He has gone to be the guest of a sinner

Luke Chapter 19

LUKE 19:1-10

 [Lk 19:1] He entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. [3] Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. [4] So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. [5] 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.” [6] And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. [7] When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” [8] Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” [9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. [10] “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

LUKE 19:1-2

[Lk 19:1] He entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich.

He was a chief tax collector and he was rich.

In Chapter 18, Jesus told a story that made a fool out of a Pharisee and a hero out of a tax collector.  He went on to invite a rich prince – who could have undoubtedly funded the ministry of Jesus very comfortably –to sell all he had and give the money to the poor if he wanted to know perfect joy.


Then, suddenly, we have this amazing conversion story – not just of a tax collector – but also a chief tax collector.  He was the shark who stole from all the minnows that fed on the Jewish people; he was a traitor’s traitor.


These stories are too close together to think they are not related.  Was it possible that a short man named Zaccheus lingered on the extreme fringe of the crowd when he heard Jesus speak of the redemption of tax collectors [Luke 18:10-14]?  Did one of Zaccheus’ minions tell him about Christ’s radical words?  Did he hear Jesus implore the rich young man to turn his whole life into a continual and perfect gift [Luke 18:18-24]?


Whatever happened, the link is too obvious, before Jesus even arrived in Jericho; Zaccheus was already primed for a radical conversion.


We never know who is at the fringe of the crowd watching our behavior.  What if Jesus’ behavior had been inconsistent?  What if Jesus had compromised with the Pharisee’s or the rich young man in exchange for favors, approval or money?  What if Jesus had been like so many who say?  “Sell all you have and give the proceeds to me,” instead of, “Sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [Luke 18:22].” (Italics mine)


Who is watching me today that may not come forward until tomorrow?  Most people spend a great deal of time judging us from a distance before they ever take the initiative to approach us personally.  Who is the “Zaccheus” standing at the fringe of my crowd today?  Who is judging my consistency from a distance or even hearing second-hand what I did and what I said long before they see me face to face?  What do I need to do in my life so that “sinners” want to “check me out?” Who would tax collectors be in my area? People who have betrayed their own.  Would the “tax collectors” of my town climb a tree so they could get a glimpse of the Christ in me? 


Am I even aware that there are tax collectors examining my life for consistency because I wear his mantel or put a fish emblem on the back end of my car? Does my driving behavior point to Christ even more than my bumper stickers?  Those who might become a Zaccheus tomorrow watch me from a distance today.  Therefore, let the source of all my actions be the One who will never waver; let the Holy Spirit be my source and my strength in all things lest we sully the name of the one we profess.


To move closer to Jesus means we must become more transparent, more vulnerable and more consistent.  Do I have the source of strength that will sustain that kind of life – even when I do not know that I am being watched?

LUKE 19:3-6

[3] Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. [4] So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. [5] 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.” [6] And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.

“Today I must stay at your house.”

Zaccheus – a man who was “short in stature” – has cast a shadow that is over two thousand years long.  Why?  He responded radically to the command (not the invitation) of Jesus.  “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”


Luke quotes our Lord as saying; “I must [G1163 dei] stay...”


The Greek root word of “must” is deo [G1210]; it means, “I am bound, imprisoned,” even “put into chains.”


What bound Jesus to stay at Zaccheus’ house?  We must look at the character of our Lord and his mission, which bound him to heal the sick [Luke 5:30-32].

Can we understand that our Lord is “bound,” even “chained” to the repentant heart?  It is his ultimate purpose to free sinners; it is the reason for his incarnation.  It is why he gave his life in sacrifice. Zaccheus and Jesus are ultimately and intimately bound.  From the moment the short man dropped all of his pretenses to climb the tree; Jesus melted for the man.  He was bound to spend time with him; he had to spend time with him.


Can we further understand that if we too are willing to forget about our stature, if we are also willing to put aside our fears of “how will I look to others,” than Jesus will bind himself to us? 


Can we make the steps Zaccheus made?

1.      Can we focus our eyes completely on seeing Jesus regardless of what others will think?

2.      Can we rid ourselves freely from the fruit of our sin and manipulation and put it back into giving our very lives to others?

