Dear Jesse: To Seek and Save / by Eric Keener

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In the story of Zaccheus the Tax Collector, Luke 19:1-10 (Actually the Chief Publican, a marketplace guy who was rich and because of his association with Rome, was a sinner...at least from the point of view of the religious), a major transformation happens and Jesus declares;

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Couple of things:

1.  There is a continuation of theme of blessings and salvation "to this house" (See Luke 10:5); same Greek word in both verses, oikos, meaning a house, building, a dwelling place, a structure.

2.  We know salvation is by faith, as Zacch is called out as a son of Abraham, and not salvation by the law as Zacch would be called a son of Moses.

3.  Lastly, this sense of "seeking and saving that which was lost".  If you Google up Luke 19:10, you will find tons of commentary basically presenting Jesus came to save the lost, lost meaning men and women.  Yet two things goof that up; first is the house thing.  When confronted, a lot of folks have a hard time wrapping their minds around blessings of a house, an oikos.  Western tradition says we must bless people.  

Second, while the word that (in my estimation) doesn't appear in the Greek, the word apollymi does.  So, again to me, Jesus is saying; The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the destroyed.  A bit more dramatic, better fitting to the context and the verses following, 11-27.  What was destroyed?  In essence, everything that was given to man and woman in the Garden; that's what Jesus came to seek and to save.