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 Zacchaeus, 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 Zacchaeus 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, Zacchaeus, 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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