LUKE 19:1-10
Imagine the story with me. Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem. He knew what awaited him there, he knew he was going to be received royally, then in a matter of days, he would be crucified and murdered. He understood this was God’s master plan to offer salvation to the world – the way of escape for you and me – dying on the cross, bearing our sins, rising from the dead and securing the victory!
Have you ever had a very important deadline? You knew there was something coming at work or at home where you had a lot to do to get ready. There were preparations to be made, there was work to be done! Add to it that it is the most significant event you have ever participated in, your job is on the line, or your family needs this to go thru without a hitch. Stressful… fearful…
Then maybe you can relate in a tiny way to this scene in the life of Christ. He was on the verge of His master plan. Since the foundation of the world, this had been God’s plan to redeem his fallen children. What a majestic, wondrous, terrible path – the path to Calvary.
Now we come to our scripture. Notice v.1 – he was just passing through. Just a part of the path to Jerusalem. Point A to Point B took the Lord through a town called Jericho. This part of the journey had no OT scripture to fulfill, no great sermon to preach, nothing significant to you or me – it was just a footnote for the trip to Jerusalem.
v.2 tells us there was a worldly, sinful man in this town. Zacchaeus. It really doesn’t say he was worldly or sinful, but that he was a tax collector and he was rich. The religious people of the day would say that makes it obvious. He was a tax collector, so he obviously had no morals (everyone knows tax collectors steal from the people). He was rich, so he obviously got his riches at the expense of the rest of us…
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. That worldly sinner that you work with, that you see every day, that neighbor, may not be as evil as you think… they may be a Zacchaeus, just waiting for a Savior.
Now v. 3- The Zacchaeus story is a cute passage about a resourceful short man who found a way to see Jesus. He climbed that sycamore tree, and waited and watched. He wanted to see Jesus – He wanted to be a part of this big scene – I’m sure it was not every day that something this big happened in Jericho! Jesus and his followers would be passing through. The folks had heard of Jesus in Jericho – this miracle worker… prophet… King.
You know the story, Jesus came by – stopped right at Zacchaeus – and said ‘come down – I want to stay with you a while at your house today.’….. and he did.
”So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly”
Here’s where our cute little story takes a turn for the worse. V.7 “Why, doesn’t Jesus know just what kind of man Z. really is? Look, even I know that we should not hang around with his type – those sinners. Even I know that we don’t go to their house! They do sinful things, they have sinful stuff in their house. To go there will make my other religious friends think I’m doing what he does. I’ve got to maintain my religious superiority to those types. Why doesn’t Jesus just invite Z. to come to the temple. I’m not about to go to his house!”
Those self-righteous mumblers and mutterers missed out on what happened next. This is often the way it is – the legalist self-righteous get in their little huddle and talk about their offenses.. while God’s over here – changing lives.
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."
Z. came to terms with his sin. It’s implied and obvious in our passage that Jesus impacted his life. So much so, that he repented. He made restoration for wrongs he had done. He was changed, he would never be the same – because Jesus took the time to sit with him, to love on him, and to show him the way.
There’s no greater blessing for the believer than to witness another soul come to know Jesus Christ. There’s no greater joy than to be in the same room, to be a part, of someone coming to accept Him as Lord and Savior! The self-righteous missed it, they gathered with their own types and made sure they didn’t get dirty by going to Z.’s house.
Our passage ends this morning with a declaration from the Lord:
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 what was lost."
Z. has repented, salvation has come, he is now a child of God! And in a little dig to the self-righteous, the ones who were so offended, Jesus reminds them of His mission – “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Like it or not, He was going to fulfill His mission. His way. On His terms.
Truths from this Scripture
1. The insignificant to us may be significant to Jesus
Jericho - just a little stop on the way – but Jesus saw the ministry opportunity. The disciples likely didn’t understand – we’ve got to get to Jerusalem! We need to hurry through this little town. But this town had people, it had lost souls, it had Z. – ready for the gospel.
Are you open to God’s moving in the insignificant areas of your life. It’s just a short stop on the way to my important goal today, but God may have work to be done here. It’s just a routine thing in my life that I do every day – but God may have someone in your path that He wants to reach. Let’s open our eyes – what is insignificant to us may be significant to God.
