Encounters at Jericho

Transcription

1 Encounters at Jericho By Mark Mayberry 11/24/2013 Introduction The modern city of Jericho is located near the Jordan River in the West Bank. A part of the Palestinian territories, it is the administrative seat of the Jericho Governorate with a population of approximately 20,000. The city was occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967, and has been held under Israeli occupation since 1967; administrative control was handed over to the Palestinian Authority in 1994 [Wikipedia]. Nelson s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary offers the following description of Jericho: JERICHO [JEHR ih coe] one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Situated in the wide plain of the Jordan Valley (Deut. 34:1, 3) at the foot of the ascent to the Judean mountains, Jericho lies about 8 miles northwest of the site where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, some 5 miles west of the Jordan. Since it is approximately 800 feet below sea level, Jericho has a climate that is tropical and at times is very hot. Only a few inches of rainfall are recorded at Jericho each year; but the city is a wonderful oasis, known as the city of palm trees (Deut. 34:3) or the city of palms (Judg. 3:13). Jericho flourishes with date palms, banana trees, balsams, sycamores, and henna (Song 1:14; Luke 19:4). There have been three different Jerichos throughout its long history. Old Testament Jericho is identified with the mound of Tell essultan, a little more than a mile from the village of er-riha. This village is modern Jericho, located about 17 miles northeast of Jerusalem. New Testament Jericho is identified with the mounds of Tulul Abu el- Alayiq, about a mile west of modern Jericho and south of Old Testament Jericho. By far the most imposing site of the three is Old Testament Jericho, a pear-shaped mound about 400 yards long, north to south, 200 yards wide at the north end, and some 70 yards high. It has been the site of numerous archaeological diggings and is a favorite stop for Holy Land tourists. [Nelson s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. Jericho ]. Old Testament The city of Jericho, first mentioned in connection with the conquest of Canaan, symbolizes divine judgment and mercy (Num. 33:50-56; Josh. 6:1-5; Heb. 11:30). Numbers 33:50-56 (NASB95) 50 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 1

2 When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; 53 and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. 56 And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you. Joshua 6:1-5 (NASB95) 1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead. Hebrews 11:30 (NASB95) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. The Faith of Rahab The faith of Rahab was evident when she protected the spies and pledged her loyalty to the God of Israel (Josh. 2:1-24; 6:17, 22-25). Accordingly, she is praised in the New Testament as an example of obedient faith (Heb. 11:30-31; James 2:24-26). Joshua 2:1-24 (NASB95) 1 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho. So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. 2 It was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land. 3 And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land. 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them. 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate. 8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the 2

3 water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father s household, and give me a pledge of truth, 13 and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death. 14 So the men said to her, Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lord gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you. 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. 16 She said to them, Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way. 17 The men said to her, We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father s household. 19 It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear. 21 She said, According to your words, so be it. So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 They departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not found them. 23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us. Joshua 6:17 (NASB95) 17 The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. Joshua 6:22-25 (NASB95) 22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, Go into the harlot s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her. 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Hebrews 11:31 (NASB95) 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. 3

4 James 2:24-26 (NASB95) 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. The Faith of Israel The faith of Israel was evident as, in obedience to the Lord s commandment, they marched around the city once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day (Josh. 6:2-21; Heb. 11:30-31). Joshua 6:2-21 (NASB95) 2 The Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead. 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the Lord. 7 Then he said to the people, Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the Lord. 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams horns before the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, Shout! Then you shall shout! 11 So he had the ark of the Lord taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. 12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days. 15 Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. 19 But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord. 20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the 4

5 trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city. 21 They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. Hebrews 11:30-31 (NASB95) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. The Failure of Achan The failure of Achan occurred when, in disobedience to God s command, he took of the spoils of Jericho, i.e., items that had been placed under ban and should have been given into the treasury of the Lord (Josh. 6:17-19; 7:1). As a result, he brought defeat to the army of Israel (Josh. 7:2-15) and destruction upon his own house (Josh. 7:16-26). Joshua 6:17-19 (NASB95) 17 The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. 19 But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord. Joshua 7:1 (NASB95) 1 But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel. Joshua 7:2-15 (NASB95) 2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, Go up and spy out the land. So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 They returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few. 4 So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name? 10 So the Lord said to Joshua, Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also 5

6 transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. 12 Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. 13 Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst. 14 In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the Lord takes shall come near by households, and the household which the Lord takes shall come near man by man. 15 It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel. Joshua 7:16-26 (NASB95) 16 So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 He brought his household near man by man; and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me. 20 So Achan answered Joshua and said, Truly, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it. 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath it. 23 They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day. The Folly of Hiel After the destruction of Jericho, Joshua made all Israel take an oath, saying, Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates (Josh. 6:26-27). Centuries later, in the dark days of Ahab s reign, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho, laying its 6

7 foundations with the loss of his firstborn, and setting up its gates with the loss of his youngest son (1 Kings 16:29-34). Joshua 6:26-27 (NASB95) 26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates. 27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. 1 Kings 16:29-34 (NASB95) 29 Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. 31 It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. 32 So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. New Testament The Baptism of Jesus The baptism of Jesus likely occurred in the vicinity of Jericho (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34). Matthew 3:13-17 (NASB95) 13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? 15 But Jesus answering said to him, Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased. Mark 1:9-11 (NASB95) 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased. 7

