Have you ever wondered how Jesus knew Zacchaeus' name?

When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5)

No one had introduced them. So how does Jesus know?

If you were from Jericho and you discovered the town tax collector who has been robbing you blind via over-collection for your whole life up in a tree, what would you do? Your enemy is up a tree. That's a very undignified place to be. You'd probably laugh at and taunt this enemy. Jesus knows Zacchaeus' name because everyone is taunting and making fun of him.

What does Jesus do by saying that he must stay at Zacchaeus' house today?

He shifts the hostility of the crowd from Zacchaeus to himself. How is that? He has just passed through Jericho, not accepting the hospitality of the more reputable residents of town. Now that he is on his way out, he decides to bless the house of the tax collector with the opportunity to provide hospitality to himself and his disciples on their way to Passover in Jerusalem. Showing hospitality is an honor the community gives to the community-member who they feel can best provide it. They would never choose the town tax collector.

By going to Zacchaeus' house, Jesus neither endorses his oppression of the citizens of Jericho, nor does he endorse their loathing of Zacchaeus. Jesus simply shows love.

At dinner Zacchaeus pledges to give 50% of his assets to the poor and to pay back 4 times what he has stolen from anyone. Could he really have fulfilled this pledge. Probably not. If all that he has stolen amounts to 13% of his possessions he will be in negative equity. Why does he say this then? Exaggeration is how sincerity was demonstrated in this time and place. If he had pledged to give some of his possessions to the poor and to pay as much as he could afford back to the people he had cheated, no one would have taken his pledge seriously. Through his exaggeration everyone present knows Zacchaeus is sincerely pledging to clean up his financial act.

Jesus sums up by saying "Salvation has come to this house." Did you notice that Zacchaeus has not done anything except make a pledge at this point. The religious leaders of Judea at this time required actions before forgiveness could be bestowed. Jesus says salvation has come before Zacchaeus has a chance to act on his words. Jesus affirms Zacchaeus' acceptance in the eyes of God regardless of what the community thinks.

What is salvation? It is acceptance. It is much more than a moment of decision. Jesus knows that Zacchaeus' whole life will change, and he accepts him right then as he is. He eats a meal with him. Eating a meal together is a symbol of reconciliation. That's what Passover, the Last Supper and communion are all about. They are meals that focus on reconciliation and freedom with and through Jesus.

What happened in Jericho after Jesus left? No written source tells us. We can assume that through Jesus' demonstration of unexpected love to the town tax collector, not only was Zacchaeus' life changed, but the whole community was changed. Through eating with the town tax collector, Jesus indirectly lifted oppressive tax burdens from the whole community. Jesus was not focusing his love on just one man. He was showing love to the whole community.

Luke 18:35-43 is the story of a blind man whom Jesus heals on his way into Jericho. This is Jesus' final approach to Jerusalem prior to his death and resurrection.

As Jesus approaches Jericho the blind man calls out to him to have mercy upon him. Jesus responds by asking "What do you want me to do for you?"

Why did Jesus ask that? Isn't it obvious that this guy is blind? Is Jesus making fun of the blind man? What is going on here?

In the world of the 1st century and still today, beggars play an important role within society. Religious people are required to give alms to the poor. If there were no beggars, there would be no poor to receive alms. Thus, the blind beggar fulfilled a necessary position in his community.

This man had probably been blind most or all of his life. Being blind means he has no education, no marketable skills, and no way to provide for himself besides begging.

What will happen to him if he is healed? The Bible does not give us the rest of this man's story, but we can easily guess what happens. His entire life changes, but depending on your perspective, it may not be entirely for the better. Yes he can see, but he will also immediately face a dramatic transition from completely relying upon others for his livelihood, to learning a trade and becoming a self-sustaining member of the community. Suddenly, life just grew a whole lot harder!

What is it that Jesus is really asking?

Are you ready to take on all the responsibilities and challenges that you will face if I heal you?

The man's response: "Lord, I want to see."

The blind man is aware that his future will entirely change because of his request. Yet he places his faith in Jesus, whom he recognizes as the Messiah ("Jesus, Son of David" Lk 18:38), and requests his sight.

One early translation of the Bible put his request like this: "Lord, let me receive my sight that I may see you." This is not the translation our English Bibles are based upon, but it makes an profound point for why this blind man makes his request. He recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and wants to see him. He is ready to live dusty.

