1) vs. 27, "After this", What is the after this?
On our timeline this week is story 7 that we are looking at.
In week 4, we looked at the story in vs. 17-26. Where we saw that "because of the crowd" the friends of a paralyzed man had to lower him down in front of Jesus from the roof of the building He was in. In this, Jesus shocked the Pharisees with a statement in vs. 20, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." The Pharisees immediately had logical thoughts that He was blaspheming. Their reason was based on their belief that only God can forgive sins, which is 100% right. As the dialogue continued, Jesus asked them what is easier to say "your sins are forgiven or rise and walk? He then tells them so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins, he said to the man "rise, pick up your bed and go home."
"After this" we see that Jesus went out of that building and went to a tax collector's booth. All we are told by Luke here is that Jesus said to him "Follow ME". A very simple two word statement. There was no sales pitch of any kind. We have no details about his thought process. It is just short and sweet. "Follow Me."
2) In vs. 28, we see the Tax Collector's response. "Leaving everything, he rose and followed him."
Last week in our story 6, we looked at Luke 18:18-30, The Rich Ruler. in vs 22 of that story Jesus tells him, "One thing you lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven; and come and follow me."
This week in the first two verses we see Jesus give the same call that he gave to the rich ruler to a tax collector. The Rich ruler's response is recorded in Luke 18:23, But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
What made these two people different? Why did one respond with joy and one with sadness? Scripture does not go on and on with childhood stories or endless background details. It is to the point, short and sweet. "Follow ME" That is it. Nothing seeker friendly. No great campaign speech. Not even really an evaluation about how important this decision is, Just "Follow Me". One did and another did not.
3) In vs. 29, we see the natural response of the tax collectors experience with the call of Jesus. The call of Jesus to follow Him is not a cheap prize. It is not a gift that gets you really excited. Once you unwrap the pretty wrapping you find the real content of it is not truly satisfying. For the rich ruler, he didn't see the wrapping of "follow me" as appealing enough to open the present. But for some reason, the tax collector did open the present. He did respond to the gift and it radically changed his perspective. It was so valuable to him that his first response was to tell everyone he knew. He had a party at his house and invited everyone he knew to come and meet Jesus.
4) In vs. 30. We see the Pharisees bothered by this gathering. They complained and grumbled because they could not understand why a man pursing holiness like Jesus and calling others to the way of righteousness would be associating with people that walked down dark paths and rejected the cultural ways of righteousness.
5) In vs. 31&32, We see Jesus's response to the Pharisees struggle to understand and accept His actions. He gives physical and practical pictures of something they can process with common sense and understand. Then He stretches their minds to think beyond the physical realm and into the spiritual realm. This idea is further explained in John 3, when Jesus is teaching Nicodemus. If you look at vs. 9-13, He unpacks this speaking in the physical realm to help understand the things of the spiritual realm. In vs. 12, He says "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"
In these verses, 31 gives us the physical and 32 gives us the spiritual.
vs 31, Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick.
vs 32, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
In these two statements, we have a land mine of gems to find out the high value of a sinners heart. A sinner's heart needs the treasure of Jesus. If the treasure of Jesus is placed in the sinner's heart, everything changes. Just as when we are sick we need a physician to determine what we need to be made well, the only solution for a sinner's heart is Jesus. Only He can restore the soul.
As you read and ponder this story, realized that the wrapping of the present of Jesus is simple. It is not flashy. It is "Follow ME." If you are too busy in life, are too engaged in the comforts of this life, you will struggle to open the gift of Jesus. You will have many reasons not to follow Him. But if you do open the gift of Jesus, unlike so many other gifts you have opened in this earthly realm, you will find that He is from above. He is not limited by physical things and He can heal an area of our lives that no physician can. He can do exceeding above and beyond anything we can ask or think of.
We tied in two stories this week from our journey together. Story 4, points out a truth that "only God can forgive sins". Story 6, points out why some can not follow Jesus's call to Follow Me. We see that in story 4 and story 7 where the Pharisees struggle with understanding the actions of Jesus. They think He is blaspheming in story 4 and they can't understand why He would take the time to teach people that, in their opinion, are not interested in what is best for those people who are looking to God for guidance.
Jesus was very clear on the needs of people. He understood the impact of spiritual blindness on a person's life. And He taught everyone on the cure to it. For the sinner, they needed information on God's love for them and that there is a way for reconciliation. There is a way for forgiveness of sins. For the Pharisees, they needed to know how to put the pieces they knew in the right perspective. It was true that only God could forgive sins, but they need to realize who Jesus was. It was true that we should walk in righteousness, but we can't do that apart from Jesus. It is the gift of Jesus that causes both sinners and Pharisees to walk in righteousness. No one is able to do it with out Him. The command is "Follow Me," not figure it out on your own.
