Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14)

Chapter eighteen opens with more instruction on prayer. That it was neccessary to always be in communication with God. Not as a production, but as a daily, constant checking in. Not only talking at, but listening to with the intent to obey. Then Jesus taught about trusting in the Father, not yourself. To humbly submit in honesty to God. Jesus also blessed children, telling His disciples not to block them. That they were models of trust and should always be made to have access to Him. [I think this instruction stands for all of time.]

Jesus was asked what it took for someone to get into heaven, to earn the way in through their own merit. But Jesus taught that anything that stood in your heart before God, anything that kept you from being free to give it away to Him, this was what prevented people from getting in. The disciples were shocked by this, but Jesus told them it was how it had to be. AND that it was achievable when they did everything they did WITH God. Since He had their attention, Jesus took the Twelve aside and for the third time prophesied about His death and resurrection on the third day. They had NO IDEA what He was talking about and only understood it in hindsight.

When they got close to Jericho, a blind man was calling out to Jesus. The crowd told him to shut up and leave Jesus alone. But Jesus heard him and asked for him. The crowd was suddenly supportive and told the blind man to hurry to Jesus – no doubt eager to witness another miracle. The blind man asked for mercy and his sight. Jesus granted his request because his trust was sure. The man got his sight and began to follow Jesus.

Chapter nineteen has Jesus passing through Jericho. There He found a short man in a tree. He had climbed up there in order to see Jesus. They went to Jesus’ house and he gave a great feast as he listened to Jesus. He turned to Jesus completely, giving half of all his money to the poor AND pledging to pay five times the value to anyone who he had cheated. The Son of Man had come to redeem the lost and here another one was found. Jesus told all there a parable. It was a parable of a nobleman giving money to servants to trade with until he returned. Two of them did so, doubling what they had been given. The other was so fearful of failure that he buried the money, doing nothing with it. When the nobleman returned, the two were rewarded with responsibility, but the one was cast out. Faithful in little meant being given the opportunity to be faithful with much.

When Jesus got to Jerusalem, He rode in on a colt, the foal of a donkey amid fanfare and worship from the people. The Pharisees told Jesus to get the people to shut up. But Jesus told them if the people did not praise, the nearby gravestones would cry out with the resurrected dead. Jesus prophesied to them of the destruction of Jerusalem. Of the horrors that would come upon them. And that it was all going to happen because they did not recognize their chance to truly repent and turn to God.

When Jesus got inside the city, He went to the Temple. There, the money lenders had again set themselves up to cheat the people with raised prices and dishonest scales as they took advantage of the people. Jesus drive out the cheaters, declaring that the Temple was to be a place of prayer and worship, not a place to rob the people of their ability to lawfully engage with the Lord. Jesus taught in the Temple openly and daily. Though the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people wanted Jesus dead, they couldn’t figure out how to do it safely because the people were very attentive to hear Jesus.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, Zacchaeus, Pharisees, Jews

Key Verse(s): Luke 18:1-8; 19:45-48