Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Luke 19 and 20

Luke 19

Publicans were considered sinners to the Jews. Zacchaeus is a form of Zacharias. It is a Jewish name. Zacchaeus evidently extorted money from people at one time, but then restored it four fold. It appears that he is repenting of what he had done.


The man who did nothing to invest the money is the one condemned. It is those who know but fail to act that the Lord is unhappy with. I am always a little amazed when people who are members of the church, but never attend, will still call if they need food or money or a blessing. Every once in a while, some of those come back and get involved, but not too often.


Luke gives one of the most extensive prophesies of the Savior of Jerusalem's coming destruction.


Luke 20

In the parable of he vineyard, the people seem to understand that the Lord is saying that it has been the Jewish people's privilege to be the chosen people to do he work of the Lord, but because they are going to slay the Savior, they will lose that privilege and the kingdom will be given to another people. This is why they say in verse 16, "God forbid," or the Greek translation is "May it not be." Even the Pharisees get this one (see verse 19).


I love that the Pharisees, Sadducees, lawyers and scribes all finally give up trying to trick the Savior into giving a false answer and decide not to question him anymore. You would think they would have realized long before this that they were way out classed.

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