From Selfishness To Selflessness

From Selfishness to Selflessness

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas 11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”

Luke 19:1-10

Intro: You probably know this story.

Excitement was in the air.

People from all over had come to town to watch

Everybody was talking about it

A large crowd of people gathered pushing and shoving trying to see.

In fact, just to be able to get a closer view takes advance planning and preparation.

Trying to figure out how to get a better line of sight

A short, little person, no more than 5’4” having difficulty seeing over the crowd to watch the parade.

It’s a great story.

About my wife Gina Ann trying to get a good view of the Apple Day Parade last fall.

No, It’s a Bible story that we’re talking about.

I’m talking about a tax collector named Zacchaeus who wanted to see Jesus.

Jesus was at the height of his popularity.

Every statement he made was reported and repeated.

Every move that he made was followed by a crowd of people.

It’s probably one of the most familiar Bible stories that you heard as a child.

In fact, you may have learned the song to help remember the story.

It’s a great story because it is a story of transformation.

We’re going to step our way through this account that’s found in Luke 19

and try to see this change that takes place, this incredible transformation.

As we work our way through it,

we’re going to notice that there are four, different characteristics of transformation

when someone is changed from being selfish to being selfless.

Luke is the only gospel account that tells us the story of Zacchaeus (The other gospel writers don’t tell us.) and in Luke 19 the passage begins.

It says, “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus;

he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.”

Immediately we learn some different things about Zacchaeus.

Tax collecting back at that time was often unreasonable and unfair.

The Rome government would use local tax collectors who would find out just how much people had.

So this was a despised position, and I’ll tell you why.

People would oftentimes double-cross the citizens, and the tax collector would say,

“Boy, you’re going to have to pay a lot of taxes on all that you have.”

And the people would say, “Hey, why don’t you just not tell the government all that I have?”

And the tax collector would say, “Well, if we do that then you better, out of gratitude for what I’m saving you, give me four of your sheep.”

And he would take the sheep from them.

Then he would go and he would do the exact opposite to the government and say,

“Hey, these people are trying to keep some money from you. They’re trying to trick you.”

And so basically they would double-cross the folks and they would double-dip.

Zacchaeus had money;

he had power,

but he was consumed with self and he was miserable.

Any person, regardless of their physical height, is a small person if they are consumed with self.

Zacchaeus had finally had enough of himself and he wanted to change.

If you want to be transformed by Jesus Christ, Zacchaeus in Luke 19 would be a good example for you today.

The third verse says,

“He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.”