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The Gospel of Luke Chapter Nineteen
Commentary by Timothy H. Burdick
Let’s reread the story of Zacchaeus
in Luke Chapter 19 and then examine it in detail.
“Jesus entered Jericho and was
passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus;
he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to
see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not,
because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that
way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to
him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your
house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him
gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has
gone to be the guest of a sinner.’ But 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.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house,
because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of
Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’”
We need to make note of the fact
that Jesus was passing through Jericho. This is important
because He was on His way to the cross, yet he took the time
to show His love to one man. Zacchaeus was not just any man,
however, for we see in Verse Two that he was head of the tax
collectors in that city. So we can know that when the text
tells us he was very wealthy, it was from ill-gotten gain.
As we have said in previous chapters of Luke, a tax
collector exploited the people, giving the required amount
of taxes to the Romans, while keeping the rest for himself.
In Verses Three and Four, we see an
interesting sight. The only two physical characteristics
that the Gospel of Luke tells us about Zacchaeus are that he
was of the male gender and that he was short. So try and
recapture this scene in your mind. We have a short man who
the people looked upon with disdain, coming in to the midst
of a noisy crowd. He had heard “through the grape vine” that
Jesus was passing that way, and Zacchaeus was curious. No
matter how he might have craned his neck though, Zacchaeus
was so short that he could not see over the people. I can
just picture him scratching his head, trying to figure out a
way to look at this Man. After all, Verse Four tells us that
Jesus was getting close to him. All at once Zacchaeus had an
idea, and climbed up a nearby tree, where he had a front row
seat.
I think that there are two
principles here. First of all, God requires action on our
parts, if only that of believing, if we to are to view Jesus
in all of His glory. Secondly, God often works in very
natural ways, as he did in the life of Zacchaeus. He thought
he was only trying to get a good view of things, but the
Lord had greater plans. How many times do we think that we
are setting out to do one thing, but God has something
totally different in mind.
When God called me into the
ministry, I never dreamed that I would be teaching in a
written form. That is why it is important to stay open to
God’s working in your life. He wants to stretch and grow you
into dimensions you never thought possible.
Verse Five tells us that Jesus
invited Himself to be a guest in the house of Zacchaeus. At
first glance this might seem presumptuous, but hospitality
was a given in that culture. Remember that the crowd outside
would have been hot and sticky because of the heat and
humidity. The streets were made of dirt and the people wore
open-toed sandals. But I want you to see something else in
this verse. Notice that Jesus didn’t call Zacchaeus until
the man arrived at the spot where he was. We can also see
that the call of Christ was unexpected by the man. How often
in our lives does the Lord call us to an unexpected
opportunity that He has been preparing us for?
Now in Verses Six, Seven and Eight,
we will look at the three R’s that were so important in the
life of Zacchaeus. In Verse Six, we can see Zacchaeus’
response to this opportunity. My question is, do we always
respond like Zacchaeus did, or do we view these
opportunities in our lives as mere duties?
The Bible has much to say about a
thankful attitude. Cross-reference this verse with 1
Thessalonians 5:18, where it says, “In everything give
thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for
you.” What do you think that God is saying to you in your
life?
In Verse Seven, we can almost hear
the remarks of the people. But Jesus being politically
incorrect, didn’t pay any attention. Many times, as the
followers of Christ, people will make remarks about us, But
like Jesus we must not look back. Cross reference Verse
Seven with Luke 9:62, where Jesus said, “No one, having put
his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God.” We must look to our Lord.
Verse Eight shows the repentance of
Zacchaeus. In many ways his story parallels that of the rich
young ruler, in Luke 18:18-27. Unlike the rich young ruler,
Jesus did not tell Zacchaeus to give up his money, but
Zacchaeus volunteered to do it. Also, unlike the rich young
ruler, Zacchaeus was told he could keep some of his
possessions.
Money is a spiritual barometer for
us all. Many people put it above everything else and make a
“god” out of it. Let’s pray that when God touches our
hearts, we can all let go of our money if it takes the place
of God in our lives like Zacchaeus did after his conversion.
How do you handle money?
In Verse 9, we see Jesus declaring
the salvation of this tax collector. Many people have a
question as to whether or not they can lose their salvation.
But in the same way as Zacchaeus, if you have asked Christ
into your life, Jesus declares salvation over you that you
cannot lose. Cross reference Verse Nine with Ephesians
1:13-14, where we are told that we receive the Holy when we
trust in Christ, and are “sealed” by Him. Lastly in Verse 9,
Jesus told Zacchaeus that that day he (was) ( or had become)
a “son of Abraham.” All of us, who are Christ’s followers,
have become sons of Abraham by faith. Please look at
Galatians 3:6-9, where it says “if you are Christ’s, then
you are Abraham’s seed and heirs.”
