As Jesus and his students walked through Jericho, a rich taxman named Zacchaeus was straining to get a look at the Nazarene, who was thronged by a big crowd. But, being a short man, he couldn't see anything. So he ran down the road ahead of the throng and climbed up into a sycamore tree for a better view.
When Jesus reached the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today I must stay at your house."
Zacchaeus did as he was told and was overjoyed as he welcomed Jesus to his house.
Some people frowned at Jesus' decision. "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
At dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and told Jesus, "Sir, look. Sir, I give half of all my property to the poor. And, if I have cheated anyone, then I restore the loss fourfold."
Jesus responded, "Today, salvation comes to this house – as he is also a son of Abraham. The son of man came to seek and to save the lost."
Accompanied by a big crowd, Jesus and his disciples were walking along somewhere in or near Jericho, when a blind beggar sitting by the roadside was alerted to Jesus' presence by the excited throng. The man, Timaeus's son, began shouting, "Jesus, son of David, please help me!"
Many spectators nearby urged him to be quiet, but this spurred him to shout all the more loudly.
"Son of David! Please! Help me!"
Jesus stopped and said to people close at hand, "Call him over here."
When the man got the message, he threw his cloak aside, leaped up and went to meet Jesus.
"What would you like me to do for you?" asked Jesus.
"Rabbi, I want to see!"
Jesus replied, "You may go now. Your belief has fulfilled your need."
Instantly, the man's sight came to him.
After that, the son of Timeaus followed Jesus along the road.
The enthusiastic crowds in the Judaean heartland evidently made the disciples confident that Jesus would begin his reign as messianic king once he reached Jerusalem.
But Jesus cautioned them, using a story about a highborn man.
Jesus took aside the Twelve and told them what was coming once they reached Jerusalem.
"The son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the law scholars, who will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him and kill him. After three days, he will rise."
The students found such sayings as these very perplexing, as their full import was hidden from them.
As they went along, Zebedee's sons James and John decided to ask Jesus for a special favor. "Please, Rabbi, there is something we would like from you."
"What would you like me to do for you?" responded Jesus.
"When you assume your glorious reign, we would like to sit at your left and right hand."
Jesus replied, "You don't know what you're asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
"We are able," was the reply.
Jesus said, "In fact, you will drink the cup that I drink and receive the baptism I receive. But as to who sits at my right hand or left hand, that's not mine to give. That goes to those for whom it has been prepared."
When the other ten heard what the two had sought, they were indignant.
But Jesus put the request in perspective.
"You know that Gentile rulers are seen as very powerful and their chiefs as high and mighty. But that's not the case among you. Among you, if you want to be great, then you must serve everyone else. And if you want the prime position, then you must do the lowliest servant chores for everyone else.
"For the son of man came not to be served, but to serve – and to give his life as a ransom for many."
When Jesus reached the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today I must stay at your house."
Zacchaeus did as he was told and was overjoyed as he welcomed Jesus to his house.
Some people frowned at Jesus' decision. "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
At dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and told Jesus, "Sir, look. Sir, I give half of all my property to the poor. And, if I have cheated anyone, then I restore the loss fourfold."
Tax collectors were seen by the people as chiselers who inflated the tax due in order to enrich themselves.
Jesus responded, "Today, salvation comes to this house – as he is also a son of Abraham. The son of man came to seek and to save the lost."
Accompanied by a big crowd, Jesus and his disciples were walking along somewhere in or near Jericho, when a blind beggar sitting by the roadside was alerted to Jesus' presence by the excited throng. The man, Timaeus's son, began shouting, "Jesus, son of David, please help me!"
Many spectators nearby urged him to be quiet, but this spurred him to shout all the more loudly.
"Son of David! Please! Help me!"
Jesus stopped and said to people close at hand, "Call him over here."
When the man got the message, he threw his cloak aside, leaped up and went to meet Jesus.
"What would you like me to do for you?" asked Jesus.
"Rabbi, I want to see!"