8 Luke 3:21-22 (NASB95) 21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased. John 1:29-34 (NASB95) 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water. 32 John testified saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. The Temptation of Jesus Afterwards, our Lord was tempted by the devil in the nearby wilderness of Judea (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Matthew 4:1-11 (NASB95) 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4 But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You ; and On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me. 10 Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. Mark 1:12-13 (NASB95) 12 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. Luke 4:1-13 (NASB95) 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone. 5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed 8

9 over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours. 8 Jesus answered him, It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. 9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You to guard You, 11 and, On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. The Ministry of Jesus Herein, we focus upon Jesus encounters at Jericho: first, in healing the blind man/men, next, in teaching on the necessity of brotherly love, and finally, in converting a most unlikely prospect. Giving Sight to the Blind The Lord s mercy and might were manifested in the healing of the blind man/men at Jericho (Matt. 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43). The blind repeatedly cried out, Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David! The Greek word eleeō, translated mercy, means to be greatly concerned about someone in need, have compassion/mercy/pity [BDAG]. Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. The Greek word splagchnizomai, translated compassion, means to be moved in the inward parts, i.e. to feel compassion [Thomas] or have pity, feel sympathy [BDAG]. Such miraculous power demonstrated that Jesus was from above (Matt. 11:2-6; John 10:19-21). Matthew 20:29-34 (NASB95) 29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David! 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, What do you want Me to do for you? 33 They said to Him, Lord, we want our eyes to be opened. 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. Mark 10:46-52 (NASB95) 46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! 49 And Jesus stopped and said, Call him here. So they called the blind man, saying to him, Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you. 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, Rabboni, I want to regain my sight! 52 And Jesus said to him, Go; your faith has made you well. Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. 9

10 Luke 18:35-43 (NASB95) 35 As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 What do you want Me to do for you? And he said, Lord, I want to regain my sight! 42 And Jesus said to him, Receive your sight; your faith has made you well. 43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God. Matthew 11:2-6 (NASB95) 2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else? 4 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me. John 10:19-21 (NASB95) 19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him? 21 Others were saying, These are not the sayings of one demonpossessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he? Teaching Neighborly Responsibility In the parable of the Good Samaritan, occurring on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, Jesus makes practical application to the second greatest commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:25-37; cf. Deut. 6: 4-9; Lev. 19:18). The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes this important principle (Matt. 5:43-48; 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:13-15; James 2:8-9). Luke 10:25-37 (NASB95) 25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 And He said to him, What is written in the Law? How does it read to you? 27 And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. 28 And He said to him, You have answered correctly; do this and you will live. 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30 Jesus replied and said, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you

11 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers hands? 37 And he said, The one who showed mercy toward him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do the same. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NASB95) 4 Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Leviticus 19:18 (NASB95) 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. Matthew 5:43-48 (NASB95) 43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 22:34-40 (NASB95) 34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? 37 And He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. Mark 12:28-34 (NASB95) 28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, What commandment is the foremost of all? 29 Jesus answered, The foremost is, Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 The scribe said to Him, Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. 11

12 Romans 13:8-10 (NASB95) 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Galatians 5:13-15 (NASB95) 13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. James 2:8-9 (NASB95) 8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. Seeking and Saving the Lost The conversion of Zaccheus, chief tax collector in the district, affirms the universality of the gospel, and the necessity of our bearing fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke 19:1-10; cf. 3:7-9; 13:22-30; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). The Greek word telōnēs, translated tax collector, referred to a farmer of taxes, i.e. a tax collector [Thomas] or a revenue officer [BDAG]. Bauer adds, The telōnēs in the synoptics (the only part of our lit. where they are mentioned) are not the holders (Lat. publicani) of the taxfarming contracts themselves, but subordinates (Lat. portitores) hired by them; the higher officials were usu. foreigners, but their underlings were, as a rule, taken from the native population. The prevailing system of tax collection afforded a collector many opportunities to exercise greed and unfairness. Hence tax collectors were particularly hated and despised as a class. Luke 19:1-10 (NASB95) 1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house. 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much. 9 And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 3:7-9 (NASB95) 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 12

13 We have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Luke 13:22-30 (NASB95) 22 And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to Him, Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? And He said to them, 24 Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, Lord, open up to us! then He will answer and say to you, I do not know where you are from. 26 Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets ; 27 and He will say, I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers. 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29 And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB95) 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Conclusion Recognizing that whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope, let us learn from these examples, emulating the faith of Israel and Rahab, avoiding the failure of Achan and the folly of Hiel (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11). Romans 15:4 (NASB95) 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95) 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. May we also benefit from Jesus encounters at Jericho. Recognizing His mercy and might, let us be thankful that He gives sight to the blind (Rev. 3:17-22). Revelation 3:17-22 (NASB95) 17 Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, 13

14 and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Making proper application of His parable of the Good Samaritan, let us Go and do the same (Rom. 13:9-10). Romans 13:9-10 (NASB95) 9 For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Following the example of Zaccheus, let us likewise be converted; following the example of our Lord, let us also endeavor to seek and save the lost (Acts 3:19-26). Acts 3:19-26 (NASB95) 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 Moses said, The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. 24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25 It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 26 For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways. 14