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Day 295, or October the 22nd. Giving is enjoyable.

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Our thoughts today come from Luke chapter 19,

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verse 8. But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the

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Lord, Look, Lord, here and now I give half of

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my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated

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anybody out of anything, I will pay back four

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times the amount. Now the big picture surrounding

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this verse. Our passage today takes us right

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into the final week of the life of Jesus. Many

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traditions call this Passion Week, and it is

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filled with drama and tension, even though we

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know what happens in the end. I remember teaching

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in the Ukraine shortly after the breakup of the

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Soviet Union, and meeting people there who didn't

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know the final outcome. What a thrill to tell

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them, and for them to hear for the very first

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time. Being in the south where the religious

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authorities held sway, Luke relates a number

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of encounters that Jesus has with them. Luke

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faithfully records the triumphal entry of Jesus

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as he enters the city fulfilling the prophecy

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of Zechariah. This is one of the few events which

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is covered by all four gospel writers, so it

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is obviously important. And now our action step

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for today. Luke is the only one to tell us of

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Jesus' meeting with that infamous little man

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Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector. It's significant

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that Zacchaeus' response to the good news is

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a beaming, how much can I give? Sadly, too many

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folk today ask, how little do I need to give?

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Churches and Christian organisations are constantly

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seeking funds to enable them to play their part

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in the kingdom. This is only possible if those

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whom God has chosen to be generous with their

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wealth will respond in a like manner and do their

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part for the kingdom of God. We expect preachers,

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teachers, and evangelists to be enthusiastic.

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At least I do. So should givers and financial

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supporters of God's work. Remember, God loves

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a cheerful giver, and in my experience, when

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we give cheerfully, we get so much satisfaction

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out of it that we wonder why we don't do it more

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often. Try it and see.