2. He always has time to minister to the lost
Jesus was a busy man – on the way to Jerusalem. He had a very big job ahead, a very important task to fulfull – the cross. He had lots of responsibilities – followers, his disciples.
But He stopped, spent time with Z. He knew Z. needed Him. He knew he was ready. And Jesus took the time to minister to him, to impact his life forever.
Jesus always has time to minister. To you, in your need. Yes, He holds the world in place. He has His master plan for the world. But he loves you. He wants to love on you and teach you and hold you when you need him.
PS 55:16 But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. 17 Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
He;s got time for you! He hears! He Cares!
3. He doesn’t really care what the self-righteous think
Boy they were offended that a religious leader like Jesus would dare go to the house of a sinner.
Jesus did not respond, did not explain himself, He just went.
another scene similar to this
READ MATTHEW 9:9-13
Isn’t it clear that Jesus loves the lost, the sinner, the one in need of salvation. So much so that He was willing to risk his reputation with the religious community. “He’s at that sinner, tax collector, lost and ungodly Matthew’s house. Why I hear that there’s a party going on – they’re having dinner, other sinners have showed up! No telling what they are doing – they may be drinking, dancing… I’m sure Jesus is not sinning, but others might assume He is….. I would have to leave – not be associated with those lost people – why my fellow Pharisees or deacons or SS class members might see my camel over there and know I’m at the party. Doesn’t Jesus know that we have to keep up our religious appearance?”
Sound like anyone you know?
I wonder how much Jesus would offend you if he were here today, fulfilling His plan, loving on the lost, being Jesus in your world? Would you be offended by where He went, who He hung out with?
READ MARK 7:1-9
The Pharisees had a nice rule. They wanted you to ceremonially wash your hands before you eat. That’s not so bad… this was (v.3) a tradition they had observed for a long time. It was a good tradition, they thought, so it became gospel. It moved from an observance to law. And Jesus said – you hypocrites! You setup rules and bind people to them – and they aren’t even Biblical! Honor me with your heart – have a heart like mine!
Dear Christian, check out your hand-washing rules and regulations. Have you got traditions that sound really good, but you are trying to bind them on others, all the while they are not Biblical?
We need godly conviction, we need to stand out and be apart from the lost world. We need to shine our light like a city on a hill. But so many get so caught up in their little set of rules, they staunchly stand by them, and they think they are doing something special.
Brother Pharisee, if Jesus were here today, He might actually go to places you would not dare go. He might do things that you would not dare do… all to minister to those who need Him.
It was so extreme, that Jesus developed a bad reputation among the religious elite
MATTHEW 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."
Notice the accusation hurled at Christ – it was ½ truth – part of it was true, but part was a lie. Have you ever had anyone take something you said and did, add in a lot of assumptions, and then accuse you of being or doing something you’re not? You’re in good company, for that happened here – ½ truth – they said He was a glutton and drunk v.19 – that’s a lie – Jesus was neither! They assumed because he hung out with the lost that He did what they did.
But Jesus’ reputation was half right, for they said he was ‘a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
Why do you think Jesus hung out with them? To offer them forgiveness for their sins!
Thank God – Jesus is a friend of sinners – for He reached out to me, a great sinner, and as a friend offered me salvation, forgiveness of my sins. He’s a friend to sinners! Praise God!
But it seems that Jesus didn’t really care too much what the self-righteous thought. He cared about reaching a lost world, about what was most important, about transparent, loving, real religion – not external white-washed self-righteous piety.
4. His mind was always on His mission
You and I would say – the mission is in Jerusalem, not Jericho. We’re on a deadline, we need to be moving on… people are waiting, they’ll welcome you with palm branches and hosannah’s. Your mission is big – to go to the cross and purchase our salvation! Let’s not get bogged down in Jericho!
Yes those are very important, but Jesus would remind you of His mission
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost
Yes, that means the cross and the resurrection – God’s grand plan to purchase our salvation. But it also means reaching down to a little man named Z., and offering forgiveness, seeking him out to save his soul.
Jesus’ mind was on His mission, never doubt. His mission is big enough for the whole world, for He did die on the cross for all who will accept Him. But His mission was not too big to care for one little soul, in a little insignificant town that he was passing through. And Jesus always takes the time to love you and minister to you, and offer you forgiveness and to offer you a new life. Yes you, little you in this little place in this little town. He loves you that much.
Just ask Zacchaeus.
