Zakæus kommer til tro på Jesus
1Jesus og hans følge gik derefter ind i Jeriko. 2Her boede en rig mand ved navn Zakæus, som var en højtstående skatteopkræver for den romerske besættelsesmagt. 3Han var ivrig efter at få et glimt af Jesus, men han var ikke ret høj og kunne ikke se noget for de mange mennesker. 4Derfor løb han i forvejen og klatrede op i et morbærfigentræ et sted, hvor Jesus helt sikkert ville komme forbi. 5Da Jesus nåede frem til træet, kiggede han op og sagde: „Skynd dig at komme ned, Zakæus! Gud vil, at jeg skal besøge dig i dag.”
6Zakæus klatrede ned i en fart og inviterede glad Jesus med sig hjem til spisning, 7mens folk forarget mumlede: „Enhver ved da, at den mand er en stor synder, og nu går Jesus med ham hjem!”
8Under måltidet rejste Zakæus sig og sagde til Jesus: „Herre, jeg vil give halvdelen af, hvad jeg ejer, til de fattige, og hvis jeg har presset penge af nogen, så vil jeg give det firedobbelt tilbage.”
9Da udbrød Jesus: „I dag er frelsen kommet til dette hjem, for denne mand har vist den samme tro som Abraham.19,9 Ordret står der, at han er en „søn af Abraham”. Det er en hebraisk talemåde, som betyder, at han var som Abraham, og Abraham var netop kendt som „troens far”. Se også noterne til Luk. 3,8 og 13,16. 10Menneskesønnen er jo netop kommet for at opsøge og frelse de fortabte.”
Om betroede midler og dommen for ulydighed
Matt. 25,14-30
11Mens folk sad og lyttede, fortalte Jesus følgende historie, fordi han var så tæt på Jerusalem, og fordi mange ventede, at Gud snart ville oprette sit rige synligt på jorden:
12„Der var en mand af kongelig slægt, som var nødt til at rejse til et fjernt land for at få sin kongeværdighed bekræftet. Derefter ville han så vende tilbage som konge. 13Inden han rejste, tilkaldte han ti af sine tjenere, betroede dem hver en sum penge og sagde: ‚Se, hvad I kan få ud af pengene, mens jeg er væk.’
14Men en del af landets borgere hadede ham og sendte en delegation af sted med følgende erklæring: ‚Vi ønsker ikke, at den mand skal regere over os.’
15Manden blev alligevel indsat som konge, og da han vendte tilbage, sendte han bud efter de tjenere, som han havde betroet sine penge. Han ville se, hvad hver enkelt havde fået ud af dem.
16Den første kunne aflægge rapport om, at han nu havde ti gange så meget, som han oprindelig havde fået. 17‚Godt,’ sagde kongen. ‚Du er en god og pålidelig tjener. Du har trofast forvaltet den smule, du fik. Derfor giver jeg dig ansvar for ti byer.’
18Den næste kunne fortælle, at hans penge var vokset til det femdobbelte. 19‚Godt,’ sagde hans herre. ‚Du får ansvaret for fem byer.’
20Den tredje mand afleverede følgende rapport: ‚Her har du dine penge. Jeg har haft dem liggende godt gemt i et tørklæde. 21Jeg var nemlig bange for dig og turde ikke løbe nogen risiko. Jeg ved jo, at du er en streng herre. Du indkasserer udbyttet fra andres arbejde, og du høster, hvad du ikke selv har sået.’ 22Kongen blev vred og sagde: ‚Du er en doven og dårlig arbejder! Jeg vil dømme dig ud fra dine egne ord: Du siger, jeg er en streng herre, og at jeg indkasserer udbyttet fra andres arbejde. 23Hvorfor satte du så ikke mine penge i banken? Så havde jeg i det mindste fået renter af dem.’
24Derpå vendte kongen sig til de mænd, der stod omkring ham. ‚Tag pengene fra ham,’ sagde han, ‚og giv dem til ham, der har fået det største udbytte.’
25‚Jamen, herre,’ indvendte de, ‚han har da rigeligt allerede!’
26Kongen svarede: ‚Det siger jeg jer: Alle, der gør brug af det, de har fået betroet, vil få mere, men de, der ikke gør brug af det, de fik betroet, vil miste det, de fik. 27Lad nu mine fjender, dem, der ikke ville anerkende mig som konge, blive ført ind og henrettet for mine øjne.’ ”
Messias’ indtog i Jerusalem
Matt. 21,1-9; Mark. 11,1-10; Joh. 12,12-19
28Efter opholdet hos Zakæus fortsatte Jesus og hans følge vandringen op mod Jerusalem. 29Da de var i nærheden af landsbyerne Betfage og Betania ved det bjerg, som hedder Olivenbjerget, kaldte han på to af sine disciple og sagde til dem: 30„Gå hen til den landsby, I ser foran jer. Når I kommer derhen, vil I finde et æselføl, der endnu ikke har været brugt som ridedyr. Det står bundet, men I skal løse det og bringe det herhen. 31Hvis nogen spørger jer, hvorfor I gør det, skal I bare sige: ‚Herren har brug for det.’ ”
32De gik så derhen og fandt æselføllet, nøjagtigt som Jesus havde sagt. 33Da de var ved at løse føllet, kom ejerne. „Hvorfor løser I føllet?” råbte de.
34„Herren har brug for det,” svarede disciplene.
35Så fik de lov at tage føllet, og de førte det til Jesus. De lagde deres kapper over ryggen på det og hjalp ham op.
36Mens de gik af sted, bredte folk deres kapper ud på vejen foran Jesus, 37og da de nærmede sig det sted, hvor vejen begynder at gå ned ad Olivenbjerget mod Jerusalem, begyndte hele følget af disciple at råbe højt af glæde og lovprise Gud for alle de undere, de havde set ham gøre. 38De råbte:
„Velsignet er den Konge, som nu kommer i Herrens navn!
Fred fra Himlen,
og herlighed fra det Højeste!”
39Men nogle farisæere i folkemængden sagde til Jesus: „Mester, sig dog til dine disciple, at de ikke må sige sådan noget!”
40Jesus svarede: „Hvis de tier, vil stenene råbe!”
Jesus græder over Jerusalems vantro
41Jesus var nu så tæt på Jerusalem, at han kunne se ud over hele byen. Da brast han i gråd og sagde: 42„Gid du i dag kunne forstå, hvad der fører til fred. Men du kan ikke se det nu. 43Det varer ikke så længe, før dine fjender vil samle sig mod dig. De vil bygge en vold op omkring dig, omringe dig og presse imod dig fra alle sider. 44De vil jævne dig med jorden og knuse dine indbyggere, fordi du ikke greb chancen, da Gud kom til dig!”
Den sidste tempeludrensning
Matt. 21,12-17; Mark. 11,15-19
45Senere19,45 Det er om mandagen, næste dag. gik Jesus ind på tempelpladsen og begyndte at jage de handlende ud. 46Han råbte til dem: „Skriften siger: ‚Mit hus skal være et bønnens hus,’19,46 Es. 56,7. men I har gjort det til ‚et tilholdssted for røvere.’19,46 Jer. 7,11.”
47Hver dag underviste Jesus i templet, men ypperstepræsterne, de skriftlærde og de øvrige jødiske ledere spekulerede på, hvordan de kunne få ham slået ihjel. 48Dog kunne de ikke finde nogen anledning til det, for folk stimlede sammen om ham og slugte hvert ord, han sagde.
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich. 3Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
5Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” 6So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, “Jesus has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.”
9Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham’s family line. 10The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.”
The Story of Three Slaves
11While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away. 12Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. 13So he sent for ten of his slaves. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.
14“But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15“But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the slaves he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.
16“The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’
17“ ‘You have done well, my good slave!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’
18“The second slave came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’
19“His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’
20“Then another slave came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’
22“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil slave! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? 23Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’
24“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’
25“ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’
26“He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what they have will be taken away from them. 27And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
28After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem. 29He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, 30“Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. 31Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. 33They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.
37Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,
38“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)
“May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!”
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”
40“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
41He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep. 42He said, “I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side. 44You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”
Jesus Clears Out the Temple
45Then Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out those who were selling there. 46He told them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a ‘den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)
47Every day Jesus was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were trying to kill him. So were the leaders among the people. 48But they couldn’t find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words.
