Luke 19
Salvation materializes to Zaccheus & he gives to the poor
When he got to Jericho, there was a rich tax collector named Zaccheus. Zaccheus wanted to see who Jesus was, but couldn’t see over the crowd because he was short. He ran ahead and climbed up into a tree so he could see Jesus as he passed by. When Jesus got there, he looked up and said,
“Zaccheus, come down because I need to stay at your place today.”
So Zaccheus climbed down and gladly welcomed him. When everyone saw that, they started grumbling,
“He’s staying with someone who’s really corrupt.”
Zaccheus stopped and told the leader,
“Look, Master: I’ll give half of my belongings to the poor, and if I falsely charged anyone for anything, I will repay them 4 times as much.”
Jesus told him,
“Salvation has materialized in this house today, because he too is one of Abraham’s descendants. The Culmination of Humanity came to strive after that which was ruined.”
Those who have will be given more while those who don’t have will be stripped
Then Jesus went on to give an illustration because he was nearing Jerusalem, and everyone thought that God’s empire was going to appear instantly. He said,
“A prestigious man traveled to a distant country so he could be crowned king and then return. He called 10 of his servants, gave them each $150,000, and told them to use that money for doing business until he returned.
But his citizens hated him and sent a representative to tell him that they didn’t want him to reign over them.
When he got back from being crowned by the other country, he called those 10 servants to see how they had used that money.
The first one said,
‘Sir, your $150,000 has been multiplied by 10, so you now have $1.5 million.’
The master replied,
‘Great job! You are a good servant. Since you were trustworthy in the smallest thing, you will have authority over 10 cities.’
The second one came and said,
‘Sir, your $150,000 has been multiplied by 5, so you now have $750,000.’
The master also told him,
‘You will be over 5 cities.’
Another servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your $150,000, which I safely preserved for you. I was scared of you, because you an intense man who picks up more things than he lays down and harvests what he didn’t even plant.’
The master told him,
‘I will distinguish you by your own words, you worthless servant. If you knew that I was such an intense man who picks up more than he lays down and harvests more than I plant, then why didn’t you put my money in the bank so that I could have collected interest on it?’
Then he told the guards,
‘Take the $150,000 away from him and give it to the one who has the $1.5 million.’
I assure you that everyone who has will be given more, while everyone who doesn’t have will be stripped of even what they have. Now bring me those hostiles who didn’t want me to reign over them and kill them in my presence.”
Crowd’s excitement grows as Jesus nears Jerusalem
After that, he continued onward towards Jerusalem. When he was approaching Bethphage and Bethany (near mount Olivet), he sent two of his students telling them,
“Go into the village ahead. When you enter, you’ll find a young donkey tied up there that’s never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you what you’re doing, tell them that The Owner needs it.”
So the two went and found it just like he said. When they were untying it, its owners asked what they were doing, and they told them that The Owner needed it. They brought it to Jesus, threw their coats on it, and had him ride on it. As he made his way, people started spreading their coats on the road. As soon as he approached the descent of Mount Olives, his whole crowd of followers started happily praising God for all the power they had seen, shouting:
“May the King who comes on the Master’s behalf prosper. May heaven experience peace, and may his reputation increase!”
Some of the religious leaders in the crowd told him,
“Teacher, reprimand your students.”
But Jesus answered,
“I assure you that if they were to stay silent, then the rocks would start shouting!”
Jesus cries because Jerusalem doesn’t recognize him
When Jesus was approaching Jerusalem, he cried when he saw it, saying,
“I really wish you would have realized the things that lead to peace, but they’ve been hidden from your eyes. They day will come when your enemies will surround you and wall you in completely. They’ll beat you into the ground along with your children within you. They won’t even leave a single brick on top of another, because of the way you failed to recognize when your visitation was here.”
Jesus kicks merchants out of God’s temple
Jesus entered the temple and kicked out the people who selling there, saying,
“Scripture says that ‘My house will be a dwelling place for prayer,’ but you have turned it into a cave of robbers!”
He taught there every day in the temple, but the leading priests, religious writers, and leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill him. They couldn’t find any way to do it, because everyone attentively hung from every word he said.