3.      Can we bind ourselves to sinners the way that Jesus bound himself to us?

If we can do that, then we can be assured of these faithful words: “Hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

LUKE 19:7

When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

They all began to grumble

In my workshops, I define adolescing as a process of maturation, not a specific chronological age.  We are “adolescing” as long as our peers interpret our self-esteem.


Alternatively, we are mature when we have the ability to name our critical values and make our life choices (including our friendships) based upon those values.  By that definition, there are people in our culture who never stop “adolescing” while there are other – even in their teens – that are already mature.  This book focuses on helping adolescing people mature.


In addition, some people feign maturity as long as they are in control, but when they hit a crisis they slide back into adolescing behavior. Let’s call this the “Airplane Syndrome.”  As a frequent flyer, I am prone to seeing people (who are otherwise rational) slip into irrational behavior during turbulence.  Suddenly, they are looking around at what other passengers are doing.  If the majority of other passengers are calm, then they remain calm.  Yet, as soon as one passenger loses it, they all reach for the little white “comfort bag.”


There are three responses in this story worth noting:

1.      There is the Lord whose commitment to Zaccheus remains unwavering, despite the “grumbles” of the crowd

2.      There is Zaccheus whose desire to know Christ frees him to forget about how he looks to others or what his stature will be in their eyes

3.      There is the crowd who swings with the breeze.  They love Jesus when he is paying attention to their needs and seethe with anger when he reaches out to those who would challenge their prejudices

Sadly, I am more apt to act like the crowd, though I wish that my focus on Jesus would permanently free me of all my prejudices and the adolescing statement, “What will others think?”  The desire of my heart is to someday be like Jesus – so centered in my Creator that consistent love flows from inside of me to those most alienated regardless of the opinions of  “the crowd.”


Yet, there is something subtle and beautiful that happens at this turn of the story.  By calling Zaccheus down in front of the crowd (after all, Jesus could have sent a disciple after him later in the day), Jesus makes himself completely vulnerable to the crowd.  When the crowd sees that vulnerability – when they witness Jesus stretching an olive branch toward Zaccheus – they don’t cheer for Zaccheus, they turn on Jesus.  It is in that moment that Zaccheus comes to the fore, the chief of tax collectors takes the heat for Jesus!  Zaccheus, as we shall see in the next verse, places himself between the crowd and Jesus by throwing away his fortune to those he has wronged.


Jesus becomes vulnerable so that Zaccheus can become committed.  Am I willing to do that for others?  Am I willing to become vulnerable so that sinners can deepen both their faith and their commitment?  Am I willing to put my control aside so that others can take a leading role?


There is the heart of Christian leadership — it’s not what I can do — it is what I can empower others to do that makes a difference.  Will I become vulnerable so that others can lead?

LUKE 19:8-9

[8] Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” [9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.”

“I will give back…”

As children of a forester and environmental scientist, we were raised to leave a campsite better than we found it.  Is that a reflection of the rest of my life too?  Can I say that my life reflects this statement of Zaccheus; “I will give back…”
By law, Zaccheus was required to give back twice as much as he had extorted from someone.  He pays back twice the “required amount” and in addition says; “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor.”


When we consider his largesse, we must realize that – at the end of the day – the chief tax collector would be broke. But to Zaccheus – forgiven by the Son of God – he was receiving immeasurably more than he was giving.  He was giving himself into freedom.  How hard it is for us to learn that when we are liberated by giving – especially when we give those things we most ardently protect.  It doesn’t matter if it is a possession, a title or our self-righteous anger.  If I love twice as much as I was hurt and offer twice the respect that I think I deserve then, I will know the freedom of Zaccheus.


“I will give back…”


Will I leave this world four times richer than I found it?  Will I give myself into liberation?  Will I empty myself of my fears to be filled with the joy of Jesus Christ? Can this become part of my daily prayer?  Will I choose to wake every morning and say; “Lord, I will give back…”

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.”

The Jews didn’t want Zaccheus to be a Son of Abraham.  They didn’t want Jesus to dine with sinners and especially tax collectors. They didn’t want our Lord’s compassion to reach beyond their religious ideology and out to their “enemies.”  They wanted their prophets to stay inside the walls of their ideology.  Even the disciples did not want the love of Jesus to include Greeks, Romans, Syro-Phonecians, Samaritans; prostitutes, adulterers and tax-collectors.


