Jesus and Zaccheus

191 He entered Jericho and was passing through . 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus ; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich . 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable e because of the crowd , for he was small in stature . 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place , He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus , hurry and come down , for today I must stay at your house ." 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly . 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble , saying , "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner ." 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord , "Behold , Lord , half of my possessions I will give to the poor , and if I have defrauded anyone of anything , I will give back four times as much ." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house , because he, too , is a son of Abraham . 10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost ."

The Parable of the Ten Pounds

11 While they were listening to these things , Jesus went on to tell a parable , because He was near Jerusalem , and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately . 12 So He said , " A nobleman e went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself , and then return . 13 "And he called ten of his slaves , and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until e I come back.' 14 "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying , 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 "When he returned , after receiving the kingdom , he ordered that these slaves , to whom he had given the money , be called to him so that he might know what business they had done . 16 "The first appeared , saying , 'Master , your mina has made ten minas more .' 17 "And he said to him, 'Well done , good slave , because you have been faithful in a very little thing , you are to be in authority over ten cities .' 18 "The second came , saying , 'Your mina , master , has made five minas .' 19 "And he said to him also , 'And you are to be over five cities .' 20 "Another came , saying , 'Master , here is your mina , which I kept put away in a handkerchief ; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man ; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow .' 22 "He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave . Did you know that I am an exacting man , taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow ? 23 'Then why e did you not put my money in the bank , and having come , I would have collected it with interest ?' 24 "Then he said to the bystanders , 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas .' 25 "And they said to him, 'Master , he has ten minas already.'

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 19:1-25

Commentary on Luke 19:1-10

(Read Luke 19:1-10)

Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him. Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.

Commentary on Luke 19:11-27

(Read Luke 19:11-27)

This parable is like that of the talents, 1 Peter 4:10. The account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents; and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well as of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that the pound given to each seems to point out the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents, distributed more or less, seem to mean that God gives different capacities and advantages to men, by which this one gift of the gospel may be differently improved.