Day 299 – Jesus’ Ministry In Jericho

• As we join Jesus again today, notice that we’re catching up with Him in Jericho. Have you seen how much He moves around? He walked a long way! I mentioned this a little earlier, but you might want to check the map again. What other famous stories have we had take place at Jericho over this year’s readings?
• Zacchaeus, the man who climbed a tree to see Jesus, is a well known story which I heard many times at Junior Church, but very rarely in church itself when I was older. As I read it, I thought about the grumbling of the people and it reminded me of the words we read a few days ago with the grumbling labourers. Jesus’ teachings are often easy to understand, but supremely challenging. What was the challenge in the story of Zacchaeus?
• How hated do you think Zacchaeus was? Do you think all his money would have made up for his lack of friends?
• Why did the people around complain that Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house? Did Jesus approve of Zacchaeus, do you think? If not, why did He go? What transformation took place in that house that day, leading Jesus to say that Zacchaeus was now a true “son of Abraham”?
• The parable of the ten minas (Luke) and the similar parable of the talents (Matthew) might have confused you. Let’s take a look together, and I’ll use the version in Luke for the purposes of these notes. Ten minas was about 3 months’ wages for an ordinary man. Imagine you were one of the servants who had been given this money, with the challenge to “engage in business” with it – i.e. to use the money to make more money. What would you do?
• Why do you think the nobleman, who was soon to become a king, gave his servants this challenge? Was it to make him some money, or to find out something about his servants’ attitudes?
• When the nobleman returned as a powerful king, what did the different servants have to show him? Why do you think the servant who misused the money didn’t even receive anything? Was it fair to give the “city” to the one who had already been given ten?
• Consider the meaning of the parable. The nobleman is Jesus, and the servants are us. We have been given good gifts, like the money the servants had. How well are you using your gifts to bring glory to Jesus… or are you hiding your gifts like the buried money? What does the Bible say about how those who use their gifts and time well will be rewarded? How does Luke 19:26 sum our eternal destinies?

If you’re up for thinking more deeply, consider Luke 19:12, 14 and 27. Where is the far country of verse 12? Think along the lines of Jesus’ “return” being His second coming. How does verse 14 link in with the way Jesus was treated by the Jews? Verse 27 might lead you to think about the final judgement of those who reject Jesus. How do Jesus’ words make you feel?

In Jericho, Jesus healed people (such as the blind man we read about in our third reading today), showed how sinners could receive grace through repentance (Zacchaeus) and taught the people the value of using their gifts from God well during the long wait for the “second coming” (the parable). He would have really been causing a stir. Just imagine what the buzz of the city would have been abou!

All that buzz, of course, was causing more and more resentment and anger within the community of people who didn’t want to hear Jesus’ challenging messages. Tomorrow – day 300 – we’ll read about His entry into Jerusalem and the start of the final week before His death. This week we’ll see His most forceful critiques on empty religious attitudes and the angry reaction which ultimately brought His death, which we’ll read about in two weeks’ time. These world-transforming passages form the bedrock of our firm hope and salvation, so read and study well!