But Christ’s love was like an unstoppable tide, a current too hard for humans to impede or prevent.  Jesus washes over the world rising above our prejudice and self-righteousness. 


Who exactly do I not want Jesus to love?  He’s already there… and, if I can’t follow him than I can’t call myself his follower.  Those whom I would condemn, condemn me and those whom I would liberate, liberate me. On that day, salvation came to Zaccheus’ house. Sadly, some in the crowd would learn that to refuse to embrace Zaccheus was to refuse to embrace our Lord.  Who would I rather not embrace?  Who would I rather not call a “Son of the Faith?”  Of whom would I rather say, “He can’t be a Christian – I know he is a sinner.”


Jesus’ consistent response to the self-righteous was always; “Look who’s talking...”


Lord, let me embrace the Zaccheus’ of my community as one of my own family.  Instead, let me go straight to the one’s with whom I doubt salvation is possible and say; “Today, I must stay with you.”

LUKE 19:10

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

“To seek and to save…”

Here is the work of Jesus – here must be the work of his church.  Are we looking down into the dark alleys and up into the sycamore trees to find the lost children of Abraham?  If I am to call myself a follower of Christ – it is not an option.  Our purpose is to “seek and to save.”  We can be assured that Satan is out to “search and destroy,” are we just as fervent to “seek and to save?”


The hope of the world is Jesus Christ – but who will carry that candle into the darkness?  Who will take that water into the desert?  Who will give up their pride and prejudice to sit among the lost – even if we wind up insulted by “believers?”

Jesus did… will I?

LUKE 19:11-28

11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten *minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back. ’ 14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. 16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ 19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

23 ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’ 24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already. ’ 26 “I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”  28 After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities

Apparently, this leader was very powerful, very exacting, but very hated by those under him. Is it possible he was hated because he tested his people? The ruler seems fair. He gives in response to the responsibility of the follower. How often do we become angry towards those who test us when we fail the test? It is a part of the cycle of blaming others instead of accepting responsibility. Obviously, this leader has gained the respect of his leaders to be given so much responsibility in his life.

A Mina was worth about three months wages. So 10 minas was a lot of money — over two years the normal income of most people of the time. Through wise investments, the first person brought in ten times the amount he’d received. In response the leader gives him not ten more minas, but ten cities to oversee.

The second man receives responsibility for five cities.

The Lord is surely telling the disciples how they will be measured as well. Jesus does have high expectations of each of us and our leadership responsibility will be based upon the returns we bring in for the leadership responsibilities given to us.

What is a good investment to Jesus?

Luke 14:12-14

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 6:34-38

34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Clearly, in kingdom economics, it is not your ROI (Return on Investment) that counts to Jesus. It is your ROL (Return on Love), especially as it affects the poorest of the poor.

Lending practices to the poor in Jesus’ day were nothing short of usury and even a form of kidnapping. Those with the ability would prey upon the poor, lending them money, then taking their family members in to debt slavery when the loan could not be repaid. In the days of Nehemiah, the process was called Nashak after the bite of a snake [Nehemiah 5:1-9].

The word Jesus uses for “Forgiveness” [G863 Aphiēmi] literally means to abandon one’s debt or neglect it [Matthew 6:12-15].

This term was used mostly for a person who was kidnapped by pirates or desert bands — a practice used then and still today — to raise money. Even Julius Caesar had been kidnapped and sought ransom. Later, one of his first acts as Emperor would be to find the band that kidnapped him and have them all put to death.

Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

Jesus describes himself as an “exacting man [G840 Austēros] austere, exacting, harsh, severe.” He has high expectations, rigorous demands. He expects us as disciples to have a return for the gift of life he has given to us. But be aware. It is a gift of forgiveness to others.

At the same time that Jesus is an exacting man, he doesn’t compare this man with the others. It’s not about the amount; it is about the unforgiving attitude. We aren’t compared to others; we are compared to ourselves. I often tell the children I work with, “I don’t expect you to be the best, but I always expect you to do your best.”