Jesus replied, "You may go now. Your belief has fulfilled your need."
Instantly, the man's sight came to him.
After that, the son of Timeaus followed Jesus along the road.
Luke can be taken to indicate that Jesus traveled through Jericho as he headed for Jerusalem. If so, he would probably have reached Jericho via one of the roads that went from the Jordan River to that city. One road traversed an easterly route from the ford near el Ghoraniya and another came from a crossing in the vicinity of Beth Hoglah near what was then the mouth of the Dead Sea, which was then apparently further north than it is now. We can speculate that Jesus walked along the Jordan's east bank in Peraea before crossing in order to approach Jerusalem from the east or northeast
[TJ.1].
The enthusiastic crowds in the Judaean heartland evidently made the disciples confident that Jesus would begin his reign as messianic king once he reached Jerusalem.
But Jesus cautioned them, using a story about a highborn man.
This man, who was about to leave for a distant land in order to receive a kingdom, summoned three of his servants and gave each of them some money, telling them, 'Make a profit with this while I am gone.'At last, Jesus and his party headed to Jerusalem. Jesus led the way, the Twelve and the rest of his frightened but hopeful disciples trailing behind. These men knew only too well of the potential for Roman violence against their movement, especially as a number of them were expecting Jesus to take over as king, regardless of all that he had told them.
Even so, after receiving his kingdom, the nobleman eventually returned anyway.
Calling in his servants, he asked how much profit they had gained.
The first man came in and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned 10 minas.'
'Excellent job! You're a good worker. And because you have been trustworthy with a little, you are being put in charge of ten cities.'
The second servant said, 'Your mina, Sir, has earned five minas.'
The ruler said, 'You are to take charge of five cities.'
The third servant said, 'Sir, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a cloth purse. I was afraid to do anything, because I know you are very hard to please, since you don't have to work for your money.'
The nobleman replied, 'I will convict you with your own words, you crook! You knew I was a hard man who doesn't have to work for his money. So then why didn't you place my money with the bankers? I would have at least got the interest.'
The ruler said, 'Take away his mina and give it to the man with 10 minas. And throw this worthless servant into outer darkness. I am telling you, everyone who has will be given more. But the one who lacks, even what he has will be taken from him.' [TJ.x1]
Jesus took aside the Twelve and told them what was coming once they reached Jerusalem.
"The son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the law scholars, who will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him and kill him. After three days, he will rise."
The students found such sayings as these very perplexing, as their full import was hidden from them.
As they went along, Zebedee's sons James and John decided to ask Jesus for a special favor. "Please, Rabbi, there is something we would like from you."
"What would you like me to do for you?" responded Jesus.
"When you assume your glorious reign, we would like to sit at your left and right hand."
The brothers realized that Jesus was to be the messianic king, and they were hoping for the top management positions.
Jesus replied, "You don't know what you're asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
"We are able," was the reply.
Jesus said, "In fact, you will drink the cup that I drink and receive the baptism I receive. But as to who sits at my right hand or left hand, that's not mine to give. That goes to those for whom it has been prepared."
We know that Jesus had been baptized with both water and the Spirit. He is speaking here of being immersed in trouble, I believe, as well as being saved out of it.
We also observe that in ancient times the right-hand man of the king often held the ceremonial role of cup-bearer, which included the duty of sipping the wine before the king consumed it in order to guard against poisoning.
We also observe that in ancient times the right-hand man of the king often held the ceremonial role of cup-bearer, which included the duty of sipping the wine before the king consumed it in order to guard against poisoning.
When the other ten heard what the two had sought, they were indignant.
But Jesus put the request in perspective.
"You know that Gentile rulers are seen as very powerful and their chiefs as high and mighty. But that's not the case among you. Among you, if you want to be great, then you must serve everyone else. And if you want the prime position, then you must do the lowliest servant chores for everyone else.
"For the son of man came not to be served, but to serve – and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Next Page: Section 43
https://secretpath108.blogspot.com/2021/01/do-i-know-you-late-in-his-ministry.html
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