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The Encounter with Zacchaeus 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Today, we're looking at Luke chapter 19. And, look at verse 17. And he said to him, well done, good servant, because you were faithful in a very little, have authority0:21 over 10 cities. Now the context of, Luke chapter 19 is that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified. On his way, he stops in Jericho, which is a city of priest. He has an0:33 encounter with a wee little man named Zacchaeus. Then, after Zacchaeus' life is transformed by this encounter with Jesus, Jesus tells tells a parable about money and investments, but its0:45 meaning is about a lot more than just dollars and cents. Then we have the last 2 days of Jesus' life, the last 2 days of the week, Sunday and Monday. Let's start with the account0:57 of Zacchaeus. Verse 2, now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. So he was a chief tax collector, meaning that he probably had other agents working for him in the1:09 region. And as a result, he was very wealthy. Verse 3. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a1:20 sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way. Now ask the question, what motivated Zacchaeus to want to see Jesus? Now he was a wealthy man.1:32 He wasn't like those who were sick and poor and hungry that were always kind of following around Jesus. Well, Zacchaeus, like all people, had a spiritual need,1:44 a hunger for purpose and for meaning that only a relationship with our creator can fill. Now people try to fill with all kinds of stuff, but it will1:56 never fill that spiritual void no matter how much we have. Verse 5, and when Jesus came to the place where Zacchaeus Zacchaeus was, he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus,2:09 make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house. I love this because it's a it's a divine appointment. They did their paths cross. Zacchaeus encounters Jesus, and his life will never be the same. So he2:20 made haste, and he came down and received him joyfully. But when they saw it, that is the the crowd, the religious crowd around there, they come all complained saying he has gone to be a guest with a2:32 man who was a sinner, a tax collector. Now, again, I mentioned this before. Jericho was a city of priest. Jesus, he didn't go to have dinner with the priest. He went with2:44 the tax collector. Verse 8, then Zacchaeus stood and said to the lord, look, lord, I give half of my goods to the poor. And if I have taken anything from anyone by false2:56 accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, today, salvation has come to this house because he also is Abraham. For the son of man has come to seek and to save that3:08 which was lost. Zacchaeus, he wasn't saved by giving his goods away, but he was doing the works of repentance. He had been saved. His heart had been transformed. Verse 11.The Parable of the Minas 3:21 Now as they heard these things, he spoke another parable because he was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Little3:33 context here. Jesus's disciples were ready for the kingdom that Jesus had been talking about to begin. I mean, literally begin, not the spiritual kingdom, but the kingdom in reality. And what we're gonna see from their3:42 reaction to the events, they're gonna reality. And what we're gonna see from their reaction to the events that would soon unfold, their understanding of the kingdom was still still very unclear. Their3:54 expectation was that Jesus would a an earthly kingdom, and they would be be among the preferred4:06 rulers. No longer would they be looked down upon and ridiculed. They were looking forward to him being the king, the Messiah. Therefore, he said, a certain nobleman went4:18 into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called 10 of his servants, delivered to them 10 minas, and said to them, do business until I come.4:29 Now this is different than the parable of the talents that we read about in Matthew chapter 25 where each servant was given different gifts. In this parable, they are each given the same,4:41 Aminah. Now this this wasn't a a huge amount of money. It was roughly equivalent to about 4 months wages for the average worker. Verse 14. But his citizens4:53 hated him and sent a delegation after him saying, we will not have this man to reign over us. Starting to see the parallels here. So in this parable, Jesus is communicating the reality that they would5:05 face. His kingdom was coming. It wasn't then. It isn't now. It was coming. Although the foundation was being established, it was being established in the hearts of5:17 men, and it's being expanded today. The spiritual kingdom of god is being expanded. The physical kingdom was and is in the future. And Jesus is5:29 this nobleman who is going away to receive the kingdom. There is opposition to him. And as we read in verse 14, that means that his, servants who were left to occupy or to do5:40 business until he returns, that they would face opposition and hostility as well. So the working environment is going to be difficult, but, nonetheless, they are not to hide the5:52 fact that they work for him, and they are expected to be faithful to their master and to be about his business and bring a return. Verse 15. And so it was6:04 when they when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded6:25 