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have found that young people love rigor — high expectations. They say the Three R’s of a great education are

1.      Rigor

2.      Relevance

3.      Relationship

In US education, we have focused on rigor while neglecting the other two R’s. Even adults can’t maintain rigor without relevance. We’ve all probably been in a work environment where people progressed because of who they knew — not how hard or smart they worked. Over time we lose motivation in this environment.

Rigor is sustained by relevance — to the employee or student — and relevance is a result of relationship.

Let’s look at Matthew’s version of this same story [Matthew 18;22-34.

Look at what happens to the slave that doesn’t repay forgiveness with forgiveness. He is imprisoned and tortured in ransom for his debt. Our Lord is exacting, austere, and high in rigor and expectation. But he is also willing to send the Holy Spirit and build a community to walk beside us every step of the way. Let our lives be full of forgiveness so that — in the end — the Lord will say to us, “You have forgiven many, now enter my kingdom forgiven.”

LUKE 19:29-48

 29 When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.  31 “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. 37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen,

38 “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!

 41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

 45 Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.

 47 And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.

I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!

Creation worships the Creator and even a completely inanimate object such as a rock worships God by its very existence.

This was the one-day in history when temple worship looked like what God had intended. The poor, crippled, lame and leprous; all were welcome in the house of the Lord and even the children (especially the children) were spontaneously praising Jesus. “Hosanna.”

The word, “hosanna,” is actually a prayer, not just a statement. For the entirety of the prayer, see Psalms 118:25-29

No wonder the terrified chief priests were trying to silence the people. They were afraid if the celebration continued. The Romans would invade the temple in order to silence them.

Does this look like worship in my church — children spontaneously bursting out into Psalms of praise? The poor, forgotten and neglected rejoicing in Christ’s name.

You have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN

This is the second time, Jesus clears the temple [See John 2:12-25], the priest’s extorted huge fees from the people in order to purchase the sheep or doves at the booths in the temple. They insisted the money used be Israeli currency and charged immense fees for people to exchange their cash into acceptable tender. Many of the booth keepers were related to the temple priests, just another way the priests extorted money from their own people. Before I condemn the priests, I need to examine ways my own lifestyle might extort the poor. My choice of coffee or where my clothes are made. Do the buying choices I make rob the future energy from my children's children? Am I careful about the money I use -- or ask my government to use -- does it rob from the economy of the future leaving them indebted?

The people were hanging on to every word He said

While the Religious leaders were trying to silence the crowd. The crowd was hanging on to every word Jesus said. Who are the people who hang on my words? Who tries to silence me? Am I a threat to anyone's complacency? We’re not on the earth to make friends, we could have a few people whom we challenge, whether by our works or with our words. It is AS important to have the right enemies as the right friends [Luke 6:22-26].

It is worthwhile to make a list of what kind of values I will hold on to that will attract the right people and offend the ones that oppose those core values. We teach this to students in our programs as well as how to walk away from negative situations without being discourteous.

Our key behavior is to treat others and be treated with Unconditional Dignity. For the little ones we say the means we always ask, “Is this best for you, for me, for everyone I see.”

The Chief Corner Stone

Luke Chapter 20

LUKE 20:1-26

20:1 On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, 2 and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” 3 Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me: 4 “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

13 “The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 “But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 “So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 “He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!” 17 But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER STONE ’?

18 “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

LUKE 20:1-7

20:1 On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, 2 and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” 3 Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me: 4 “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

“Tell us by what authority…”

We’ve mentioned before there is authority and there is ability. These Religious leaders leaned heavily on authority — because it’s all they had. They lacked the ability Jesus had to actually heal people. Their attempt was to bring any opposition (including Jesus) down to their level instead of building their ability. This is often the case when people lack ability and rely on authority. Authority is a good fallback for retreating if your actions can’t back up your claims.

It has to be difficult to be driven by popular opinion such as these leaders were. They could not answer Jesus nor attack him openly as they feared public opinion. They were not driven by their values — as mature adults are — but by the whims of the populace.

Fortunately, Jesus confronted that issue in his early temptations with Satan’s attack backfiring and actually focusing Jesus in naming the Lord’s pedagogy would not include immediate gratification, pandering for popularity or using the power of manipulation [Luke 4:1-13].

Satan has a small toolbox of tested items. He seeks our souls in the same method he sought Jesus’ soul. Like with the religious leaders of Christ’s time, Satan uses more pressure, as we increasingly become a threat to him.

“Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”

Jesus doesn’t reply to the Pharisee’s query, he’s too smart for that. He uses a technique we should employ far more often, not, “What is the right answer” but “What is the right question?”

The question Christ asks would force the Pharisee’s to take a side and not allow them to wallow in the complacency of the middle road. The people loved John and Jesus was even more popular to them. Jesus knew if they took the middle road on John, they would be given the same free rein when the leaders came for him as well.

Jesus doesn’t allow us the complacency of mediocrity. His life and statements push us into a response to life’s harshest issues — the one’s most easily left for others to answers — especially those regarding the rights and treatment of the disenfranchised.

“Nor will I tell you…”

If we’re wishy-washy with Jesus, he will be wishy-washy with us. He disdains mediocrity…

Luke 3:15-16

15 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

What is the “Mediocrity Meter” in my life? Do I have issues that move me to action? A word that I recently learned was “slackism.” It’s used of a person who sees an issue raised online and does nothing more than check “Like” below the issue. If that is the extent of our social involvement, it isn’t enough to pass muster in Jesus’ kingdom.

Matthew 24:37-46

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Lord wants us to do more than push the “like” button on our social networks. Slackism is not a proper response to hunger, homelessness and imprisonment. We are called to compassionate action not dispassionate observation.

Throughout this entire section Luke seems to comparing the mediocrity of the religious leaders of Christ’s time with the ability and compassion of Jesus. These leaders were wishy-washy, fearful of Herod, Rome, Jesus and the people. They were as indecisive as a weather vane in a tornado. Unable to commit to any issue, they took the temperature of the crowd everyday before making any statement in public.

LUKE 20:13-19

13 “The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 “But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 “So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 “He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!” 17 But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER STONE ’?

18 “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

“This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.”

Sadly, this was not too uncommon an occurrence in Christ’s day when land was at a premium and held generationally. Like Central America in the seventies or the US today. Very few people actually controlled the land available for farming or wealth generation — a situation ripe for disaster since farming and herding were the only true sources of wealth at the time. People felt locked into cycles of poverty and the “system of ownership” didn’t work for the majority of the people so they would go outside the system to meet their needs. At some point perhaps we will learn that the least engaged always have the most power. Whether it is in a relationship, a classroom or a community.

In our communities, we call the least engaged, gangs. In our world, the least engaged are terrorists. William T. Vollman, traveled six continents in his quest to write the book, “Poor People” [Vollman, W. © 2007 Harper Collins Publishers], asked people the question, “Why are you poor?”

Most people did not consider themselves poor unless they felt outside of a supportive community. Those who felt most isolated felt the poorest. Others, felt they were actually rich — even if in relationships. In fact, people don’t feel poor unless they believe that poverty is their plight and the wealthy feel that wealth is their right. At that point in time, those who are able, build systems and ideologies around their wealth, which locks out the poor. You might define these countries as, “The best health care a citizen can afford.” Or, “The best legal system a citizen can afford.” Or, “The best education a citizen can afford.”

When situations such as this become systematized, an Arab Spring or revolt of some sort is sure to follow. The people of Christ’s day were ripe for change as are many people who feel systemically locked out of fair return for labor in any generation.

The greatest challenge for our upcoming generation is to bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not. Are we preparing them for this entrepreneurial compassion in our schools? In our churches?

The Chief Corner Stone

Christ compared himself to a testing stone, a cornerstone and a capstone. The cornerstone or Foundation Stone [H68 Eben] was an ancient Hebrew term linked to Jesus [Psalm 118:22]. It was used for an immovable stone, but also a plumb line to test the straightness of other stones in the house. A capstone was the primary stone that supported the weight of a roof or bridge and a cornerstone, the weight of the building.

We are called to support God’s people from above and below. People should be able to plumb their lives by our values and feel safe underneath our arches.

They feared the people

Here is the primary reason the political and religious leaders of Jesus’ time were ineffective. They were more worried about public opinion than doing what was right. They measured their actions by what the popularity vote would be in the moment, situational ethics instead of sustainable values.

Upon what do we base upon our primary life and leadership decisions? The moment? The crowd? What will please the crowd? What will lead people to God?