Articles
On the Jericho Road to Jerusalem
Jesus was proceeding from the lower country to Jerusalem with the twelve and came near Jericho. A blind man begging by the wayside heard the multitude passing and asked what it meant. He was told that Jesus Of Nazareth was there, so he cried, “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.” Those preceding Jesus rebuked the sufferer. Jesus heard the repeated cry of the man and commanded that he be brought forward. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” He replied, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Jesus then said, “Receive thy sight; thy faith has saved thee,” and immediately he received his sight, followed Jesus, glorifying God, and all the people when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Who else had sufficient faith in that interchange? The twelve, or at least some of them, may have joined the crowd in the rebuke. You would think that in all of the years, miles, and teaching had they not learned of the Savior, and that He already knew what he would be asked. He did not inquire of the twelve, “Where is you compassion, Your faith, your knowledge of Me. I believe they already had gotten the point.
Have you ever responded to someone’s plea for help by questioning the person as those who rebuked did?” At the same time, did someone else with greater compassion respond?
After giving sight to a blind beggar outside Jericho, Jesus entered and passed through to continue His fulfilling “all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man.” The crowd following Jesus was so numerous that the press around Him created no room for a certain small man to see Him or draw close. He, noting the path of the crowd, ran ahead before them and climbed a tree so he could see Jesus.
As Jesus drew near, He looked up and saw Zacchaeus, and said, “Make haste and come down from there; for today I must abide in thy house.” Zacchaeus made haste and came down, and received Jesus joyfully.
The crowd, knowing that Zacchaeus was a tax collector, chief of the Publicans, and rich, and therefore hated as a reported corrupt man, began murmuring about Jesus consorting with a sinner.
Accused before the Lord because of holding a hated position in the collecting of taxes, and suspected of stealing taxes for himself, the crowd had to be surprised by Zacchaeus’ reaction to this. He stood and said to the man who was the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
Jesus then said, “This day salvation has come to this house, for as much as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.”
APPLICATION: Jesus is aware of the thoughts and actions of mankind. We often mistake the same in others. Zacchaeus’ action was courageous as he knew he was faithful to the Law and the Lord
- On_the_Jericho_Road_to_Jerusalem.pdf (63.09 kB)
