Today’s Tasting: Luke 19
On his way to Jerusalem, as Jesus passed through the town of Jericho, Zaccheus, a tax collector, climbed a tree so he could see Jesus. Stopping at the foot of the tree, Jesus called him down. “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (verse 5 NASB). The people nearby began to grumble about Jesus choosing to be the guest of a sinner, but Jesus told them, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (verse 10).
Then Jesus told them a parable about a rich man who went away on a journey. He gave ten of his slaves a mina each and told them to do business with the money until his return. When the rich man returned he called the slaves to give an account of the money. The first had made ten minas, and his master told him he had done well, and made him master over ten cities. The second slave had made five minas, and he was made master over five cities. A third came and gave his master back the one mina, saying he was afraid and had kept the mina safe in a handkerchief. The master was angry, and took the mina away and gave it to the one who had ten minas.
As Jesus drew nearer to Jerusalem, He sent two of His disciples ahead, telling them that in the next village they would find a colt that had not yet been ridden. They brought the colt back to Him, and the disciples threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He approached Jerusalem the crowds spread their coats on the road, and began to praise God for all the miracles they had seen. When Jesus saw Jerusalem He wept, because of the destruction that was to come on the city.
In Jerusalem, Jesus went to the temple and drove out those who were selling goods. This angered the chief priests and other leaders and they began to plot how to destroy Him.
Today’s Nourishment: Luke 19 has three of the most well-known stories about Jesus: (1) the story of Zaccheus, who is the picture of the sinners Jesus calls to repentance; (2) the parable concerning stewardship; and (3) His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But whenever I get to this point in any of the Gospels, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach and I want to stop reading because I know the rest of the story. I’m always reluctant to read about the terrible events that will follow the Passover, which takes place a few days later. It’s hard to reflect on the way Jesus was beaten and mocked, and finally crucified. I don’t like to think of my Lord’s body broken and bleeding and the unmentionable pain he endured.
Yet His sacrificial death is Good News, for me and every other person on earth, if we believe! Through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection we have peace with God and we get to spend eternity with Him in a place where “He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
That’s worth singing about! Hallelujah! Can you sing Hallelujah?
Share your hallelujah’s with us.
Tomorrow’s Delight: Mark 11; John 12
Joanne Creary
Joanne, My hallelujah is that we will soon have blogged through the Bible and we will have a devotional for every section of reading through the Bible. I believe the Lord is going to use this for years to come!