Later, speaking to Thomas, one of his disciples, Jesus says, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” I wonder if the blind beggar they saw Jesus heal on the way into Jericho a few weeks before crossed the minds of the disciples right then.

How often do we live each day with the courage and faith the blind man had in Jesus before Jesus healed him? What would life be like if we did?

Grace and peace.

I'm very excited about Jerusalem: The Movie. Nothing surpasses the experience of walking in the Land of the Bible, but this movie seems like it will be a great way to get a feel for the geography before buying your plane ticket and hiking through the Land yourself.



The crew from the film is posting occasional updates from their filming on YouTube. This clip was filmed this morning. These are Ethiopian Christians celebrating Easter on the roof of the Holy Sepulcher. The Ethiopians are the poorest of the 6 Christian sects that claim a portion of the Holy Sepulcher as their own. For details on the church check out the post: Tour of the Holy Sepulcher.



Happy Easter. Christ is risen!

Do you know the words to the blessings spoken over the bread every Friday night at the Shabbat meal?

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."

Every Shabbat these words are spoken. Jesus, who grew up in a Jewish home that celebrated Shabbat every week, had heard these words every Friday night of his life prior to the Last Supper. As Christians living in the Western Hemisphere, it is not unusual that we are unfamiliar with the Shabbat blessing of the bread. However, because we are, we miss something fascinating that Jesus says-but-doesn't-say, at the Last Supper.

During supper he took bread, and having said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them with the words: "This is my body which is broken for you." (Lk 22:18; Mk 14:22)

Did you catch the connection? Jesus, comparing himself to the bread says "This is my body which is broken for you." We all know that Jesus is about to be crucified and that he is speaking about that. But, he is doing more than just foreshadowing of his death. What does the Shabbat blessing say happens to bread? God brings it forth from the earth! Jesus is foreshadowing his resurrection! You can imagine the disciples, who all, like Jesus, grew up hearing the Shabbat blessings every week, looking at each other trying to figure out what on earth Jesus' words meant.

The Passover began in Egypt (Exodus 12) as a remembrance of God setting His people, the Hebrews, free. It was to be observed every year, on the same day so that the Hebrews would always remember how God had set them free from bondage and slavery.

At the Last Supper, which probably was a Passover meal, Jesus introduced the New Covenant in which he is "the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through [him] (Jn 14:6)." There is a story Jesus tells that helps visualize the New Covenant.

A son leaves his father's house taking his inheritance with him (Lk 15:11-32). In that culture, to do this said to the father, "I wish you were already dead." The son spends his inheritance in ways he knows would break his father's heart. Eventually, the money runs out and he is reduced to slopping hogs. Of course, for a Jewish boy, anything is better than slopping hogs. The son works up the courage to go back to his father and beg for a position as a servant in his household since he is no longer worthy to be a son. When his son returns the father is so overjoyed that his son came home that he dresses him as a son, places the family ring on his finger and has a feast for him.

Why the feast? It was not just a party. In that culture eating a meal with someone was stating that you were reconciled and at peace with that person. Any wrong that they had done to you was forgiven. The meal is a statement. Why is it that the older brother does not come to eat the meal? Not solely because he's upset his father is honoring his brother, but because he is honest. He has not forgiven his brother, so he cannot eat with him or else he would be lying through his actions.

What is the meaning of the communion meal every time you take part in it? It is a meal with God. The Father eats a meal with us. He has forgiven us.

Why do you think the Temple leaders got so upset every time Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners? Now you know the picture and can understand a bit more of what was going on.

We so often feel shame over what we have done when God has already forgiven us. That forgiveness must be accepted and we must forgive ourselves as well. Then we can come to the meal with the Father and rejoice in the spiritual freedom that He has given us!

Have a blessed Easter weekend!

As Americans, we live thousands of years and miles away from those who wrote the Bible, so to better understand their writings we must learn about their world. In The Rest of the Story we will delve into the Bible's historical, cultural, and geographical contexts so that we may better understand God's message to us.

The Rest of the Story will last from this Sunday, February 26, until the middle of May. Because of the longer period we will spend most weeks looking at one site, some of the Bible events associated with it, and what we can learn about those events from the site, its history and the culture of the people who lived there. No text except the Bible is required for this class. There is no homework.

Time: Sundays, 9:00am-10:00am

Place: The Bridge, a campus of Meredith Drive Reformed Church (click for a Google map)

All are welcome! I hope you can come.

Grace and peace.