Jesus and Zacchaeus

1As Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it, 2a man named Zacchaeus appeared. He was a leading tax collector, and a rich one at that! 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he couldn’t do so due to the crowd, since he was a short man. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

5When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house today.” 6Zacchaeus came down quickly and was glad to welcome him into his home.

7But all the people who saw this began to complain: “Jesus is going to be the guest of a notorious sinner!”

8Later, Zacchaeus stood up and announced to the Lord, “Look! I’m giving half of my possessions to the destitute, and if I have accused anyone falsely, I’m repaying four times as much as I owe.”

9Then Jesus told him, “Today salvation has come to this home, because this man is also a descendant of Abraham, 10and the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable about the Coins

11As they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and because the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12So he said, “A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king and then to return. 13He called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He told them, ‘Invest this money until I come back.’ 14But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation to follow him and to announce, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’

15“After he was appointed king, the prince came back. He ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called so he could find out what they had earned by investing. 16The first servant came and said, ‘Sir, your coin has earned ten more coins.’ 17The king told him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’

18“The second servant came and said, ‘Your coin, sir, has earned five coins.’ 19The king told him, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

20“Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, look! Here’s your coin. I’ve kept it in a cloth for safekeeping 21because I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You withdraw what you didn’t deposit and harvest what you didn’t plant.’ 22The king told him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, and that I withdraw what I didn’t deposit and harvest what I didn’t plant? 23Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’

24“So the king told those standing nearby, ‘Take the coin away from him and give it to the man who has the ten coins.’ 25They answered him, ‘Sir, he already has ten coins!’ 26‘I tell you, to everyone who has something, more will be given, but from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!’”

The King Enters Jerusalem

(Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; John 12:12-19)

28After Jesus had said this, he traveled on and went up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30“Go into the village ahead of you,” he said. “As you enter, you will find a colt tied up that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it along. 31If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’”

32So those who were sent went off and found it as Jesus had told them. 33While they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34The disciples answered, “The Lord needs it.” 35Then they brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it, and Jesus sat upon it.

36As he was riding along, people kept spreading their coats on the road. 37He was now approaching the descent from the Mount of Olives. The whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice and to praise God with a loud voice because of all the miracles they had seen. 38They said,

“How blessed is the king

who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven,

and glory in the highest heaven!”

39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd told Jesus, “Teacher, tell your disciples to be quiet.”

40He replied, “I tell you, if they were quiet, the stones would cry out!”

41When he came closer and saw the city, he began to grieve over it: 42“If you had only known today what could have brought you peace! But now it is hidden from your sight, 43because the days will come when your enemies will build walls around you, surround you, and close you in on every side. 44They will level you to the ground—you and those who live within your city limits. They will not leave one stone on another within your walls, because you didn’t recognize the time when you were visited.”

Confrontation in the Temple over Money

(Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; John 2:13-22)

45Then Jesus went into the Temple and began to throw out those who were selling things. 46He told them, “It is written, ‘My house is to be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a hideout for bandits!”

47Then he began teaching in the Temple every day. The high priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him, 48but they couldn’t find a way to do it, because all the people were eager to hear him.