Love God | Understand Yourself | Serve Others

Luke 19:1-6 (The Message)
Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way — he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by. When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”

About five years ago, elementary school students competing in a Bible Bee challenge answered a question that I could not. The question was: “What type of tree did Zacchaeus climb to get a better view of Jesus as he walked by?”

The immediate, seminary-trained answer in my head was: “Ummmmmm…. Well… Uhhhhhhh…”

The actual correct answer: a sycamore tree. The very next week in their school chapel I heard the song that taught them that particular horticultural gem: “Zacchaeus was a wee, little man / a wee, little man was he. / He climbed up in a sycamore tree, / for the Lord he wanted to see.”

Every time I read the story of Zacchaeus, I have that song stuck in my head for days. It’s catchy! So, if you know the song and it’s now running around your head, well… you’re welcome. Or sorry.

According to The New Interpreter’s Bible, “Roman officials contracted with local entrepreneurs to collect the prescribed indirect taxes, tolls, tariffs, and customs fees in a given area… Jews who collected taxes for the Romans were assumed to be dishonest and were hated by other Jews for their complicity with the Gentile oppressors” (vol. IX, 356-357).

Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ interaction with a rich young man who, after hearing Jesus’ advice, went away depressed. How different is Zacchaeus’ reaction to Jesus! Zacchaeus will joyously proclaim, “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” (Luke 19:8, NIV).

That “wee little man” who sought just to have a glimpse of Jesus as he and his friends walked by — he received a gift far greater than he ever imagined. He was the host of the Messiah. He was treated with grace and forgiveness. Zacchaeus immediately, fully, and enthusiastically embraces this chance at a new life. He’s all in.

Questions:
When you first heard the gospel, were you excited and ready to jump right in? Or were you hesitant? How do you feel now?

Matthew 19:16-22 (New Living Translation)
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus replied, “Why ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. But to answer your question — if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” The man asked, “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'” The young man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments. What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus sees right into the minds and souls of the people he meets. He knows each person’s strengths and weaknesses, their failures and their potential. He sees in this young man a debilitating reliance on his wealth for security.

But, notice: Jesus starts to let the man off fairly easily. When he asks Jesus what he would have to do to gain eternal life, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments found in scripture. Keep in mind that Jesus would already know that the man had worked hard to be faithful to God’s Law. It is only when the man persists that Jesus asks him to give up the one thing separating him from total reliance on and trust in God: “Sell all your possessions, and come follow me.” He can’t imagine doing that, and he leaves the encounter with Jesus deeply saddened.

Questions:
What part of your life are you reluctant to give up to God’s control? Your finances, like this man? Your relationships? Your eating or exercising habits? Your business choices? Your free time? What is it that Jesus might see by gazing deeply into your soul?

John 5:5-8 (New American Standard Bible)
A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, he said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”

Thirty-eight years. This man had been sick for longer than Jesus had been alive as a human being. Jesus saw him, knew his story, and had compassion for him. This man didn’t approach Jesus, asking for help like so many others had. He didn’t track Jesus down, hoping for a miracle. He didn’t even know who Jesus was. But Jesus still loved him.

So Jesus asks the man if he wishes to be well. The man must have thought it was such a strange question. Of course he wanted to be well — that was why he was sitting at the edge of this pool, which was believed to have healing properties. The pool would have been surrounded by a number of invalids, each hoping for healing and freedom from their pain. But, as this man explains to Jesus, he had no one to carry him down into the waters.

Jesus, with great economy of words, tells him to “get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” We’re told next that the man immediately obeys, standing up for the first time in almost four decades.

But by the time he looks around, Jesus has already disappeared. The man doesn’t know who to thank for this miracle. And so he picks up his mat and walks away.

Questions:
Has a stranger ever helped you in an unexpected way? When was the last time you did something kind for someone you didn’t know?

Matthew 16:13-16 (New International Version)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus asked, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus has been viewed by the world in many ways. He has been seen as a great teacher, a wise man, a prophet. He has been called a dangerous revolutionary, a rebel, a subversive radical. In his own lifetime, he was accused of being a drunkard, of associating with undesirables, of having been born as an illegitimate son conceived outside of marriage.

When Jesus asks his disciples who the people are saying the Son of Man is, they answer with names of past prophets: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah. All holy men, but all only human. Jesus follows up this question by asking the disciples who they think Jesus is, and impetuous Peter jumps in immediately: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

In response to Peter’s declaration, Jesus tells him: “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” Peter has boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus, and it is wonderfully affirmed by the Messiah himself.

Questions:
Who is Jesus to you? If a friend asked you to explain Jesus in one sentence, what would you say?

John 4:49-53 (English Standard Version)
The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household.

The official had traveled over 20 miles from his home in Capernaum to Cana. This was well before the arrival of automobiles and highways — 20 miles was a significant distance to journey. But this father was desperate to meet Jesus, who he had heard was a great healer. He begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to save his son.

Jesus didn’t waste words here. He just told the man, “Go; your son will live.” Anyone who has been anxious about the health of a beloved child can appreciate the kindness Jesus showed here, reassuring the man and, without delay, telling him to hurry back to the bedside of his son. The Greek word translated here as “will live” (zaō), means to continue to live, but also “to enjoy real life, active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God” (Thayer’s Lexicon).

At the exact moment that Jesus made his amazing pronouncement, the boy was healed. This miracle caused the official and his entire household to believe in the power and authority of Jesus. And, in this decision, Jesus’ words were truly, and wholly, fulfilled. This boy’s healing provided him with zaō  — he would enjoy a real, authentic, fully-realized life through his belief in the Son of God who came to save him.

