The Free Gift That Costs So Much
Speaker: Cash Lowe
April 8th, 2018
This week, we are taking a look at two stories from the last week of Jesus’ ministry on Earth. Both of these stories are well-known, but because of the chapter interruption in between, we often tend to create an artificial disconnection between two moments that happened very close together. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, take time to read Luke 18:25-19:10, doing your best to ignore the chapter and verse designations.
Now, let’s take a deeper dive into these two encounters.
Read
Go Deeper
1 Why do you think the beggar used the words “have mercy on me” instead of something more direct, like “heal my eyes?”
2. Why would Jesus’s followers rebuke the beggar?
3. When Jesus asked the beggar what he wanted Him to do, he was in fact asking if he was ready for the entirely different life that would come with the ability to see. His way of living would shift drastically. How is this similar to our experience in encountering Jesus?
Read
Go Deeper
1 Tax collectors were included in the category of “sinners” in Jesus’ day. They were cast on the outside of society for their collaboration with the Jewish peoples’ Roman oppressors. Who are people that we might push away in society today?
2. The followers of Jesus had probably spent a good amount of time witnessing the miracles of Jesus, and hearing Him teach. Why do you think they sound indignant when Jesus then decides to stay with Zacchaeus?
3. Reread verse 9-10. To whom do you think was Jesus actually speaking?
Apply
1 What parallels do you see between these two stories?
2 The people following Jesus attempted to stop the beggar from Who in our society have you unconsciously decided is not worthy of Jesus’ time or grace?
3 Just like the followers of Jesus in these stories, we often tend to put our own selfish desires above the actual will of Jesus. How do we try to reverse this way of thinking?
Pray
Ask God for opportunities to extend an open invitation to know Jesus to people with whom you may have difficult time doing so. Ask for forgiveness for the times you’ve decided that certain people don’t actual deserve to encounter Jesus.