The Truth About Power Series

We are in a short series of sermons entitled The Truth about You. And we conclude this series with a very famous story, the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. This is the last of Jesus’ personal encounters (in Luke’s gospel) before He arrives in Jerusalem to be tried, crucified, and eventually resurrected. We are so close to the cross of Jesus that we can feel the shadow of cross fall on us even now.

Today, I want to talk with you about how you experience life change even if you are a powerful person.

1. Two People

Today’s story is really the story of two people – one powerful but pushed to the margins of society’s respectability. While the other is a miracle-working, peripatetic story-telling teacher whom the crowds flocked to hear and touch.

1.1 Jesus

Again, this is Jesus’ last one-on-one encounter before He arrives in Jerusalem. The Gospels are filled with encounters with all sorts of people: when he’s with a man or when He’s with a woman, when He’s with a Jew, when He’s with a Gentile …and when He’s with the powerful person or when He’s with the powerless person, You learn so much about Jesus when you examine each of these personal encounters.

A week ago, we witnessed a man so blind he had to call out to Jesus for healing while today, we witness a man so short he had to climb up a sycamore tree to see Jesus. It’s here that Luke tells us that: “When Jesus came to the place, he looked up” (Luke 19:5a). I would think of the tremendous mercy of God if you told me that Jesus looked down on you but if you told me that Christ was so humble that He looked up to you, then this is truly mercy! His mercy acts as a magnet for those in misery.

1.2 Zacchaeus

Luke tells us three characteristics about this man, Zacchaeus. 1. He was not only a tax collector but the chief tax collector; 2. He was rich; and 3. He was short. There’s a children’s song about our story today:

Zacchaeus was a wee little man

And a wee little man was he.

He climbed way up in a sycamore tree,

For the Lord he wanted to see…

The children’s song reminds us that Zacchaeus is on a quest. And he goes to considerable lengths in order to find Jesus. He’s short so he must climb a tree to see Jesus past the crowds. But he’s also curious. Perhaps Zacchaeus is curious because all the town is a flutter about Jesus, the miracle-worker coming to town. Perhaps Zacchaeus is curious because he’s heard the story of Matthew, the former tax-collector, leaving his lucrative job and following Christ (Matthew 9:9). No doubt Zacchaeus thought, “Nobody leaves money on the table. What motivated Matthew?”

Jericho – Divine Appointment

At first, we think it is Zacchaeus who’s seeking Jesus: “He was trying to see who Jesus was…” (Luke 19:3) Only to learn that it is really Jesus who is seeking Zacchaeus: “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Modern day Christians have even come up with a name for this type of “God-encounter” … a divine appointment.

Jesus is still in Jericho where he healed the blind beggar. We need to remember that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a dangerous road. If you remember Jesus’ famous teaching that we call The Good Samaritan, then you remember that it was on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho where the man fell among the thieves. Traveling around Jericho was evidently dangerous. This road was a road to be avoided at all costs. Yet, this was not the only way to Jerusalem. Jesus intentionally traveled this road because He has an appointment with Zacchaeus.

Long before Zacchaeus caught even a glimpse of Jesus that Jesus has eye fixed on Zacchaeus. You know, it still works like this today. Long before you sought Jesus, He had His eye fixed on you.

1. Two People

2. Two Obstacles

There were two obstacles in Zacchaeus’ way: his height and the crowd. Let’s look at both of these obstacles in this order.

2.1 You Must Get Lower than Your Pride

He was so short and the crowd was so large, that Zacchaeus was forced to climb up a tree to see Jesus. The moment Zacchaeus went up a tree he left his dignity below. Think about this for a moment. Can you imagine seeing anyone of importance up in a tree? Can you see the camera panning the crowds of Las Angeles or Houston or Atlanta, and seeing important people up in a tree to watch a parade?

Climbing up a tree isn’t dignified… it’s silly. He is the chief tax collector. He is supposed to be someone important. Yet, no one parts the crowd for him. His short stature is only part of his problem, for even a short king can see the parade. Even short people can see a parade when they are important because the crowd parts for them. For in reality, his wealth should have given him status but it really only caused him to be hated, ignored, and pushed aside.