1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran on before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Many people are asking what it is that these protesters want. They want justice. But what law needs to change? They want police fired, suspending them is a “slap in the face”. So according to that the way to rectify injustice is to deny a fair trial to the police? The mayor of Rochester was extremely sympathetic to their calls, yet explained that there is a process. In this country you are innocent until proven guilty. Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian dissident, author and columnist for the Washington Post. He was assassinated in October of 2018 and only today, almost a full two years later, the sentences are being handed down in the case. The idea that the mob sees a video of some terrible event, riots, loots, and the next day the court is going to pass sentence is not justice. Contrast this with Jesus' mission to “seek and save that which was lost”. No one has presented a path for salvation with these protests. The only consistent message being given is to get people fired based on mob rule. If that is your goal, to destroy them, then their only option is to fight you. Nelson Mandela understood this and he gave people a path to salvation. Gandhi also did, the path to salvation for the British was to pack up and leave.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear.
This is where we are today. We are near to a peace treaty with Israel concerning Jerusalem being made with the many. We are also seeing the internet flooded with dreams saying that the kingdom of God is going to immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man reign over us.
This story is cut short, in the other gospels it describes beating and killing the servants. The idea is that Luke is written to those that are raptured at the beginning of the age. You will see the beginning of this hatred, but not the full bloom. Mark is written to those who are raptured in the middle of the tribulation and there you will see the more extreme version of this story. Consider this quote for a little more context on “the citizens hating Him”. From George Orwell’s 1984: “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it… All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.” We aren’t there yet, but we do hear about
“The enemies of the state”, and “traitors, saboteurs, and thought criminals”. It is not hard for us to imagine them becoming ferocious.
15 And it came to pass, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. 16 And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more. 17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds. 19 And he said unto him also, Be thou also over five cities.
I think it is easy enough to understand that the ten pounds represents the gifts that the Lord has given. Some are more gifted than others. The one with 10 talents or 5 talents used those gifts for the glory of God. When the Lord returns at the end of the age they will have a powerful testimony of God’s grace and power.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin: 21 for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.
This man is not a thief, he didn’t try to steal the talent. He also is not a liar, doesn’t pretend that someone stole it or give some story to explain why there is no interest.
22 He saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow; 23 then wherefore gavest thou not my money into the bank, and I at my coming should have required it with interest?
If you are going to invest you have three options. You can start your own business like Bill Gates did, or you can invest in the stock market like Warren Buffet did, or you can simply put the money in the bank. All three are valid options. If you are a ten talented person I think the best option is to start your own business. If you are a five talented person I think the best option is to invest in businesses that others start. If you are a one talented person the best option may be to put the money in the bank. But, if you are the Lord Jesus, your best option is to invest in everything. During this age the Lord has invested in all of us, when He returns that is when He will settle accounts.
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds. 25 And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds. 26 I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.
This is the secret. Do you think Jobs and Wozniack knew how big Apple would become when they started in the garage? What they knew was that they had something. They invested in what they had and it continued to grow bigger. Do you know why Microsoft became a giant? They bought an operating system from a company that didn’t know what they had and then promised to sell an operating system to IBM based on what they bought. It is a prime example of someone thinking they didn’t have anything and selling what they did have. When you think your little experience or little word or little vision is too small and insignificant you aren’t being humble, you are being wicked. You are insulting the Lord who gave that to you. When you see some little garage operation grow into Google, or Amazon.com or Apple you are seeing the glory and power of God.
Many people are asking what it is that these protesters want. They want justice. But what law needs to change? They want police fired, suspending them is a “slap in the face”. So according to that the way to rectify injustice is to deny a fair trial to the police? The mayor of Rochester was extremely sympathetic to their calls, yet explained that there is a process. In this country you are innocent until proven guilty. Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian dissident, author and columnist for the Washington Post. He was assassinated in October of 2018 and only today, almost a full two years later, the sentences are being handed down in the case. The idea that the mob sees a video of some terrible event, riots, loots, and the next day the court is going to pass sentence is not justice. Contrast this with Jesus' mission to “seek and save that which was lost”. No one has presented a path for salvation with these protests. The only consistent message being given is to get people fired based on mob rule. If that is your goal, to destroy them, then their only option is to fight you. Nelson Mandela understood this and he gave people a path to salvation. Gandhi also did, the path to salvation for the British was to pack up and leave.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear.
This is where we are today. We are near to a peace treaty with Israel concerning Jerusalem being made with the many. We are also seeing the internet flooded with dreams saying that the kingdom of God is going to immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man reign over us.
This story is cut short, in the other gospels it describes beating and killing the servants. The idea is that Luke is written to those that are raptured at the beginning of the age. You will see the beginning of this hatred, but not the full bloom. Mark is written to those who are raptured in the middle of the tribulation and there you will see the more extreme version of this story. Consider this quote for a little more context on “the citizens hating Him”. From George Orwell’s 1984: “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it… All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.” We aren’t there yet, but we do hear about
“The enemies of the state”, and “traitors, saboteurs, and thought criminals”. It is not hard for us to imagine them becoming ferocious.
15 And it came to pass, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. 16 And the first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more. 17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds. 19 And he said unto him also, Be thou also over five cities.
I think it is easy enough to understand that the ten pounds represents the gifts that the Lord has given. Some are more gifted than others. The one with 10 talents or 5 talents used those gifts for the glory of God. When the Lord returns at the end of the age they will have a powerful testimony of God’s grace and power.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin: 21 for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.
This man is not a thief, he didn’t try to steal the talent. He also is not a liar, doesn’t pretend that someone stole it or give some story to explain why there is no interest.
22 He saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow; 23 then wherefore gavest thou not my money into the bank, and I at my coming should have required it with interest?
If you are going to invest you have three options. You can start your own business like Bill Gates did, or you can invest in the stock market like Warren Buffet did, or you can simply put the money in the bank. All three are valid options. If you are a ten talented person I think the best option is to start your own business. If you are a five talented person I think the best option is to invest in businesses that others start. If you are a one talented person the best option may be to put the money in the bank. But, if you are the Lord Jesus, your best option is to invest in everything. During this age the Lord has invested in all of us, when He returns that is when He will settle accounts.
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds. 25 And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds. 26 I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.
This is the secret. Do you think Jobs and Wozniack knew how big Apple would become when they started in the garage? What they knew was that they had something. They invested in what they had and it continued to grow bigger. Do you know why Microsoft became a giant? They bought an operating system from a company that didn’t know what they had and then promised to sell an operating system to IBM based on what they bought. It is a prime example of someone thinking they didn’t have anything and selling what they did have. When you think your little experience or little word or little vision is too small and insignificant you aren’t being humble, you are being wicked. You are insulting the Lord who gave that to you. When you see some little garage operation grow into Google, or Amazon.com or Apple you are seeing the glory and power of God.