Luke 19:7-12

Luke 19:7 (KJB)
And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

Then the very same ones who greeted Jesus were now murmuring against Him. The word “ murmuring” carries with it the meaning of “grumbling or complaining loudly.” The scribes and Pharisees had been very vocal that Jesus had become the guest of a sinner and here a chief sinner since he was a chief publican. The Pharisees complained endlessly that Jesus was always mixing with sinners. (Mat 15:24 KJV) But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Being a tax collector who helped himself and made himself rich by thievery could be considered one who is a lost sheep in the house of Israel. These were the people that Jesus had come to seek and save.

Luke 19:8 (KJB)
And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

Zacchaeus now shows that his salvation is real because it is not just words but his words are now coupled with actions. He now had a heart for the poor where before he probably couldn’t care less about them. Then He was planning to restore fourfold what he had taken by thievery from people. This is what true repentance is. It is the result of salvation not repenting for salvation as the modern church teaches. True repentance is always coupled with works.

There are going to be times when we will hurt each other and sometimes it is going to be intentional. This type of attitude will stem from the sin nature that dwells in us and our obedience to it. Friends usually have access to information about our lives that no one else will know about, in other words friends will build a trust. So occasionally we will hurt someone, especially a friend since they are the most vulnerable because they have our trust.

Sometimes that trust is broken, and when we realize that we have hurt that person it is necessary to: First, repent sincerely of the wrongs we have done and tell that person that we are truly sorry for breaking the trust; and secondly, we must restore, if possible, any damages that have been done. Sometimes we may hurt a person’s reputation and that damage may be irreversible but we must make an attempt to undo the wrong we have done. Sincere love seeks to right its wrongs. Satan is a master at driving wedges between Christians and if you know you have been deceived, then if you repent and restore, you will be healing the relationship God’s way. On the other hand the one that was hurt must be careful that they accept the attempts by the other person to right that wrong or else the one who was sinned against will now be sinning against the one who hurt them because pride will not allow to forgive.

Luke 19:9 (KJB)
And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Jesus had announced that salvation had come to the house of Zacchaeus. We had an inkling that he was a child of God when Jesus called him by name, as the Good Shepherd calls all His sheep. When Jesus called Zacchaeus a son of Abraham, it meant he was saved because that was the title of a true believer. When the Pharisees heard that, I am sure that they were livid because they thought only they were entitled to the title of children of Abraham. Zacchaeus was a true child of Abraham by faith. (Gal 3:29 KJV) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Luke 19:10 (KJB)
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

The reason that Jesus came was to seek and save that which was lost. (Ezek 34:11 KJV) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. It is not the sheep that seek the shepherd but it is the shepherd which seeks the sheep. The Pharisees thought that the harlots and tax collectors were beyond saving and that they believed that they were the only ones who were saved. (Mat 21:31-32 KJV) Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. {32} For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Luke 19:11 (KJB)
And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

Since they were so physically close to Jerusalem, the people had thought that the time drew near when Jesus was going to establish the Kingdom of God. What Jesus did to correct their thinking was to tell them a parable. It was the parable of the Nobleman. Almost to the time of the cross the people were expecting a physical appearance of the Kingdom of God and previously Jesus told them the Kingdom of God does not come with observation.

Luke 19:12 (KJB)
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

Jesus begins by stating the a certain nobleman, which is Jesus Himself, went to a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom. The far country is Heaven. His return will be on the last day. During the time that He is in Heaven, from the ascension to the return, He will be building the Kingdom by continuing to add new believers daily from all over the world. This is where He will be seeking out His sheep. When He returns on the last day, that will mean all those Elect He has chosen before the foundation of the world will have become saved and are now ready to enter the Kingdom of God in its physical sense also known as the New Heavens and New Earth for eternity.

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