Christian Reflection and Prayer

... "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay
at your house today" (Luke 19:5b).

 

Read Luke 19:1-10

 

Jesus' final week is just a few days away. He has come
to Jericho to spend the night, but His host is not home.
So Jesus passes through town to find him.

 

Zacchaeus is a chief tax collector and extremely wealthy.
 But he left his tax office when he heard Jesus had come
to town. He knew Jesus' reputation-while the Jews and
their leaders despised tax collectors as traitors and
thieves-Jesus was known as a friend to tax collectors.
Rushing to the far edge of town, he climbed a tree to see
the Lord.

 

Jesus comes right up to that spot, stops, and looks up
into the tree. Calling Zacchaeus by name, He tells him to
come down quickly. Jesus wants to spend this night in his
house.

 

Zacchaeus scurries down and receives Jesus with great joy.
The crowd hears this and is terribly scandalized. How
could Jesus choose to stay in the home of a notorious
sinner? What they didn't know is that Jesus had already
begun to change Zacchaeus' heart. The chief tax collector
was repenting of his sins and planning to make amends for
his past wrongdoings.

 

Jesus points out that Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham just
as are those in the crowd. True children of Abraham share
Abraham's faith in God's promise to send the Christ or
Messiah. Zacchaeus knew Jesus had given him a great
honor by staying in his house. But did he know His Lord
had chosen to spend one of the last precious nights He
had on earth with him?

THE PRAYER:

 

Lord Jesus Christ, with amazing grace You sought out the
despised chief tax collector Zacchaeus and honored him by
staying at His house that night. Help us appreciate the honor
You give us, by promising to remain with us always. Amen.

 

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

And he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on
me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling
him to be silent. ... (Luke 18:38-39a)
.
Read Luke 18:35-43

 

Jesus is approaching Jericho. It's one of His last stops
before Jerusalem. Along the road sits a blind man
begging. Hearing a loud commotion passing by, he
asks what's going on. Someone from the crowd answers,
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

 

Immediately, the beggar begins shouting at the top of his
lungs. He knows Jesus is somewhere in that crowd,
which is shuffling past him. But unlike the stranger from
the crowd he doesn't call Him "Jesus the Nazarene.
" Instead, he calls him, "Jesus, Son of David." He is
convinced that Jesus is the promised Messiah, David's
Son.

 

Jesus indeed is the King marching on to save His people
from their enemies. Some in the crowd try to silence the
blind man, but he shouts all the louder to get Jesus'
attention. That is the character of faith: the more people
and circumstances rise up to silence us, the louder we
cry for our Lord to be merciful to us.

 

We might expect Jesus to be so preoccupied with His
approaching death that He wouldn't notice a lone voice,
crying out to Him in the midst of the clamor of the crowd.
But His ears are attuned to cries for mercy from His
faithful ones. Now that He has accomplished His mission
and won complete forgiveness, we can be confident He
hears our cries for mercy and pity too.

 

The man is blind no longer. He rises and follows Jesus on
His way.

 

THE PRAYER:

 

Lord Jesus Christ, even as You were journeying toward
Your bitter death, Your ears were wide open to the pleas
of the blind man. Give me confidence that You hear my
prayers for mercy too. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be
mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And
after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third
day He will rise (Luke 18:32-33).

 

Read Luke 18:31-34

 

Jesus has left Galilee in the north and is on the road to
Jerusalem with His 12 disciples. The crowds are
excited by everything Jesus is doing, and the disciples
are swept up in their hopes and dreams. Jesus tells
them everything recorded in the Old Testament prophets
concerning Him will be fulfilled in Jerusalem. They
expect Jesus to announce His glorious earthly kingdom,
but Jesus paints a very different picture.

 

Twice before, Jesus has announced His coming death
and resurrection. Both times He veiled the details behind
the words, "The Son of Man must suffer many things.
" Now, however, He spells it out. He doesn't disclose
Judas' upcoming betrayal, but He does reveal that the
Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin, will deliver Him into
the hands of the Gentiles, namely, Pontius Pilate, the
Roman governor.

 

The Roman soldiers will mock Him, treat Him shamefully
and outrageously, spit upon Him, flog Him, and then kill
Him. The details are stunning. Jesus knows exactly what
He is walking into-and He goes willingly.

 

This is not at all what the disciples expect or want to hear.
But when those words are fulfilled, they will have no doubt
that Jesus foresaw it all -- and went through it all -- for
them and us.

 

THE PRAYER:

 

Almighty God, Your Son knew all He must suffer to save
us from our sins, and yet He took that path willingly. Give
me a thankful heart that I may joyfully follow whatever path
You choose to set before me. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries