The beloved physician Luke wrote how, “Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, and, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at your house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, insomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”, and in chapter nineteen and verse eleven of his book Luke shared, “as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem” where we read:
And as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
The verse reads, “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, ...” Luke began with the words, “and as they heard these things” or “and when the people were given the faculty of hearing, attended to, considered and perceived what Jesus said”, “he added and spoke a parable” which means “Jesus proceeded further to tell, bring word and grant an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”, “because he was near to Jerusalem” or “since and on account that Jesus was close to the city of Jerusalem which means set you double peace and was the capital of Palestine”. Luke shared how the crowd of people “heard” Jesus say “salvation” came to Zacchaeus' house and that He came to “seek and save that which was lost”, so Jesus began to share another “parable” with them as He drew close to “Jerusalem”.
The verse gees on to say, “... and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.” Luke continued with the words, “and because” or “and since and on account that” “they thought” which means “the people in the crowd were thinking, supposed and were of the opinion” “that the kingdom of God” or “that God's royal power, kingship, dominion and rule” “should immediately appear” which means “was at the point of being straightway and forthwith brought to light, held up to view and made apparent”. Luke shared how the people in the crowd were thinking that God's Kingdom was “immediately” going to be made apparent.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the crowd of people “heard” what Jesus said to Zacchaeus, so as He was traveling to Jerusalem, Jesus put forth another “parable” to them. They were thinking that God's Kingdom was going to “quickly” appear, so Jesus gave them another earthly story to show them how the Kingdom of God works. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they yield themselves to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they shall discover how God's plan for His Kingdom included them all the while. May all who read these words consider the mission of Jesus and submit their lives to Him.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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