October 31 scripture from Joe

1. Luke 19:1-10  (Zacchaeus)         

19He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ²A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” ⁸Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

2. Resources for this Sunday go to: http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/lk19a.htm

3. An Interpretation by John Wesley (Yes, that John Wesley): http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wesley/notes.i.iv.xx.html

1. He passed through Jericho - So that Zaccheus must have lived near the end of the town: the tree was in the town itself. And he was rich - These words seem to refer to the discourse in the last chapter, ver. 24, particularly to ver. 27. Zaccheus is a proof, that it is possible by the power of God for even a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

2. The chief of the publicans - What we would term, commissioner of the customs. A very honourable as well as profitable place.

4. And running before - With great earnestness. He climbed up - Notwithstanding his quality: desire conquering honour and shame.

5. Jesus said, Zaccheus, make haste and come down - What a strange mixture of passions must Zaccheus have now felt, hearing one speak, as knowing both his name and his heart!

7. They all murmured - All who were near: though most of them rather out of surprise than indignation.

8. And Zaccheus stood - Showing by his posture, his deliberate, purpose and ready mind, and said, Behold, Lord, I give - I determine to do it immediately.

9. He also is a son of Abraham - A Jew born, and as such has a right to the first offer of salvation.

10. Matt. xviii, 11.

October 24 from Joe

1. Luke 18:9-14, – The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

2. Resources for this Sunday go to: http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/lk18b.htm

3. Interpretation by Bill Long: http://www.drbilllong.com/LectionaryIII/Lk189II.html

There is no doubt in Jesus' or Luke's mind who the "good guy" is in this parable--the tax collector. He went home justified. The tense of the participle translated "justified" is interesting--it is in the perfect passive tense. This tense suggests that his justification had already begun by the time he left the temple area and headed home. And Luke slips in two words at the end of v. 13. Not only does it say that the tax collector went home justified, but he did so "instead of that one" (i.e., the Pharisee). It would have been enough to say that the tax collector went home justified without having to specify the fate of the Pharisee. But he wants to make sure we understand what is at stake here: Pharisaic attitudes and words lead to a reversal, the reality of not being justified. Thus, I think we can conclude by saying that Jesus' point is pretty clear--that the "big people" are going to be put down from their lofty situations while the "little people" will be exalted. But I think we can also conclude that it isn't very clear into which category we fit. I am afraid that most people with whom I associate are more like the Pharisees than they think they are, despite the fact that we all want to identify with the tax collector. Maybe that is why I like them. How about you?

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