to love and admire, and it just doesn’t make sense that He would want to go to Zacchaeus’ house.
Lesson
Be careful what you complain about.
The nation of Israel got into trouble every time they complained.
(1 Cor 10:6-13 NLT) These events happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did {7} or worship idols as some of them did. For the Scriptures say, "The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged themselves in pagan revelry."
This happened when the people made the golden calf (Ex. 32). The whole event started when the people complained about Moses being gone so long.
{8} And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
Numbers 25 – the people were tempted into sin by the Moabites. This is one of the rare times that “complaining” wasn’t the main issue.
{9} Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.
This happened when the people were complaining about the food and water (Numbers 21:5-6)
{10} And don't grumble as some of them did, for that is why God sent his angel of death to destroy them.
The grumbling and murmuring happened too many times to count. One such time was when the people complained about Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership (Num. 16) and the earth swallowed up some of the people.
{11} All these events happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close. {12} If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.
We too can fall into the trap of complaining. It’s a very easy thing to start.
{13} But remember that the
temptations that come into your life are no different from what others
experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so
strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show
you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
temptation – peirasmos – an experiment, attempt, trial, proving; the trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy; an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances; adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one’s character, faith, holiness
The word can speak of a difficult “trial”, or a “temptation” to sin.
We often think of this verse as simply dealing with temptation to sin. But the verse can also be talking about difficult times, times that we consider to be “hard” or “difficult”, but not necessarily an enticement to sin.
In those times, when we are faced with difficult times, the test is whether or not we will trust God or not. Will we respond with complaining or with faith?
Paul wrote,
(Phil 2:12-16 NLT) Dearest
friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with
you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action
God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. {13}
For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to
do what pleases him. {14} In everything you do, stay away from complaining and
arguing, {15} so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to
live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked
and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. {16} Hold
tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that
I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless.
One of the ways that we live clean, innocent lives, is by learning to trust instead of complain. When we learn to trust God and not complain about what’s on our plate, we are bright lights in this dark world.
:7 That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
sinner – hamartolos – devoted to sin, a sinner; not free from sin; pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked; tax collectors, heathen
to be guest – kataluo (“down from” + “to loosen”) – to dissolve, disunite; of travelers, to halt on a journey, to put up, lodge (the figurative expression originating in the circumstance that, to put up for the night, the straps and packs of the beasts of burden are unbound and taken off; or, more correctly from the fact that the traveler’s garments, tied up when he is on the journey, are unloosed at it end)
Lesson
God’s heart is for the Lost
I think that we need to be very careful about our heart towards lost people.
We’ve seen over and over how the Pharisees were continually upset that Jesus seemed interested in “bad” people.
But Jesus never let that stop Him from reaching out to the lost.
(Luke
5:30-32 KJV) But their scribes and
Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with
publicans and sinners? {31} And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are
whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. {32} I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance.