Women of the Bible: Mrs. Zacchaeus

Previous posts have tried to remind readers of various women, some in the Bible, but not named,  and some named, but mentioned only in part of a verse. Some, of course, have a lot of scripture telling about them. But we don't even know if there was a Mrs. Zacchaeus. So why write about her? Here is what we do know:

Luke 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.”

So Jesus, and Zacchaeus, almost certainly the twelve apostles (see Luke 18), perhaps others of the followers and supporters of Jesus, and perhaps friends and acquaintances of Zacchaeus, all came to eat, when Mrs. Zacchaeus, or some hard-worked servant(s), were expecting only Zacchaeus. Jesus may have been telling Zacchaeus to run home and warn Mrs. Zacchaeus, when He said to hurry and come down, but we can't be sure of that, and, even if that were true, it was an unexpected crowd, and surely the whole affair was going to be an unexpected event for an unprepared household. It is also possible that the family was going to give back some possessions that had been unjustly taken from their original owners, or bought with ill-gotten gains, but that the family of Zacchaeus liked to have around.

Have you ever been surprised by unexpected, perhaps even uninvited, guests? Mrs. Zacchaeus was. How did she react? We don't know. Perhaps she gave Zacchaeus a stern lecture later, or at least was planning to do so, until Zacchaeus showed a remarkable change of heart. If she hadn't served the meal, perhaps the story of Zacchaeus would have been lost to us. But it isn't. Zacchaeus, himself, has been the subject matter for many a sermon, Bible lesson, or song. And by implication, Mrs. Zacchaeus has been, too.

I need to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. Perhaps you do! 

Sunspots 847

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Christianity: Relevant reports that a majority of self-identified Christians under 40 think that Christ isn't the only way to salvation.

Environment: Gizmodo reports that, for the first time ever known, it rained in the heart of Greenland's ice sheet.

Gizmodo also reports that (surprise!) Texas isn't requiring big petroleum companies to follow practices that are supposed to be required, and would cut down on climate change effects.

Science: NPR reports that scientists have studied daddy long legs (harvestmen) quite thoroughly, and have actually produced a "daddy shortlegs" with shorter legs.

NPR also reports on why rape victims have difficulty remembering details of the crime.

Gizmodo reports on an experiment to find out how long bacteria can live without food. A long time.

The Scientist reports that baby bats babble, much like human babies do.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

The ABCD plan of salvation

 You have probably heard of the ABC plan of salvation, which goes something like this:

Ask forgiveness for sin

Believe that you are forgiven

Confess your sins, and/or confess your belief in Christ’s power to forgive them.

D should be added: be Discipled. Salvation is not a one-and-done matter. It’s a process. I need to read and hear the good news repeated and explained. I need to expose myself to virtuous followers of Christ, and become more like the Christ that they follow. I haven’t taken Christ as savior and Lord unless I progress toward being more like Him, unless I am being discipled.

Salvation acrostic

Sin: separates us from God, and hurts us and others. It is something we have all done, but can’t pay the penalty for. Romans 3:23, 6:23.

Atonement: Christ’s death paid the price for my sin. Romans5:6-15.

Love: God loved us so much that He sacrificed Himself for our sin. Luke 19:10.

Victory: With the help of God the Holy Spirit, it is possible to live a holy life, victorious over temptation, including the temptation to take credit for our own salvation. Psalm 13:5-6; John 17:6-26, Romans 6:1-2, 1Thessalonians 5:5-11.

Attractiveness: A victorious life should be attractive to other people. John 7:37-39, Acts 16:25-34.

Teaching: Jesus told his disciples to teach all nations, and to make disciples of converts. Converts should learn from the Bible on their own, and be part of a teaching church. Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, Luke24:45-49, 2 Peter 3:17-18.

Immortality: Believers, whose sins have been paid for, are promised immortality with Christ. Ephesians 1:11-14, Romans 6:23

Overcoming: The church, and individual Christians, seem to be weak, at times. But Christ has promised that the true church – composed of actual believers, not necessarily church members – will endure. Matthew 16:18, Revelation 2:8-11.

New life, with purpose, and with fruit: Those who have experienced salvation should manifest the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians5:22-23) They will also participate, often with others, in attracting new believers, especially by serving, giving, testifying and praying. John 15:8, Acts 6:7, 11:27-29, Romans 12:4-8, Matthew 25:31-46. They will have intimacy with God. Matthew 10:16-20, John 14:16-16:15.

I have probably left out important concepts, and important scripture passages. Let me know if you think of such, in a comment, if you can. Thanks for reading. 

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On September 5, 2016, the links to scripture -- ESV -- were added.

Sunspots 583

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Ken Schenck reminds us that we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Computing: Gizmo's Freeware reports on a program that lets you listen to radio over the internet, and record it.

Health: The New York Times reports that major causes of death are still around, but that they are striking later in people's lives, and we aren't sure why.

Humor: 19 jokes for intelligent people, mostly chemistry-oriented.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight examines the data on shootings of people by the police, and concludes that the likelihood of being so shot has not gone down, in spite of recent widely publicized cases.

Science: FiveThirtyEight discusses very loud sounds.

Listverse tells us about 10 things that our brains do for us, more or less automatically.




Image source (public domain)

Grace in the Bible

Grace in the Bible: (some occurrences, not all of them!)

Proverbs 3:34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble. (One of the few instances of a reference to grace in the Old Testament.)

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:39b Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. (Grace is not just for salvation, but for power to represent Christ to others, and protection in doing so, as God wills.)

Acts 20:32 Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Grace helps us to grow in Christ, to be sanctified to His service.)

Romans 12: For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. 4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, 6 having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let’s prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; 7 or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, to his exhorting; he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (We have gifts for service, as God's grace determines this for each of us.)

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

2 Corinthians 8:1 Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, 2 how in much proof of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. 3 For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints. 5 This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace. 7 But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace. 8 I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. (Grace empowers us to give to Kingdom work.)

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. (Again, grace empowers us.)

2 Corinthians 12:9 He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. (Being able to serve, even though weak, is due to grace.)

Ephesians 1:7 … in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace … (We commonly think of grace as responsible for our salvation. It is, of course.)

Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. (This may mean that grace will enable us to experience the life with Christ in the Final Kingdom.)

1 Thessalonians 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (A statement like this is found at the beginning or end of most of the epistles of the New Testament. These statements are for the believers who were expected to read the letters, so they were not just about salvation.)

2 Timothy 1:8 Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God, 9a who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace … (Again, grace so that we can do good works.)

2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (Again.)

Hebrews 4:16 Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need. (Our prayers are answered by God's grace!)

James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8a Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (Grace is supplied as we need it.)

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms. (Grace enables us to serve the church.)

1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (Grace enables us to grow spiritually.)

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (An admonition to grow in grace, which implies that believers may resist grace from God.)

The first and last statements in a book, or a speech, are usually especially significant. The first verse in the Bible tells us that God created. The last one tells us that He offers His grace to believers: Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.

Thanks for reading.

Christianity Today and articles about the brain's ability

Christianity Today has recently published two articles about a handicapped brain and a relationship to God.

One of them discusses an all-too-common fact -- the church forgets people with Alzheimer's, and their caregivers.

The other gives the story of a man in South Africa who was unable to communicate for nine years, although his brain was active, and he could hear and see, but who came to faith in God during that time. A remarkable story.

Thanks for reading. Read these articles.