Luke 19:11-27

I do not think it is a coincidence that Luke placed his story of Jesus healing the blind beggar immediately following Jesus telling his disciples what will happen to him in Jerusalem: “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”

The disciples were still blind to the bigger vision of what God was doing through Jesus. The beggar now could see and began following Jesus to Jerusalem. Luke has been very consistent in connecting faith to healing. But, here again, it was not that the beggar had great faith; rather he had faith in a GREAT God.

Luke is the only one of the Gospel writers that tells us about Zacchaeus, who makes an interesting contrast to the rich young man we read about in the last chapter. Tax collectors like Zacchaeus were despicable, immoral and hated in their communities.  Did you notice that Luke does not say he followed Jesus out of Jericho? The inference is that he stayed in his community to work out the meaning of his new life in Christ.

In this little story Luke combines three themes that have consistently been presented by Jesus. First there is the issue of wealth and money and how they should be understood in the Kingdom of God. Second, there is the company Jesus keeps. He continually goes to the least, the last and the lost. Third there is the faith that affirms Jesus as Messiah and that leads to new life.

Jesus turns west and begins the final leg of his journey to Jerusalem. The distance is about fifteen miles with an elevation increase of about 3,400 feet. Today, on well paved roads, the walk would take seven or eight hours. I suspect it took Jesus much longer and I suspect that by the time he made his entry into Jerusalem he was exhausted.

What word or phrase in these verses

attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

2-Feb-12       Luke 19:11-27