Questions:
When you are worried about someone you love, how easy or difficult is it for you to trust God to care for him or her?

John 4:25-29 (Today’s New International Version)
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you — I am he.” Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

In this encounter, Jesus broke a number of closely held religious rules. First, he spoke directly to an unknown woman without anyone else around. Second, this woman was a Samaritan, a despised group that was at odds with the Jewish people. No self-respecting Jewish teacher would start a conversation with any Samaritan, let alone a female. Third, this woman was unmarried, and in an adulterous relationship. Definitely off limits. But Jesus immediately spoke with her, respectfully and honestly.

According to The New Interpreter’s Bible, “The Samaritans, like the Jews, expected a Messiah. The Samaritans called their Messiah Ta’heb… the Ta’heb was a teacher, which may explain the statement ‘he will proclaim [explain] all things to us.'” (vol. IX, 568).

The woman came to the well seeking water. Jesus offered her far more, telling her: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). Jesus fulfilled the Samaritan expectations of a teaching Messiah: he told the woman “everything she ever did.” But he did so much more! He offered her — this outsider woman — life and salvation. He offered her never-ending relief from her spiritual thirst. He offered her understanding and forgiveness.

And she accepted these gifts.

Questions:
For what are you currently “thirsting” in your spirit?

John 3:9-13 (New International Version)
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.”

Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council. Because of his position within the religious elite, he did not want to be seen consulting with Jesus. He decided instead to sneak in at night to see this perplexing man.

I’m not sure what exactly Nicodemus was expecting from this encounter, but I’m very sure that the conversation went differently than he had planned. He was first confused by Jesus’ statement that a person would need to be born “again” or “from above” — the Greek word anothen. To which, Nicodemus responded: “Huh? How?” (Slight paraphrase.) Then Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus that God loved the world so much that he sent his Son, so that whoever believed in him would not die, but have eternal life. “What?!?”

I picture Nicodemus leaving his time with Jesus with a rather stunned look on his face, eyes glazed over, as he tried to piece together what in the world had happened in the interview.

One thing we know about Nicodemus: this conversation with Jesus changed him. We’re told in John 19:39 that after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus and a man named Joseph of Arimethea took possession of Jesus’ body and prepared it for burial. These were actions usually performed by close family members. Nicodemus honored his crucified Messiah by caring for him in the midst of his own grief. And he did this boldly. Not under the cover of darkness.

Questions:
What first attracted you to Jesus? What most attracts you now?

Matthew 14:24-27 (New American Standard Bible)
The boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

The disciples encounter another storm while crossing the water in a boat. This storm seems to be even more dangerous than the last. We’re told that the wind was “contrary” (Greek anemos, “from all directions”). It is very hard to direct a boat with unpredictable winds and waves assaulting it from all sides! And while the disciples had witnessed Jesus’ power and authority in calming the last storm, this time they’re on their own. Jesus wasn’t on board.

Things come to a head during “the fourth watch,” between 3 and 6am. Have you ever noticed that everything seems to be worse in the middle of the night? Those hours before the sun comes up — in the quiet and the dark — that’s when many of us lie awake, stare at the ceiling, and worry about what is happening in our lives.

But then, suddenly, in the midst of the chaos and darkness, the disciples see a person literally walking above it all — above the waves and the turmoil. And Jesus tells them: “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!” (New Living Translation).

Psalm 139 reassures us: “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to you.”

So, take courage! In the midst of the darkness, in the middle of the sometimes chaos of our lives… Jesus is there.

Question:
What is it that you are most afraid of right now?

Matthew 14:16-21 (Today’s New International Version)
Jesus replied: “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to me.” And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Five loaves of bread and two fish. That’s all they had to feed well over 5000 men, women, and children. In John’s gospel, he includes the detail that this food was a small meal brought by a boy in the crowd. That young man must have been very hungry after a long day. When asked to volunteer his dinner, he might have thought, “My food isn’t enough for all these people, but it’s certainly enough for me! I’ll just keep it to myself. No one will know!”

So often in life, we focus on what we don’t have and worry about keeping what we do have. But with that attitude, we can miss the fact that when a problem is too big for us to handle on our own, that’s a perfect opportunity for God to step in.

So we can bring it all to Jesus: our talents, our abilities, our gifts, our resources, our hearts, minds, and souls. And God will make so much more of it than we could ever accomplish on our own!

Question:
When you are faced with a challenge, do you feel inspired? Frightened? Invigorated? Disheartened?

Matthew 13:54-57 (The Message)
Jesus returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

At first, the people are impressed by Jesus’ wisdom and knowledge, but this very quickly slides into envy. Just who does this guy think he is? Why should we listen to him? What are his credentials? Who are his parents? What is his background?

I heard someone joke years ago that if Jesus applied for a job in a modern-day church, he would never get a second glance, let alone get hired. He had no formal education, no seminary training. He had no worldly status, no powerful earthly connections. His family had no political influence. He had no non-profit job history, no references from the religious community. He didn’t even have a permanent mailing address.

What traits do we look for in our leaders? In his letter to the church in Galatia, the apostle Paul wrote about some of the indicators that we’re living life God’s way. He said that when we’re in line with God’s will, our lives reflect “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (5:22-23).

Question:
How well have your recent actions and words lined up with that list of qualities? In which  areas do you especially need God’s help right now?