Short Sighted
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Short Sighted
Short Sighted
It is easy to miss the obvious.
We struggle with this each day.
Often the obvious is not obvious until later.
The disciples of Jesus were not immune either.
Take for instance this passage...
Jesus took the Twelve aside.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘we’re going up to Jerusalem. Everything that’s written in the prophets about the son of man will be fulfilled. Yes: he will be handed over to the pagans; he’ll be mocked, abused and spat upon. They will beat him and kill him; and on the third day he’ll be raised.’
Today, we read this and have a general sense of what is going on.
Can I ask you a somewhat challenging question?
Do you know what “Everything that’s written in the prophets about the son of man will be fulfilled.” means?
Here is the problem, there are many references to the “son of man” in the Hebrew Bible. There are many references to the Messiah too.
And most of them do not line up with what Jesus just said.
For instance, in Daniel (NOT IN THE PROPHETS)
Daniel 7:13–14 (BE:NT)
I looked in my night visions, and there, With the clouds in the heavens someone like a son of man came. He reached the one advanced in years and they presented him before him. To him was given authority, honour and kingship; all peoples, nations and languages were to revere him. His authority is an authority that lasts permanently, that won’t pass away, his kingship one that won’t be destroyed.
You see the problem…Jesus is talking about the son of man, a human being, who will fulfill all the prophets.
But he will be mocked, abused, spat upon, beaten, killed, and raised from the dead.
How do you join these two together?
Perhaps we should not be short sighted about how hard it is too understand what Jesus is saying.
They didn’t understand any of this. The word was hidden from them, and they didn’t know what he meant.
As they were getting near Jericho there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging. When he heard a crowd passing through the town he asked what was going on.
‘Jesus of Nazareth is coming by,’ people said to him.
We want to be hard on the disciples…how do they not know?
But how do you know?
Their whole lives have been spent looking forward to the Daniel Son of Man, not the one Jesus is talking about.
How would you feel if you were taught, your whole life, that God was one way, only to learn that He was another?
If they KNOW scripture, they DON’T UNDERSTAND
If they THOUGHT they SAW, they DON’T SEE
If they KNEW what was WRITTEN, they DON’T KNOW what it means
Which is WHY the BLIND BEGGER comes right after.
*******As they were getting near Jericho...
Notice, the CROWD.
The disciples are BLIND...
What will THE ACTUALLY BLIND do...
So he shouted out, ‘Jesus—David’s son! Have pity on me!’
The people who were at the front of the group firmly told him to be silent. But he yelled out all the more, ‘David’s son! Have pity on me!’
Jesus stopped, and told them to bring the man to him. When he came up, he asked him, ‘What d’you want me to do for you?’
‘Master,’ he said, ‘I want to see again.’
‘Then see again,’ said Jesus. ‘Your faith has saved you.’
At once he received his sight again, and followed him, glorifying God. And when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
Question: How does the blind man know Jesus is the Son of David?
Notice the crowd: They are blocking his way.
They want Jesus for themselves...
But the BLIND MAN does not GIVE UP!
Jesus commands that they bring the man to him.
Interesting that Jesus does not go to the man, easier?
No, the people are to BRING HIM to Jesus...
What do you want me to do for you...
Always an interesting question…kind of obvious.
*****At once he received his sight again, and followed him...
THIS IS GOOD AND NOT GOOD...
The healing is good, and it is his faith that saved him.
But notice this:
The blind man followed and GLORIFIED GOD
The people SAW and they gave PRAISE TO GOD
Do you know the difference?
Praise: give recognition, but can also mean manipulative words...
Glorify: trying to change the mind of others regarding someone. Bring honor through behavior.
One received HIS SIGHT: glorifies God, brings honor to God, God is honored through him. IMAGING
The others SAW: They cheer the “show” like it is a circus. CHEERING the SHOW
Let’s see what we see next!
They went into Jericho and passed through. There was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax-collector, who was very rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but, being a small man, he couldn’t, because of the crowd. So he ran on ahead, along the route Jesus was going to take, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him.
Here we have a man, very wealthy chief tax collector, who is TRYING TO SEE, just like the blind man.
But the crowd…won’t let him through.
He is small in stature but also SMALL IN THEIR EYES.
Just like the BLIND MAN.
They would GLORIFY GOD if they brought him to Jesus.
Make a way for him…but they want to own Jesus.
They want a show to be entertained.
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up.
‘Zacchaeus,’ he said to him, ‘hurry up and come down. I have to stay at your house today.’ So he hurried up, came down, and welcomed him with joy.
Jesus makes contact by going to Zacchaeus...
And here we go again…Jesus going to the house of a Tax Collector.
NOT JUST ANY, but the CHIEF!
He has been to the homes of Pharisee’s and that has not gone well. They challenge him. They want to control him.
What happens NEXT?
Some of you grew up with the song, but what happens next?
Remember, in the prior section, the people were ‘PRAISING’ God for the show...
What will they do here?
Everybody began to murmur when they saw it. ‘He’s gone in to spend time with a proper old sinner!’ they were saying.
But Zacchaeus stood there and addressed the master.
‘Look, Master,’ he said, ‘I’m giving half my property to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I’m giving it back to them four times over.’
‘Today,’ said Jesus, ‘salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. You see, the son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’
The crowd…they don’t like the blind…they don’t like this tax collector…they only want the show.
The question is…will Zacchaeus see?
Do you know this story?
If so, what happens next?
******Look Master, He said...
He is so moved…he decides to give half away and right any wrongs...
This is in keeping with what Jesus has been teaching!
******Today, said Jesus...
Salvation (Jeshua) did come this house...
Interesting way to bring Jesus into your home!
Son of Abraham, not a son of Israel.
He is a Son of the Promise.
What is the promise?
I will bless you...
Be a blessing to others
Now, this is complicated
Zacchaeus is a Chief Tax Collector
He makes a promise for restitution, which means he has defrauded people.
But now he will be a blessing.
And that is a great lesson...
You cannot be short sighted about your value because of what you may have done or will do in the future.
Where do we go from here:
You can be short sighted with others
Jumping to conclusions
Judging others as not deserving