Luke 19
Jesus shows a lot of cards, so to speak, of His character and the type of kingdom He is coming to establish in the 19th chapter of Luke’s Gospel. There are a variety of characters and interactions to keep note of, in order to let the passage convict us, and help us move towards Christ, we must consider our own heart postures walking into the text.
I don’t know about you, but the first time I heard about Zacchaeus the Tax Collector was in Sunday School as a child. We even sang a song about this interaction Jesus has with Him. In summary, the watered-down version of this story convey’s a smaller picture of what Jesus is actually doing. A core theme of Luke’s testimony is unveiled in response to the grumblings of the crowd disproving Jesus’s befriending of such an outcast. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (v.10). All before this quest, we have seen Jesus sit with the sinners, heal the sick and broken, and associate with the outcasts. We can not so quickly assume we wouldn’t be contributing to the grumblings and the disproval. Think about it, the forgiveness of sins and eternal life is available to everyone. Even your boss or manager you despise, the coworker or classmate who can’t seem to hide their arrogance, that one ‘friend’ in your group that you just can’t agree with… the list most likely goes on. We have preferences, and they aren’t always in line with God’s kingdom. So when Jesus does this to all the people in the crowd by being with Zacchaeus, it’s worth meditating more deeply on the purpose He sites in doing so.
Considering this aspect of who Jesus is, we seemingly flip on a dime and start to talk about obedience in His absence with the parable of the Ten Minas. This parable speaks of servants receiving Minas to work with while in the absence of their master who is going to be appointed as king. The first two servants do well in doing what is asked of them, and whatever they earn back from the minas, that number of cities is given to them by the now-appointed king. The last servant returns with the money and a confession of fear of the master. In his commentary, MacArthur notes the servant has “A craven fear, not borne out of love or reverence, but tainted with contempt for the master” (p. 1319). The heart posture of the servant caused him to sit on what his master had given him. Even though he knew the purpose behind his reception of the minas, he had a false understanding of who his master was, and thus acted in disobedience, unlike his fellow servants who were obedient with what they were given. “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away” (v.26). Jumping back to the beginning of the parable, Jesus tells this to the people who have a misunderstanding of what the coming of the kingdom of God will be like (v11). They imagined it would literally just appear all at once. Instead, Jesus provides them with this parable that speaks of responsibility and alludes to the deep purpose His disciples have.
Jesus is both friend and the center of the universe. He is the one we know intimately, yet has received the crown of the glory of heaven. In continuing to lift our eyes to the greater picture that is His kingdom, He shows us both of these realities. His “seeking and saving the lost” is done through a relationship and in His power and complete sovereignty is the righteous and trustworthy judge of all. Our Messiah has commands and commissions for us to live into, yet at the same time is full of grace and is our peace.
Questions:
In reading through the chapter, were you challenged at all by how Jesus speaks of His kingdom? What is the Lord pulling your eyes up towards in this realization?
Do you hesitate to see yourself in the shoes of one of the antagonists in these stories (the grumbling crowd, the fearful servant, or blinded Jerusalem (v.28-44)?
Let the love of Christ spur you into deeper consideration of the conviction He places on your mind and soul. As Peter says in his first few sermons in Acts, repentance is a blessing to us now. Peace be with you.
