The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: October 5, 2025

Holy Trinity Church – Tom Mount

 

Scripture reading: Psalm 139:17-18a

“How precious are your thoughts toward me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.”

Luke 18:31-34: Jesus warns his friends

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

  • Background: this is the sixth warning in Luke (5:35; 9:22, 44-45; 12:49-50;13:32-33; 17:25). See these OT “suffering” texts: Isa 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12; Ps 2, 16, 22, 118:22.
  • Lesson: Jesus warns us because he loves us and wants us to persevere, so we can finish well (Jn 14:3). Has he given us similar warnings in the NT? (e.g., Mt 18:6; 1 Cor 6:18; Heb 6:4-6; Rev 2-3, etc.).
  • Takeaway: Pray over God’s warnings! Take them to heart! Implement safeguards!

Luke 18:35-43: Jesus hears and heals a blind man

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

  • Background: This guy made a nuisance of himself and refused be deterred. Others wanted him silenced. But he was laser focused on getting what he needed from Jesus.
  • Lesson: God loves us and hears our prayers and grants them when they are best for us (James 4:2-3; 2 Cor 12:9) and they fit his larger plans (Jer 7:16; John 11:4). We should pray unless and until God tells us to stop (Jer 11:4). P-U-S-H.
  • Takeaway: Pray obnoxiously! What do you need right now? Are you taking that need persistently to God? He hears you! Be specific. Start a prayer journal.

Luke 19:1-10: Jesus sees and saves a sinner.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

  • Background: Zacchaeus models what it looks like to seek Jesus and to repent of his sin. He was like the tax collector in Jesus’ parable discussed last week (18:9-14) and unlike the rich young ruler (18:18-30).
  • Lesson: Jesus sees your efforts to draw closer to him. He delights in every step you take and rewards you with more of himself (Jas 4:8). He will pinpoint obstacles in your life. When he does, repent
  • Takeaway: Learn to walk in repentance moment-by-moment to experience the “saved-kind-of-life.”

Takeaway

This week, let’s remind ourselves that God is constantly paying attention to us. His thoughts are on us. He hears us. He sees us. Let’s learn to talk to Him about everything—our needs, desires, fears, joys, etc.—and be quick to repent when he pinpoints obstacles in our lives that are keeping us from deeper intimacy with Him.