Week 9

LUKE 19:1-10

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 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.”

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.”

SYNOPSIS

• Jesus entered Jericho
• Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, was eager to see Jesus
• Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see Jesus
• Jesus addresses Zacchaeus and asked to stay at his house
• Zacchaeus brought Jesus back to his home
• Zacchaeus gives away half of his possessions and vows to pay back those he has cheated

TALKING POINTS

• Jericho is a large city much like Atlanta; many wealthy folk
• Chief tax collector
• works for the Romans that are presently crucifying fellow countrymen
• not well liked - if Romans tax at $2, the tax collector typically asks for more and keeps the difference
• This passage occurs during in the last few weeks of Jesus' ministry; Jesus is on the way back to Jerusalem
• Why does Zacchaeus want to see Jesus?
• curiousity
• he's a celebrity
• desperate 
• What blocks your view of Jesus?
• "too damn busy"
• need others to point him out
• What was the state of Zacchaeus' house?
• Why do we think we need to have it all together before letting Jesus in?
• What happens as a result of walking together?
• What does it mean to come out of the tree?
• What does it mean to be a tree?
• To be lost means you originally had to belong!
• God made us in His image
• we have inherently good qualities - waiting to be uncovered
• What is salvation?
• being rescued
• freedom
• you have to accept it!

MUFFIN OF THE WEEK

CRANBERRY ORANGE CHOCOLATE CHIP

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla.
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Line and grease muffin tins. Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Allow the berries to absorb the juice. Remove the berries from the heat.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a mixer, cream together butter, zest, and sugar in another bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Fold the flour into the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full using an ice cream scoop. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.