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Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through it.(A) A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.(B) When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”(C) Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”(D) Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.(E) 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Pounds

11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.(F) 12 So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant region to receive royal power for himself and then return.(G) 13 He summoned ten of his slaves and gave them ten pounds and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ 17 He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’(H) 18 Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ 19 He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ 20 Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’(I) 22 He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?(J) 23 Why, then, did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’ 24 He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) 26 ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.(K) 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to rule over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’ ”

Jesus’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.(L)

29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them.(M) 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.(N) 37 Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,

“Blessed is the king
    who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
    and glory in the highest heaven!”(O)

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”(P) 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”(Q)

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it,(R) 42 saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 Indeed, the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you and hem you in on every side.(S) 44 They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”[a](T)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45 Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things[b] there, 46 and he said, “It is written,

‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’
    but you have made it a den of robbers.”(U)

47 Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him,(V) 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.

Footnotes

  1. 19.44 Gk lacks from God
  2. 19.45 Other ancient authorities add in it and those who were buying things

19 Jesus enters Jericho and seems only to be passing through. Living in Jericho is a man named Zaccheus. He’s the head tax collector and is very rich. He is also very short. He wants to see Jesus as He passes through the center of town, but he can’t get a glimpse because the crowd blocks his view. So he runs ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree so he can see Jesus when He passes beneath him.

Jesus comes along and looks up into the tree[, and there He sees Zaccheus].[a]

Jesus: Zaccheus, hurry down from that tree because I need to stay at your house tonight.

Zaccheus scrambles down and joyfully brings Jesus back to his house. Now the crowd sees this, and they’re upset.

Crowd (grumbling): Jesus has become the houseguest of this fellow who is a notorious sinner.

Zaccheus: Lord, I am giving half of my goods to the poor, and whomever I have cheated I will pay back four times what I took.

Jesus: Today liberation has come to this house, since even Zaccheus is living as a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to liberate the lost.

11 The crowd has been listening to all this, and everyone assumes that the kingdom of God is going to appear at any moment, since He’s nearing Jerusalem. So He tells them this parable:

Jesus: 12 A ruler once planned a journey to a distant country to take the throne of that country and then return home. 13 Before his departure, he called 10 of his servants and gave them each about three months of wages.[b] “Use this money to buy and sell until I return.” 14 After he departed, the people under his rule despised him and sent messengers with a clear message: “We do not want this man to rule over us.”

15 He successfully assumed kingship of the distant country and returned home. He called his 10 servants together and told them to give an account of their success in doing business with the money he had entrusted to them.

16 The first came before him and said, “Lord, I have made 10 times the amount you entrusted to me.” 17 The ruler replied, “Well done! You’re a good servant indeed! Since you have been faithful in handling a small amount of money, I’ll entrust you with authority over 10 cities in my new kingdom.”

18 The second came and said, “Lord, I’ve made five times the original amount.” 19 The ruler replied, “I’ll entrust you with authority over five cities.”

20 A third came and said, “Lord, I have successfully preserved the money you gave me. I wrapped it up in a napkin and hid it away 21 because I was afraid of you. After all, you’re a tough man. You have a way of taking a profit without making an investment and harvesting when you didn’t plant any seed.”

22 The ruler replied, “I will condemn you using your very own words, you worthless servant! So I’m a severe man, am I? So I take a profit without making an investment and harvest without planting seed? 23 Then why didn’t you invest my money in the bank so I could have at least gained some interest on it?” 24 The ruler told the onlookers, “Take the money I gave him, and give it to the one who multiplied my investment by 10.”

It is common to speculate about when the kingdom of God will fully arrive. But Jesus, through the previous parable, makes it clear that such speculation is a waste of time. Instead, people should be busy investing their lives in the kingdom of God. Earlier, in His encounter with the rich young ruler, Jesus invited the man to stop collaborating with the Roman Empire for his own benefit and to switch sides—so he could start working with the kingdom of God for the sake of the poor. The man refused; but soon after, a man named Zaccheus volunteered to do that very thing: to stop working for his own wealth by collaborating with Caesar’s kingdom and to start working for justice for the poor by collaborating with God’s kingdom. Speculation about the dates and times of the coming of the Kingdom can obscure the point—believers should live, starting now, in the way of the Kingdom.

25 Then the onlookers replied, “Lord, he already has 10 times the original amount!”

26 The ruler responded, “Listen, whoever has some will be given more, and whoever doesn’t have anything will lose what he thinks he has. 27 And these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to rule over them—bring them here and execute them in my presence.”

28 When He finished the parable, He pushed onward, climbing the steep hills toward Jerusalem.

29 He approached the towns of Bethphage and Bethany, which are near Mount Olivet. He sent two of the disciples ahead.

Jesus: 30 Go to the next village. When you enter, you will find a colt tied—a colt that has never been ridden before. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you why you’re untying it, just say, “The Lord needs it.”

32 So the two disciples found things just as He had told them. 33 When its owners did indeed ask why they were untying the colt, 34 the disciples answered as they had been instructed.

Disciples: The Lord needs it.

35 They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their coats on the colt’s back, and then sat Jesus on it. 36 As Jesus rode along, some people began to spread their garments on the road as a carpet. 37 When they passed the crest of Mount Olivet and began descending toward Jerusalem, a huge crowd of disciples began to celebrate and praise God with loud shouts, glorifying God for the mighty works they had witnessed.

Crowd of Disciples: 38 The King who comes in the name of the Eternal One is blessed![c]

Peace in heaven! Glory in the highest!

Pharisees (who were in the crowd): 39 Teacher, tell these people to stop making these wild claims and acting this way!

Jesus: 40 Listen—if they were silent, the very rocks would start to shout!

41 When Jerusalem came into view, He looked intently at the city and began to weep.

Jesus: 42 How I wish you knew today what would bring peace! But you can’t see. 43 Days will come when your enemies will build up a siege ramp, and you will be surrounded and contained on every side.[d] 44 Your enemies will smash you into rubble and not leave one stone standing on another, and they will cut your children down too, because you did not recognize the day when God’s Anointed One visited you.

In this powerful scene as Jesus comes into the city, echoing the words of Zechariah 9:9, Jesus shows how His kingdom is upside down compared to the kingdoms of this world. Caesar enters a town riding a white stallion, accompanied by dignitaries and soldiers with weapons. Jesus comes on a little donkey, cheered by common people tossing their coats in the donkey’s path. The contrast between the two ways, He suggests through tears, is the difference between violent destruction and peace.

45 He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. He began driving out the temple merchants.

Jesus: 46 The Hebrew Scriptures say, “My house shall be a house of prayer,”[e] but you have turned it into a shelter for thieves.[f]

47 He came back day after day to teach in the temple. The chief priests, the religious scholars, and the leading men of the city wanted to kill Him, 48 but because He was so popular among the people—who hung upon each word He spoke—they were unable to do anything.

Footnotes

  1. 19:5 The earliest manuscripts omit this portion.
  2. 19:13 Literally, mina, Roman coins
  3. 19:38 Psalm 118:26
  4. 19:43 Ezekiel 4:2; 26:8
  5. 19:46 Isaiah 56:7
  6. 19:46 Jeremiah 7:11