Author: Bill Hall

And he called ten of his servants and granted to them ten Minas, and said to them, ‘Do business until I arrive.’

Luke 19:13

The Jewish people were entrusted with the Oracles of God. But the application of the meaning here need not be limited to what the Lord entrusted to them. All of God’s servants are entrusted with His riches.

Riches of grace, love, mercy, wisdom, joy, peace, and hope are all ours in Christ. And meant to be shared. To ‘do business’ here is referring to having enough to invest so as to make a profit. The idea is for the servants to be a blessing and to receive one as well.

Also, this great man says, ‘do business until I arrive’ because his return is a forgone conclusion. The Lord is not simply ‘coming someday’, He is ‘about to arrive’!

Heavenly Father, we thank You today and every day. We often think of thanksgiving as something that we give. But it is also something we are. We are to be thankful. Indeed, we cannot stop being thankful people when Your Presence is clear to us. We thank You and are thankful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Therefore, He said, ‘This noble man travelled to a distant country to receive to himself a kingdom, and to return.’

Luke 19:12

This great man represents Christ Himself. He goes out among the Gentiles to Garner a people for His Name while the Jews wait for His return. It is a fitting backdrop for this, one of the ‘talents’ parables of Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love, compassion, and understanding. Even when we do not understand what is going on, You are in control. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And as the men heard these thing He proceeded to tell them a parable because He was near Jerusalem and because the men thought the kingdom of God was about to appear at once.

Luke 19:11

Messiah’s popping up here and there was a common occurrence in Christ’s day. The timing for the appearance of the Messiah had already been proclaimed in Daniel chapter 9 verses 25 and 26. And the look of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem also was predicted in Zechariah 9:9. Due to this, Jesus was not the only one claiming to be the Messiah.

But Jesus was The Only One. He was able to read the minds of all who were involved. His timing was perfect and He fulfilled prophecy after prophecy. Others seemed to be something, but He was so authentic that the Jews were in a tizzy as to what to do about Him.

Heavenly Father, the authenticity of Christ is powerful! Our lives are forever transformed by the blood of Christ. Your love is beautiful and Your grace is amazing. We can only imagine the glory of heaven. But we will live this life to bring all glory to You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the perishing.

Luke 19:10

This world is dying! That is reality. We are surrounded every day by broken, dying, people. Life was not created to be like this. There is a problem to solve. And it is a very specific problem. We need LIFE. And not just any life will do. We need the life of Christ. Eternally saved people living Christlike in the ‘Christlife’ is the greatest need of this world.

Jesus impacts every area of life, and He should be considered for every choice in everything. But, He is not seeking to conform this world inch by inch to His design. No, He is seeking to change souls. Soul by soul He is rescuing us from this present world that is perishing. This world will be judged and destroyed. Individual people, as many as possible, will be saved out of it. When He comes to rule it will not be because this world has become so good, but because it has been so bad. But during it all He is converting souls, bringing them from the kingdom of darkness and into His marvelous light!

Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ! We are enthralled by the eternal perspective LORD! How can we do anything but stand speechless in awe of Your plan? We will seek to bring others to Christ by His working in us so that we may bring glory to You, Almighty God! Thank You for the opportunity and for Your work in each life. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he is also a son of Abraham.’

Luke 19:9

This is a very unique verse. Note well the fact that Jesus says this ‘to’ Zacchaeus. However, because He refers to Zacchaeus in the third person we know that He is also speaking to the others present at the time. Some in attendance might have taken exception to this, but Jesus is very clear.

Thus, Jesus does say this ‘to’ Zacchaeus, but He also says it ‘for’ Zacchaeus. Prior to His death and resurrection, Jesus keeps the focus of salvation upon the Jewish people. This does not mean He would not let Gentiles be saved, or come to Him. But as He said to the woman at the well ‘Salvation is of the Jews’ and He kept that message consistent. After His resurrection He made it clear to His disciples that salvation is for everyone.