him, well done, good servant, because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over 10 cities. The mina represents the equal opportunity that, we have to serve the6:36 lord. You know, when we accept Jesus Christ as our lord and savior and we're given the holy spirit, we have the power to live in the kingdom of god according to kingdom principles.6:49 Now that does not mean, because we all have that opportunity, does not mean that we're gonna have equal outcomes. Notice 1 earned 10 minas, on the 1 that he had been given,7:01 and he was rewarded with 10 cities to have authority over. Now that's a significant reward, frankly, for using something someone else entrusted to you. But he was faithful in very little7:13 and therefore rewarded. And and we're in the same situation. We don't have anything of our own. God has given it to us. But if we use it wisely, the blessing that's going to come from that is going to be,7:25 magnified. Alright. Multiply. And, verse 18, and the second came saying, master, your mina has earned 5 minas. Likewise, he said to him,7:37 you also be over 5 cities. Now notice he was not he did not chastise this guy for not having 10. He he had 1. He got 5. He he was7:49 rewarded in proportion to what he produced. Verse 20. Then another came saying, master, here is your mina, which I have kept in a handkerchief. For I feared8:01 you because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. And he said to him, out of your own mouth, I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was8:12 an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank that at my coming, I might have collected it with interest? And he stood by, take8:24 the mina from him and give it to him who has 10. But they said to him, master, he has 10. For I say to you that every to everyone who has has will be given and from him who does not8:36 have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them before me. Now this third servant, he8:48 hid his mina in a handkerchief for fear of his master. Now he was asked why he didn't at least put it in the bank and draw some interest. Possibly possibly, the servant did not want to9:00 be identified with the master because of the opposition and the hostility that was toward the master and his servants. The result was that he was what he had was taken, and he was given it was9:12 given to the 1 who had the most. Someone say, well, that's not fair. No. It is fair. If you don't use it, you lose it. And as Matthew Henry wrote, quote, those who have laid out9:24 themselves to do good should have their opportunities of doing good enlarged. You know, that's what I I believe believe is and I pray this often as as Moses did. Lord, establish the work of9:35 our hands. What the lord has given us to do, we do it to our very best, and then we ask the lord just to bless it and multiply it. So what does this mean? Well, here's my understanding of the of this parable. In9:47 the context of what Jesus was communicating to his disciples as his followers, we're left here on this earth as his servants to look after his kingdom. Remember, it's a spiritual kingdom.10:00 We're not just caretakers, but we're to be those who are expanding his holdings. We're to expand the kingdom of God. When he returns, we will give an account to him10:12 with what we have done with what we've been given. While the work is temporal, it's temporal. It's just on this earth. The reward is eternal. What we do in this life will set10:24 the stage for what we're able to do throughout all of eternity. You See, they they had the same a very similar principle with the talents, but here we had the minas. 1 mina10:36 turns into 10, and his his reward was to be over 10 cities. So I believe we're gonna be and by the way, this is is very clear. It has nothing to do with salvation, but rather this is all about service.10:48 Eternity in the new heaven and earth is going to be a place where we can use, I believe, our gifts and our abilities to serve the lord without the opposition and the obstacles in this fallen world. Heaven is not just11:00 gonna be a place where we're floating around on clouds. We're gonna be engaged in in glorifying God, serving him, working. There there's gonna be a lot to do. And, you11:11 know, this analogy will probably break down at some point, but for those who are NASCAR fans, this is life is kind of the time trials. Our placement in heaven and what we get to do11:23 in in heaven is based a lot on what we do with what we've been given here on this earth. So question is, are you being faithful to God with what he's given you? Diligently going about the business of11:35 his kingdom despite the hostility and the opposition that comes in this world. Father, we thank you for your word and, lord, a challenging parable, but an11:47 encouraging 1. And and we thank you for your grace and your mercy and the gifts that you've given us. It's not gifts that we have, but it's gifts that you've given us. And so may we use them wisely for your purposes and11:59 kingdom. For we pray, and we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks so much for joining me. Until next time, keep standing on the12:11 word. Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a12:23 day, you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Encounter with Zacchaeus3:10 The Parable of the Minas
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