The Savior for All: The Son of Man Came to Seek and Save the Lost
Luke 19 contains the verse that is the heart of Luke's Gospel:
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
It is spoken in the house of Zacchaeus — a tax collector, a man despised by his neighbors, a man Jesus deliberately sought out by name. Zacchaeus, come down, for I must stay at your house today.
The chapter holds the story of Zacchaeus, the parable of the ten minas, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Savior weeping over the city, and the cleansing of the temple.
The Savior for All has set His face toward Jerusalem — and at every stop, He keeps seeking the lost.
Zacchaeus the tax collector
Jesus enters Jericho and is passing through. There is a man named Zacchaeus. He is a chief tax collector — and he is rich.
He is seeking to see who Jesus is, but on account of the crowd he cannot, because he is small in stature. So he runs on ahead and climbs up into a sycamore tree.
When Jesus comes to the place, He looks up and says:
"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today."
So he hurries and comes down and receives Him joyfully.
When the people see it, they all grumble:
"He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."
This is the same grumbling that has followed Jesus through Luke's Gospel. He receives sinners and eats with them. Once again it is true. Once again it is the gospel.
"Half of my goods"
Zacchaeus stands and says to the Lord:
"Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."
This is the response of a heart that has met grace. He is not earning Zacchaeus's salvation. He is responding to it. The grace has already come into his house — and the money begins to flow out.
Jesus says:
"Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
This is the verse that defines the whole mission of Christ. He does not wait for the lost to find Him. He goes after them. He calls them down out of trees. He invites Himself to their tables. He seeks. He saves.
The Savior for All is the Seeking Savior. He came for the people no one else wanted — the small-statured collaborator with Rome, hated by his own people — and made him a son of Abraham again.
The parable of the ten minas
While they are listening to this, He proceeds to tell a parable, because He is near to Jerusalem, and because they suppose that the Kingdom of God is to appear immediately.
He says: A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said: Engage in business until I come.
But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying: We do not want this man to reign over us.
When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered the servants to be called, to learn what they had gained.
The first came: Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.
The master said: Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.
The second: Your mina has made five minas. He was given authority over five cities.
Another came: Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man.
The master said: I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! He commanded that the mina be taken away and given to the one who had ten.
"I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
The citizens who refused to have him reign over them were also brought before him and slain.
The Savior for All has gone into a far country to receive His Kingdom. He has entrusted His servants with the work of His mission while He is away. When He returns, He will reward faithfulness — and judge those who refused His reign.
The triumphal entry
After this, He goes on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When He draws near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, He sends two of His disciples to find a colt tied — one on which no one has ever sat.
They go and find it as He has told them. As they are untying it, the owners say: Why are you untying the colt? They answer: The Lord has need of it.
They bring it to Jesus. They throw their cloaks on the colt and set Jesus on it.
As He rides along, people spread their cloaks on the road. As He is drawing near, the whole multitude of His disciples begin to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they have seen:
"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd say to Him:
"Teacher, rebuke your disciples."
He answers:
"I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
The praise of the King cannot be silenced. If the disciples are forced into silence, creation itself will speak.
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem
When He draws near and sees the city, He weeps over it:
"Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
This is one of the most tender moments in the Gospels. The Savior weeps over the city that will reject Him.
The Savior for All does not destroy His enemies with cold indifference. He weeps over them. Even as He prophesies their judgment, His heart breaks for them.
The prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70, when Rome destroyed Jerusalem. But the deeper tragedy was spiritual: you did not know the time of your visitation. The Christ had come to them, and they did not see Him.
Cleansing the temple
He enters the temple and begins to drive out those who sell:
"It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers."
He teaches daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people seek to destroy Him — but they do not find anything they can do, for all the people are hanging on His words.
The hour of His passion is drawing near. The Savior who came to seek and save the lost is about to give His life to do exactly that.
Closing prayer
Father, thank You that the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Thank You that He saw Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree, called him by name, and salvation came to his house that day. Make us responsive like Zacchaeus — giving back what we have taken, distributing what we have stored. Help us to know the time of Your visitation. And, Lord Jesus, ride into the city of our hearts as our King. In Jesus' name, amen.
