Transformation
When we face problems, some wisdom encourages us to look for hope and strength inside ourselves. We are told that what is inside us is greater than any obstacle we might face.
1.
Do you think there are any obstacles that cannot be overcome by looking within ourselves?
Since his parable of the lost son, Jesus has continued to teach people what it looks like to know God and live in his kingdom. He has continued to welcome the needy and challenge the religious authorities.
Now Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, where he knows his journey will come to an end. Shortly before entering Jerusalem, he passes through the city of Jericho.
Read Luke 18:35-43
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’
38 He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
‘Lord, I want to see,’ he replied.
42 Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.’ 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
By now, Jesus’ reputation has grown. Crowds gather to hear his teaching and see his miracles. Jesus is the topic of conversation and gossip. Even a blind beggar has heard of him.
Then the beggar discovers that, remarkably, Jesus is walking right past.
2.
Why do you think those leading the crowd want to stop the beggar getting Jesus’ attention?
3.
Why do you think the beggar is willing to ignore the opposition he faces?
This man is blind, but he sees Jesus clearly. ‘Son of David’ is another name for the promised Messiah who would bring sight to the blind (see Luke 4:18–19).
The beggar knows that he does not have the power to change his situation, but he cries out, hoping that Jesus does. His hope proves to be well placed. In kindness, Jesus gives him his sight.
4.
Jesus honours the blind beggar for his ‘faith’. What does this encounter reveal about what faith is?
The man follows Jesus into the city of Jericho, where another man is waiting to see Jesus.
Read Luke 19:1-7
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’
Tax collectors were Judeans who were responsible for taking Roman taxes from their fellow people. They had a reputation for being abusive and corrupt. Zacchaeus is a ‘chief tax collector’, likely a manager in this exploitative system.
Like the beggar, Zacchaeus has heard of Jesus. And he wants to see what he is like.
5.
In Zacchaeus’ culture, running and climbing trees were undignified things for an adult to do. Why do you think Zacchaeus acts in this way?
Surrounded by a crowd, Jesus reaches the tree that Zacchaeus is sitting in. He stops. He looks up.
6.
How do you think Zacchaeus is feeling as Jesus’ eyes fix on him? What might he and the crowd have been expecting Jesus to do?
Jesus inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house is a sign of respect and friendship. The crowd grumbles about Jesus relating to Zacchaeus in this way.
7.
Why do you think Jesus is willing to identify himself with a man like Zacchaeus?
8.
Imagine you are Zacchaeus. As you walk with Jesus and enjoy a meal with him, how do you think you would be feeling?
Read Luke 19:8-10
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’
9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’
As an expression of turning from his old life and turning to Jesus, Zacchaeus gives away most of his possessions.
9.
Why do you think Zacchaeus feels able to change his life in such a costly way?
Jesus willingly experiences the hostility of the crowd to welcome Zacchaeus. And Zacchaeus is changed. Not by anything from within him, but because of Jesus and his kindness.
Jesus describes what has happened to Zacchaeus as ‘salvation’. He is now a ‘son of Abraham’, he is part of God’s family. He was lost, but now he is found.
10.
On the surface, Zacchaeus and the blind beggar are very different, but what do they have in common?
We might see the beggar as an oppressed sufferer and Zacchaeus as a corrupt oppressor. But both face obstacles they cannot overcome by themselves. Both reach out to Jesus. Both receive his kindness. Both are transformed.
Yet Jesus’ words in verse 10 suggest there is something more going on. It is not just that these men were seeking Jesus. Could it be that, all along, he was seeking them?
11.
Jesus says that he has come to ‘seek and to save the lost.’ Considering his interactions with these two men, what do you think that means?
Process Together
Everything about the transformation these men experience is down to Jesus and his love.
It means that their transformation is more than mere self-improvement. These men discover that their life is no longer about them, but about Jesus. The beggar follows Jesus down the road into a new adventure. Zacchaeus gives up his wealth, called into a life of costly generosity.
Today, Jesus calls people in a similar way: into a life of new horizons, new joys, and new costs.
12.
What would you need to know about Jesus to trust him to transform you in this way?
These men were lost and alienated – from others, but ultimately from God. The same is true for us. Jesus’ purpose is to call us into a relationship with God. As he seeks people like us, he invites us into a life of greater joy and purpose.
13.
Is there anything in your life that makes you think that Jesus might be seeking you?