For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

 Good morning. As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. In Matthew, it was two blind men, and it was as they were leaving Jericho not approaching it. In Mark, it was also as they were leaving Jericho coming from beyond the Jordan, and it was blind Bartimaeus that received his sight. All three of these cases plus the one with Lazarus were shortly before Palm Sunday; so they were all within the same timeframe. Jesus enters Jericho (I believe coming from beyond the Jordan) and was passing through. There was a man named Zaccheus, he was a chief tax collector - he was rich! He tried to see who Jesus was, but he could not because he was too short. It is possible that the crowd was there because Jesus had just healed that blind man. He climbed up a tree in order that he could see Jesus. (right now that song about Zaccheus that you used to sing when you were a child is going through your head and won’t get out of it – ha ha ha!). When Jesus came to the place He looked up and said to him, Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house. How did Jesus know his name? This is another reason why Jesus was four days late – he spent the night there. The people were upset because Zach was a chief tax collector. He said that he would give half of his possessions to the poor, and if he had defrauded anyone of anything he would give back four times as much. Compare his reaction to that of the rich young ruler who went away sad when Jesus told him to give away all he owned. Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. To me that is an interesting phraseology. I would have thought that He would have said the son of man has come to seek and to save the ones who are lost – not the thing which was lost. Father thank You that You knew us by name even before You saved us.

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