Shining Light Tells the Good Story 19

RESTORING PURE OF HEART

1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was walking through Moon Village (Jericho). 2There, a man named Pure of Heart (Zacchaeus), who was a head tribal tax collector with many possessions, 3was trying to see who was coming but was too short to see over the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed up a tall tree to get a better view.

5When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came to the tree, he looked up and said, “Pure of Heart (Zacchaeus), come down from there and take me to your house, for I need a place to rest.”

6He quickly climbed down the tree and with a glad heart welcomed him into his house. 7But when the people saw this, they shook their heads. “What is he doing?” they grumbled out loud. “Why would he go into the house of an outcast?”

8Pure of Heart (Zacchaeus) stood up to the crowd and said to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), “Hear me, Wisdomkeeper. I will give half my possessions to the ones who have none. If I have cheated anyone, I will give them back four times as much.”

9Creator Sets Free (Jesus) smiled and said, “This is a good day, because this man and his family have finally been set free. For he also is a descendant of Father of Many Nations (Abraham) who had lost his way. 10The True Human Being has come to find the ones who have lost their way and guide them back again to the good road.”

REJECTING THE NEW CHIEF

11Since they were now close to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), and his followers thought that Creator’s good road would appear as soon as they arrived, he decided it was time to tell them another story.

12“There was a man who was born to be chief of a large tribal nation. The time had come for him to take his place as chief. But first he had to take a long journey to another land, to meet with a council of many nations, to be approved.

13“Before he left, he called together ten trusted tribal members who worked for him. He gave each one a woven blanket of great value. ‘Go,’ he told them, ‘and trade well until I return.’

“He then left on his journey to meet with the council.

14“But many of his own people despised him, so they sent some messengers ahead of him to speak with the council. ‘We do not want this man to be our chief,’ they said.

“But the council did not listen to them.

15“Much later, after being appointed as chief, he returned to his own tribal nation. He called together the trusted tribal members to whom he had given the woven blankets, to see how well they had traded.

16“The first to come to him said, ‘Honored chief, look, I now have ten blankets to return to you.’

17“‘You have done well!’ the chief replied, ‘Since you did well with this small thing, you will now represent me in ten villages.’

18“The second man came to him, and said, ‘Look, my chief, your one blanket is now five.’

19“‘Well done. You will now represent me in five villages,’ the chief told him.

20“Another came to him and said, ‘See, my chief, I have returned to you the blanket you gave me. I folded it and hid it safely away. 21I dared not trade with it, for I know you to be a harsh man and I was afraid. You take from others what is not yours and harvest food you did not plant.’

22“‘You have betrayed my trust,’ he said to the man. ‘Your own words will decide your fate! If you thought I was this way, 23why did you not give your blanket to the trading post and at least have something to show for it when I returned?’

24“Then the newly appointed chief turned to the ones who stood close by and said, ‘Take the blanket from him and give it to the one who has ten.’

25“They were confused by this. ‘But, honored chief,’ they said, ‘he already has ten blankets!’

26“The chief said to them, ‘The ones who do well with what they have will be given more. But for the ones who do nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’

“Then the chief turned to the tribal members who had opposed his appointment.

27“‘Now bring to me the ones who opposed me before the council,’ he said with authority. ‘They will now have to die, while I watch, because they have made themselves my enemies.’”

He told them this so they would see that the good road would not come in the way they expected.

HIS GRAND ENTRY

28After he told this story, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) walked on ahead of his followers to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). 29-30When he came to House of Figs (Bethany) at the foot of Olive Mountain, he said to two of his followers, “Go to House of Unripe Figs (Bethphage) on the other side of the mountain. When you come into the village, you will see a young donkey colt tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it to me. 31If anyone asks what you are doing, say this to them, ‘Our Wisdomkeeper is in need of it.’”

32His followers did as they were told. When they arrived at the village, they found everything just as he had said. 33When they started untying the colt, the owners asked them, “What are you doing?” 34They answered the owners just as they had been instructed, so they were permitted to go.

35They brought the young donkey colt to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and laid their deer skins and tribal blankets on the donkey colt. He then mounted the colt and began his ride.

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came riding into the Sacred Village of Peace (Jerusalem) down Olive Mountain toward the eastern entry into Village of Peace (Jerusalem) that is called Beautiful Gate. His twelve followers encircled him and led the colt forward.

He did not fit the powerful image of a conquering ruler, for he was not riding a warhorse. Instead, he rode a small, humble donkey colt. No mighty warriors rode next to him. No dignitaries came out to meet him. It was mostly the common people who welcomed him that day.

36As he rode forward, some of the people began to spread their buffalo robes on the road in front of Creator Sets Free (Jesus). 37When he reached the foot of Olive Mountain, the whole village was in an uproar. His followers began to sing to Creator and shout out loud, praising him for the powerful signs they had seen.

38“Blessed is the Grand Chief who comes representing the Great Spirit! Peace to the spirit-world above and honor and shining-greatness to the One Above Us All!”#19:38 Psalm 118:26

39Some of the Separated Ones (Pharisees) who were in the crowd spoke up. “Wisdomkeeper!” they cried out, “Warn your followers to watch what they are saying.”

It was a dangerous thing to call anyone a chief or ruler in front of the soldiers of the People of Iron (Romans) who were guarding the area.

40“I will tell you this,” he said to them. “If they were silenced, the very stones and rocks we are walking on would lift their voices and cry out!”

THE TRAIL WHERE HE CRIED

41As he rode forward, he could see the Sacred Village of Peace (Jerusalem), and tears began to run down his face.

He could taste the salt from his tears as he opened his mouth in anguish.

42“Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, you are the Sacred Village of Peace,” he wept out loud. “Of all people, you should be the ones who would know the way of peace, but on this sacred day, the way of peace is hidden from your eyes.

43“In the days ahead your enemies will encircle you and close in on you from every side. You will be crushed and trampled down, along with all your children. 44Every lodge will fall, and not even one pole, log, or stone will be left standing against another. All of this will happen because you did not know it was your time for the Great Spirit to visit you.”

45Then he rode through the Beautiful Gate, into the village and up to the sacred lodge.

He entered the lodge and came into the area called Gathering Place for the Nations. It was here that other nations could come to learn about the Great Spirit and his ways. The holy men were using this place to buy and sell the ceremonial animals. But it was so crowded that there was not enough room for the people from other nations who wanted to learn about Creator’s ways. They were not honoring the purpose of this holy place.

He entered the lodge and began to force out the ones who were buying and selling the ceremonial animals. 46“It is written in the Sacred Teachings,” he cried out, “‘my lodge will be a house of prayer; but you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!’#19:46 Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11”

47In the days that followed, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came each day to the sacred lodge to teach and tell his stories. The head holy men, the scroll keepers, and the spiritual leaders took counsel together to plan new ways to have him killed. 48But they could not figure out what to do, for the people had great respect for him and held on to every word he said.

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