A Short Story About Growing Up Series

JUST JESUS: CHAPTER BY CHAPTER THRU LUKE

A Short Story About Growing Up

LUKE 19:1-10

#justJesus

INTRODUCTION… https://www.snopes.com/top/

There is so much fake news and garbage out there that sometimes it is hard to know what is true or false or twisted or spun. I perused snopes this week to see what the latest fact-checking articles were all about.

* No, Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden are not going out of business

* Yes, some of the footage about the Israel-Hamas war is footage from 2021

* No, Disney is not releasing a sequel to the movie “Up” called “Down”

* Yes, some of the footage about some attacks in Gaza were from a Palestinian made movie

* No, Taylor Swift has not proclaimed her undying love for Travis Kelce

* Yes, it is true every so often a Taco Bell manager refuses $2 because they think they are fake

I am looking at some of these reports of true things that are happening and the thought occurred to me that some people need to just grow up. Some people just spread things that aren’t true just to cause issues. Sometimes it is funny, but other times it can be hurtful. Sometimes we make mistakes and say something wrong or have a wrong belief, but once we are faced with the error of our ways, we should learn and then change how we live or what we say or how we say it.

TRANSITION

Today we will take a look at a short story in Luke 19 of a man who came face-to-face with Jesus and had a choice to make. This section of Luke we are shown several folks who had choices to make… like the young man in the middle of Luke 18 who came face-to-face with Jesus, was faced with a choice, and opted to keep his old way of life. That rich young ruler had much going for him, but in the end, he chose a path away from Jesus Christ. Today, we are going to meet a man named Zacchaeus who was “a wee little man” who had a “wee little” choice to make. Zaccheus makes his choice, at times we find it unexpected, but he makes his choice and decides to grow up. Grow up in his faith. Grow up in how he treated others. Grow up in how he approached life. He did a lot of growing up.

READ LUKE 19:1-10 (ESV)

“He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received Him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

ZACCHEUS UNDER STRESS

As we read in the first six verses of the ten verse passage this morning, notice most specifically the actions of Zacchaeus. We find a man under stress and a man with issues in his life.

Jesus Christ was becoming more and more well known. People from all over had heard about this phenomenal teacher who speaks in parables (Luke 14-16), who heals lepers (Luke 17), and even gives sight to the blind (Luke 18) and challenges rich people who think they can have their own agenda and still get into God’s Kingdom (Luke 18). That same Man who talked to rulers and healed the sick was now passing through the town of Jericho. As evidence for Jesus’ increasing popularity and the fame for His miracles and teaching, verse 3 describes for us that a crowd had gathered around Jesus and He was difficult to see.

Among the people who are trying to get a glimpse of Jesus was Zacchaeus who is given the title of “chief tax collector.” That is a title only found here in Luke 19 and it applies only to Zacchaeus. Apparently, Jericho was a tax collecting hub for the Romans and it was Zacchaeus who was in charge. That means that Zacchaeus had a privileged job among the Romans and was probably despised by the Jews even more than regular tax collectors. His life was a wealthy and privileged one, but also one where his neighbors and fellow citizens of Jericho couldn’t stand him. They hated him. They considered him a traitor and among the worst kind of sinner.