Being very possibly a little person, Zacchaeus had not been afforded the normal recognition as a Jew. And his profession only exacerbated this reality. But, in his faith, he was indeed a son of Abraham.

Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me! Without You I could not know hope or joy. Today and every day I will praise You. You are so smart! Your wisdom is overwhelming. Your faithful love and grace are a constant comfort. I cannot fathom the riches of Your great glory. You are so holy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And Zacchaeus, standing, said to the Lord, ‘Half of my well-being, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I extorted from anyone at all, I repay fourfold.’

Luke 19:8

We may easily look at this verse and think Zacchaeus is arrogant, self-righteous, and feels his works merit heaven. But this verse needs close examination. Zacchaeus is only sharing these facts in response to allegations about himself. He is not grandstanding. He is defending a life of true innocence, consistent with his name.

Zacchaeus had given as his habit. Though he chose a profession that was frowned upon, he did not gain wealth by dishonest means. Instead he used the position to benefit those less privileged. Perhaps even the blind man from earlier in this chapter had benefited from his charity.

Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing us as we are. You see us in every particular. Nothing escapes Your gaze. You know our feelings and our choices. And Your will is wise above all else. You alone may give us the guidance we need. You use Your servants to help each of us, and You use us to help others. Your way is glorious! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But when they saw it, they all complained, saying that ‘He has gone to stay with a man who is a sinner!’

Like 19:7

Large groups of people can lack discernment, common sense, and even common decency. Very often the prevailing view will be adopted by all regardless of its veracity. Zacchaeus was not liked, and he was viewed in a very negative light by his fellow Jews. They assumed the worst. And here they voiced their opinion very emphatically.

Heavenly Father, You know us as we truly are. We can get so self-righteous. But only by Your great grace does any of us escape the terrible bonds of sin. We cannot beat it, we can only run to You for refuge. You work to rescue us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So he hurried down, and welcomed Him gladly.

Luke 19:6

What joy! I can easily imagine the spring in the step of Zacchaeus after he crawled down that tree. He had not only seen the Lord, but now he would have the opportunity to spend the remainder of the day with him. His prayers had been answered.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the profound impact You have on our lives! To live without You is to miss out on life itself. Having a relationship with You is at once joyous and invigorating. You make life what it is. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And when he came to the spot, looking up, Jesus saw him, and he said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry down because today I must stay at your house.’

Luke 19:5

We have no indication here that Zacchaeus called out. The implication is that he had met his objective. He could see Jesus, and if he intended to say anything to him he did not get the chance. Jesus of course knew already exactly what Zacchaeus had in mind.

Jesus had apparently intended all along to spend some time with this man. We may easily wonder how it is that Jesus had come to the conclusion that Zacchaeus would be ready to receive Him. But it seems very likely that the blind man Jesus had just healed could have had something to do with it. If Zacchaeus had been donating to the poor regularly as he later indicates, he would have been a benefactor of the blind man.

Whatever made Jesus choose Zacchaeus, the announcement that he would be staying at his house is almost completely unique among the words of Christ. Though not out of character for the Lord, it was no doubt unexpected. It creates a very stark picture of Christ’s concern for and compassion on those who seek Him out.

Heavenly Father, thank You for rewarding those who diligently seek You! You do not hide from us, though You do expect to see that we want You in our lives. Thank You for intersecting with us just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus so many years ago. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And running on ahead of the crowd, he climbed up on a sycamore that he might see Him, because He was about to pass through.

Luke 19:4

Zacchaeus was absolutely determined to see Jesus. He would let nothing hinder him. Imagine a man of Zacchaeus’ wealth and position running through the way and climbing a tree like a child! But it was a genuine act, from a heart yearning for Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for understanding our behavior. Sometimes we do strange things in our pursuit of You, but that is not a bad thing. You know You are so important to our lives. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.