Two Stories, One Message: Seeking Jesus and Using What He Gave Us (Luke 19:1–27)
In Luke 19:1–27, we find two powerful stories that teach us about grace, change, and responsibility. First, we meet a man named Zacchaeus who has a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Then, Jesus tells a parable (a story with a spiritual meaning) to teach an important lesson about how we should use what God gives us.
Zacchaeus Meets Jesus
Jesus was passing through the town of Jericho, and a crowd had gathered to see Him. One of the people in the crowd was Zacchaeus, a tax collector. In those days, tax collectors were disliked because they often took more money than they were supposed to and kept it for themselves. Zacchaeus was rich, and many people didn’t like him.
But Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. There was just one problem—he was short and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he climbed up a sycamore tree to get a better view.
To everyone’s surprise, when Jesus walked by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
Zacchaeus quickly came down and welcomed Jesus with joy. But the crowd was upset. They muttered, “Jesus is going to be the guest of a sinner?”
Then something amazing happened. Zacchaeus stood up and said,
“Look, Lord! I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus responded,
“Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Lesson: Zacchaeus didn’t let his past or his reputation stop him from reaching out to Jesus. And Jesus didn’t reject him—instead, He offered love and friendship. Real change began when Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus into his life.
The Parable of the Ten Servants
Right after Zacchaeus’ story, Jesus told a parable. He wanted people to understand that the kingdom of God was not coming immediately—and that while they waited, they had work to do.
He told about a nobleman who went to a distant country to be crowned king. Before he left, he gave ten servants each one coin (called a mina) and said, “Put this money to work until I come back.”
When he returned as king, he called the servants to see what they had done with the money. One servant had earned ten more coins and was praised. Another had earned five. But one servant had done nothing with the money. He had hidden it, afraid to lose it.
The king was not pleased. He took the coin away from that servant and gave it to the one who had ten. Then Jesus ended the parable with a strong warning about rejecting the king’s rule.
Lesson: Jesus gives each of us gifts—time, talents, opportunities, and resources. He wants us to use them well, not hide them or waste them. Faithfulness means making the most of what He’s given us, no matter how small it seems.
Two Stories, One Heart
These two parts of Luke 19 show us different sides of our relationship with Jesus:
- Zacchaeus shows us that no one is too far gone for Jesus to reach. No matter our past, we can be forgiven and changed.
- The parable reminds us that while we wait for Jesus to return, we have a job to do. We are called to live faithfully, using our gifts to serve Him and others.
Final Thought:
Jesus sees us—even when we’re hiding in the crowd or climbing trees to find Him. And He calls us to come close, be changed, and live with purpose. Let’s not waste what He’s given us. Let’s use it to make a difference.
Luke 19:1-27 (WEB)
19:1 He entered and was passing through Jericho. 2 There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn’t because of the crowd, because he was short. 4 He ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully. 7 When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.”8 Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”9 Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”11 As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’15 “When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’17 “He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’19 “So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’20 Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief, 21 for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’22 “He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down and reaping that which I didn’t sow. 23 Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’ 24 He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.’25 “They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’ ”