How Jesus Sought A Sinner

How Jesus Sought A Sinner

Luke 19:1-10 "And [Jesus] entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, [there was] a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that [way]. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw [it], they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore [him] fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." As we continue our series of, “What Jesus Said and Did,”

it should be informative and inspiring to have a look at just one example of Jesus seeking a sinner. In doing so, we need to remember that this is just one example. The entire ministry of our Lord seems to be focused upon seeking those sinners who are lost. In fact, Jesus states that in verse ten of our passage. Is it not true that our ultimate objective should be the same as our Savior's? Should we not exist in order to glorify God by bringing salvation to homes here in our community? And homes around the world? Soul saving salvation? Life changing salvation? The ministry of Jesus was people oriented. Jesus, cared. Oh yes, He cared. He cared for sinners of all classes, kinds and descriptions. The short and the tall the rich and the poor the pious and the pitiful. Let us consider the day our Saviour went into the home and heart of a poor, miserable, despised and rejected sinner. The day a life was changed forever. A day when the residents and angels of heaven made the heavens ring with sounds of rejoicing. A day that is so beautifully and poetically described in the old hymn, "O Happy Day.." I trust you have had such a day. But if you have not, I pray that you will listen with eternal intensity as we examine how it all came to pass.

Let us look at the STATUS AND STATURE OF A SCORNED SINNER. (Verses 2-3) It is clear that Zacheus lived in the rarified air of the upper strata of the elite. This confirms what we have all suspected all along. Fame and fortune are often the beginning of sorrows. Riches do not satisfy. Money cannot buy real happiness. The stories of many in our contemporary world also confirm this. I recently read a story about what had happened to seven different people who had huge lottery wins. They all said they wished they had never had the experience. We cannot say Jesus didn't warn us. His stories and parables of the condition and fate of rich men were not given to us in order to entertain us. They are to serve as sharp and severe reminders of the folly of trusting in riches. A story I read many years ago illustrates man's vain and perpetual quest for happiness in riches. It seems that when the wreckage of a certain Spanish galleon was examined the skeletons of a number of sailors were also found around the wreckage. Evidence indicated they had filled their pockets with gold doubloons when abandoning ship. Of course, the weight of the gold had contrib- uted to their early demise.

Our Sunday School choruses speak of Zacheus being short in stature and needing a boost in order to even see Jesus. Perhaps we could consider that we are also short and stunted in our moral character. We have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All our righteousness are as filthy rags before God. We must also recognize our need and our inability to come close to Christ of our own ability and accord. Some may sincerely say, "But isn't this an example of a sinner seeking a Saviour?" Certainly. But in order to clarify the possible contradiction of the concept of a Saviour seeking a sinner and a sinner seeking a Saviour, we need but understand a tiny bit of theology. Just two simple verses tell the tale. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44) "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me." (John 12:32)