Lucas 19
John Calvin · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 19
Calvin wrote: “Curiosity and simplicity are a sort of preparation for faith.” In other words Calvin is voicing what most commentators have said about Zaccheus, that he was seeking Jesus. Certainly he was curious ("trying to see who Jesus was" Lk 19:3). We know from Scripture that no man seeks for God (Ro 3:11+), so if it was not out of curiosity, then it had to be because the Spirit had urged him to do so. Jesus taught that "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:44). In John 6:65 Jesus said "no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." So here we can see the Trinity involved in orchestrating Zaccheus' encounter with Jesus, the Father drawing him through the inner working of the Spirit to seek the Son Who ultimately was really the One seeking Zaccheus! Amazing grace indeed! God's pursuit of Zaccheus reminds me of the poem by Francis Thompson (1859–1907). Although Thompson was a follower of Christ, he struggled with poverty, poor health, and an addiction to opium (which in those days was sold as an “over-the-counter” medication). In the depths of his despair, Thompson described his flight from God The Hound of Heaven I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Thompson's long poem (the preceding stanza is only a small excerpt) ends with the words that tell us the One from Whom the writer had been fleeing all his days was God Who says "Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He Whom thou seekest!" And so once again we see the "Hound of Heaven" saying as it were to despised Zaccheus "I am He Whom thou seekest!" John Stott wrote the following words which any of us who now follow Christ could have penned... [My faith is] due to Jesus Christ himself, Who pursued me relentlessly even when I was running away from Him in order to go my own way. And if it were not for the gracious pursuit of the Hound of Heaven I would today be on the scrap-heap of wasted and discarded lives. (To which I say "Amen") (See Basic Christian) As an aside lest you be offended by the metaphor of God portrayed as a "hound" as Stott explained "there are good hounds as well as bad hounds, and that specially admirable are collies, which range the Scottish Highlands in search of lost sheep." (Borrow Why I am a Christian) In Psalm 23:6 David wrote "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." Pastor Ray
Lucas 19
Calvin notes “the astonishing kindness” of our Lord who took the initiative to seek out this notorious sinner from whom others recoiled before there was any request on Zaccheus’ part (Calvin’s Commentaries). Charles Spurgeon said, “Christ does not leave it to ourselves to seek Him, or else it would be left indeed, for so vile is human nature that although heaven be offered, and though hell thunder in our ears, yet there never was, and there never will be, any man who, unconstrained by sovereign grace, will run in the way of salvation, and so escape from hell and flee to heaven." Thus if you are seeking God today, you can know that it is only because of the Savior’s kindness in taking the initiative to seek you first." (Luke 19:1-10 Why Jesus Came) Ray Pritchard - I submit something for your consideration. If you had taken a poll that day and asked, “Name the most hated man in Jericho,” Zaccheus would have been named on 99% of the ballots. Virtually everybody would have said, “This is the worst man in town.” And then you’d ask the second question, “Who is the least likely person to want to see Jesus?” Zaccheus would once again have been at the top of the list. People had written off this crooked tax collector long ago. But when Jesus comes down he sees a man up a tree so desperate to see him. It’s the man everybody hates. Sometimes in our effort to share the gospel we get so discouraged. We think our friends and loved ones are never going to listen. We try to share Christ at work. We try to share Christ with our friends and our neighbors. We try to build bridges. We try to get to know people who don ’t know the Lord. We get discouraged when they don’t respond quickly. Sometimes they go months and years without responding at all. We look at them and we conclude that they are hardened to God. Zaccheus reminds us not to jump to hasty conclusions. If you had looked on the outside you would have written him off because his society had written him off. But in his heart, the Holy Spirit was working, waiting for the day when Jesus would arrive. (Zaccheus Anonymous) J R Miller comments that "Nothing should ever be allowed to hinder us, in a great purpose, especially in getting to see Jesus. Often one has to brave the ridicule of others--but we should never let ridicule hinder us from doing our duty and getting a blessing from Christ. We should not allow ourselves to be laughed out of heaven. Zacchaeus overcame his littleness, by getting up into a tree. Men must often overcome disadvantages by expedients. Personal disadvantages often become one's best blessings. The very effort to overcome them, makes one a stronger, nobler man." (Zaccheus) The sycamore tree is most likely the sycamore fig tree, Ficus sycomorus (not the North American sycamore or European-Asian sycamore maple) which grows in the Near Ease (map), which grew up to 50 feet tall with broad low branches (which Zaccheus would be able to grasp and climb despite his short stature - in this picture note the large size of the tree (Another picture in Jericho - branches seem high for a little man!) - see cattle and people walking!). A study in 2015 indicated that the sycamore tree was brought to Israel by Philistines during the Iron Age (which lasted from about 1200 BC to 550 BC). Now think about this for a moment. Was this tree on the side of that particular street in Jericho by accident or chance? Not a chance! Who created this tree? Why did God allow this tree to grow here at this time? What if the tree had not been beside the road? What if it had been a palm tree instead of a sycamore known for its low hanging branches? (It is notable that Jericho was known for its palm trees not its sycamore trees for Dt 34:3 calls it "the city of palm trees"!) And so this blessed sycamore tree was no mere accident of "mother nature" beloved! It was the purposeful planting by Father God! While you may think it a bit far fetched, it is clear that God had already provided a "front row" seat for this little man who was seeking a big God! Beloved, when a heart seeks the truth about God, the God of truth will make certain that the seeking person encounters His truth as shown by this simple strategically placed sycamore tree! God was carrying out His sovereign plan of redemption of little Zaccheus, even through He was doing so in part behind-the-scenes! And if you doubt that God was behind the scenes, orchestrating the acts in this drama in Jericho. You might enjoy an incredible book by Don Richardson entitled "Eternity in their Hearts" which addresses the question "Has the God Who prepared the Gospel for all people groups also prepared all people groups for the Gospel?" (cf Eccl 3:11, Acts 17:27). It is a truly fascinating book (read some reviews). Beloved, do you believe that God is working "behind the scenes" in your life? Well, He is, whether you believe it or not! God has not "checked out," regardless of what you are experiencing. His is there. He is working. His is active. He is loving and caring. And He promises to complete the good work He has begun in you (Phil 1:6+) and ultimately is causing ALL things to work together for good in your life (Ro 8:28+, cf Joseph's testimony to this truth in Ge 50:20). Let the truth of the doctrine of divine providence permeate your heart and mind, for as Jesus promised, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free! (Jn 8:31, 32) This is the blessed benefit of God's providence. As you read through the Bible, consider placing a "P" in your Bible margin when the Spirit illuminates some aspect of God's providence, a truth which saturates the pages of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. You could begin by placing a "P" by Luke 19:4 where Zaccheus just happened to find a sycamore tree to climb so he could encounter the Lord of Creation! Beloved, you can mark it down as an absolute truth that God is always behind the scenes and controls the scenes He is behind! See study of the Providence of God Sycamore (4809)(sukomorea from sukon = fig + moron = mulberry) means a fig-mulberry tree, a sycamore fig. Used only here in the Bible. Different than the "sycamine tree" in Lk 17:6. It may be that Luke is displaying his interests as a physician for these trees were the sources for two different medicines (A. T. Robertson). ILLUSTRATION - Brian Bell- Columnist Herb Caen wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning alion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."