Jesus told Zacchaeus in Verse 10
that He had come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Just like Zacchaeus who was surrounded by a crowd of people
and had to climb that tree, Jesus still draws-out those who
are His. Look with me at John 6:44, where Jesus said, “No
one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke
19:11-27)
“While 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. He said: ‘A man of noble birth went
to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then
to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them
ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come
back.' But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation
after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
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. The first one came
and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘'Well done,
my good servant!' his master replied.’ Because you have been
trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten
cities.' The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has
earned five more.' His master answered, 'You take charge of
five cities.' Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here
is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.
I 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.'
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? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that
when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from
him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 'Sir,' they
said, 'he already has ten!' 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.’ But those
enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them -
bring them here and kill them in front of me."
Now the whole company was getting
even closer to Jerusalem. The people were waiting with
anticipation because they thought surely Jesus would set up
His Messianic Kingdom at that time. They had read Scriptures
in the Old Testament such as Isaiah 54:14 – “In
righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far
from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror,
for it shall not come near you.”
So He began in Verse Twelve to
explain through a parable How the fullness of the Kingdom
would not come at that time. The remarks of Jesus in this
parable were made when He was in the city of Jericho, about
seventeen miles to the south of Jerusalem. The people who
listened would have understood that His parable was built on
the story of one of the sons of Herod the Great namely
Archelaus. As a district ruler the man he went to the
capital in Jerusalem, trying to claim the kingdom for
himself. Archelaus is mentioned only one other time. Please
look with me in Matthew 2:22 – Joseph “heard that Archelaus
was reigning over Judea instead of his father…” He never
gained control of the whole Kingdom.
We can see in Verse 13 of the
parable that the master of the house gave the servants each
money to invest. Looking at this as an allegory, we can see
how God gives each one of us gifts to invest for His
kingdom. Paul the apostle tells us about these Spiritual
gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7 – “the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” Aside
from its teaching about the Kingdom, this parable in Luke
tells us all that we need to be good stewards of that which
has been entrusted to us. Finally Luke 19:13 tells us that
he called his servants and told them to put what he had
given them to work. The “mina” He spoke about was worth
about three months wages.
Just like the men in this parable,
those of us who have trusted in Christ, have all been called
to service, and have been told to bear fruit. God is not
asking something difficult of us, but instead of just
watching television, invest whatever you can into God’s
Kingdom. Jesus speaks about this truth in John 15:5, where
He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides
in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you
can do nothing.”
When the master of the house comes
home, you can see him calling his servants together for an
accounting. Likewise, while the Bible doesn’t teach that
believers will have to face God’s wrath, there will be a
similar accounting before Christ, where He asks us what we
have done with the gifts given us. In Luke 19:17-19, we see
the master rewarding the servants according to their
faithfulness. Cross-reference this with Matthew 16:27 – “For
the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His
angels, and then He will reward each according to his
works.” In Luke 20-26, we can see the master’s dealings with
the wicked servant. Looking at Verse 20, the wicked and lazy
servant first tells the master that he hid his gift and did
not invest it. Do you hide the gift that God has given you?
I cannot underscore this enough. Many times in the Bible, we
are told to use the gifts that God has given us. Look at
what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6 – “… stir up the
gift of God which is in you,” and the Lord is saying the
same thing to you and me. In Luke 19:21, the servant follows
his statement up with an excuse. He tells the master in
essence that he knew that the master was a harsh man
exploiting others, and that because of this, he was afraid
to take a risk. In Luke 19:22-23, we not only see the
servant being entrapped in his own words, but then this is
followed up with the question: if you knew all of this, then
why didn’t you at least put my money in the bank and get
interest on it? But being a hard-nosed man, he doesn’t even
give the servant time to answer his question, but gives the
money to the one who had the most productivity.
We might say at first glance like
the others who responded in Verse 25, it doesn’t make sense;
the person who invested wisely already has ten minas why
give him one more? This question is answered in general
terms in Verse 26. Have you ever heard the saying if you
don’t use it you’ll lose it? That is what happens here. God
rewards this kind of faithfulness in our lives as well.
I want to take a little aside here
and repeat that while this parable talks about the loss of
rewards because of unfaithfulness, it does not teach that
one can lose their salvation. Since we cannot obtain this
salvation by good works, it cannot be lost by our mistakes.
A similar story to that found in
Luke Chapter 19, can be found in Matthew 25:14-30. Please
read it on your own. As these two parables show, being God’s
servants, we must invest our time in things eternal. One way
to do this is to prepare for the work to which God is
calling us. Read what the apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy
2:15 – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth.”
To help you in your studies, let’s
look at some of the similarities and differences between the
two parables that Jesus told. First of all, we will look at
the similarities between the two. In both, the master of the
house goes to a far country, stays a long time, and then
returns, expecting his servants to invest the money he gives
them and make a profit, he distributes his wealth to them.
The two faithful servants in both parables are commended,
and given greater responsibility. The third servant who was
lazy hid what he was given. Also he seeks to excuse himself,
saying that his master was harsh and that he acted out of
fear. Therefore not making a profit for his master, he is
condemned. The master says that the unfaithful servant
should have at least put his money in the bank, to collect
interest. The servant, who produced the most, was rewarded
with the unfaithful servant’s investment money. The parable
in Luke was told right before the triumphal entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem.
On the other hand, Jesus was already
in Jerusalem when He spoke the parable in Matthew 25:14-30.
Luke records ten servants, while Matthew records three. Luke
says the man who went away was a nobleman, while Matthew
does not. In Luke the money given is the same but in
Matthew, it is based on ability. In Luke the slaves are
instructed to invest the money given them by the master,
while no such injunction is given in Matthew. Matthew’s
parable does not tell us that these gifts were given in
order to show the delay in the coming of the Messianic
kingdom, while Luke’s does.
Wrapping this up then, I would just
like to say that one must not make the mistake of only
seeing these parables as interesting stories. They are
rather narratives with temporal and eternal significance. As
Christ’s disciples in the Twenty-First Century we need to
ask for God’s wisdom while applying His teachings to our
everyday lives. Please look at James chapter 1:5 with me –
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives
to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given
to him.”
Let’s read Verses 28 through 44, and
then examine them more closely. Verse 28 tells us that after
Jesus had made His previous remarks, He went on ahead, going
up to Jerusalem.
“As He approached Bethphage and
Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two
of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead
of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied
there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it
here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell
him, 'The Lord needs it.' Those who were sent ahead went and
found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the
colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’
They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’ They brought it to Jesus,
threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He
went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he
came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of
Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to
praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had
seen: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the
Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ Some of the
Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your
disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet,
the stones will cry out.’ As he approached Jerusalem and saw
the city, He wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had
only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now
it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you
when your enemies will build an embankment against you and
encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash
you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.
They will not leave one stone on another, because you did
not recognize the time of God's coming to you.’"
In Luke 19:28, we see Jesus going
ahead of His disciples to Jerusalem. The men who followed
Him were perplexed and had tried to stop Him on other
occasions. Please look with me at Matthew 16:22, where
“Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke (the Lord).” You
may be going through something that you are troubled about,
but you can certainly know that just like the disciples of
old, Jesus is going ahead of you. We often don’t know what
is ahead of us, but Jesus does, and we can trust in Him.
When I am feeling especially troubled about something, I
like to read the words of Jesus in John 14:1 – “Let not your
heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
In Luke 19:29 to 32, we see Jesus at
the Mount of Olives, sending out His disciples to unloose a
donkey, while giving them other instructions as well. In
Luke 19:32, we see that those who went ahead found the
preparations had been made, just like Jesus said. God has
given us His road map, the Bible, and if we follow His
directions throughout our lives, we too will find things
just as He says they will be. In Luke 19:34-35, we can see
the obedience of the disciples to the Lord. They didn’t
understand why they were untying a donkey that no one had
ridden on, but they did it any way. We can learn much from
the disciple’s actions, for many times in life, we are only
prone to question instead of acting. See what God has to say
about obedience in 1 Samuel 15:22 – “Has the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the
voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed than the fat of rams.” Going back to Luke 19, we
can look back, and see the untamed donkey that mildly
allowed Christ to ride, showing His power over nature. Aside
from this principal of obedience therefore, we can see the
tremendous power and majesty of our Lord in these verses.
We can see a prophesy of Luke
19:35-36, in Zechariah 9:9, where it says, “Rejoice greatly,
O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold,
your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation,
lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
In Luke 19:38, we can also see the people quoting from Psalm
118:26, as they welcome the Lord into Jerusalem: “Save now”
(hosanna)…”
In Luke 19:40, Jesus answered the
Pharisees by making reference to Habakkuk 2:11 – “For the
stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the
timbers will answer it.”
Luke goes on in Verses 41-42, by
telling us about Christ’s heart, His tears for Jerusalem.
Cross reference this with Luke 13:34, where Jesus cried out,
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How oftren I wanted to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her brook under her
wings…” In the next two verses of Luke 19, Jesus prophesies
the destruction of Jerusalem. This would happen exactly as
Jesus foretold, in 70 A.D.
Jesus was now at the Temple in
Jerusalem, which was filled with all kinds of corruption.
The people were being exploited by ruthless moneychangers,
who made profit by selling temple sacrifices, such as doves
and sheep. Then we see that He entered the temple area and
began driving out those who were doing the selling.
"’It is written,’ he said to them,
'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a
den of robbers.’ Every day he was teaching at the temple.
But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the
leaders among the people were trying to kill Him. Yet they
could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung
on his words.”
In Luke 19:46, Jesus shouted out a
quote Isaiah 56:7, where it says, “My house is a house of
prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” And the same
idea is expressed in Jeremiah 7:11 – “Has this house, which
is called by My name, become a den of thieves…”
It is interesting that there was
more than one temple cleansing. John records one at the
beginning of the ministry of Jesus, and Luke records it
towards the end of Christ’s ministry. While some say that
this is a discrepancy, it is not the case. These were two
different events in time. God wants His temple, His people,
to be CLEAN in His sight.
Thank you for reading this, and
please join me next for Luke Chapter 20.
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
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