Lk. 19.1-10 “When Wee Encounters Grace”
1. A friend of mine interviewed recently at a medium sized church. At the close of the service, after he had preached, he stood by the back door to greet the people as they left. One by one they passed by him, many with a nod, or a smile, or a good message. However, one lady that shook my friends hand looked at him and said, “that was the poorest sermon I’ve ever heard.” Shocked my friend didn’t know how to respond so he just shook her hand and smiled back. A few minutes later, however, she came to him again and she said, “that was the poorest sermon I’ve ever heard and you didn’t even preach it well.” Once again, he was at a loss about what to say so he shook her hand and tried to smile. The line was almost through when he looked up and sure enough there she was again. He wondered, what could she possibly have to say now?” When she greeted him this time, she said, “that was the poorest sermon I’ve ever heard, you didn’t preach it well, and if they call you to be the new pastor, I’m never coming back.” As the church board secretary was walking my friend down to the fellowship hall, the question of how friendly the people were came up and my friend said, “you know there was a woman who greeted me three different times.” “Oh,” the church board secretary said, “you don’t have to worry about her. She just goes around repeating what she hears everyone else saying.”
2. Do you have your Bibles with you this morning? I have a quick question as you are getting them ready. How many of you when you saw this title thought, “What’s wrong with this guy? Doesn’t he know how to speak proper English?” I do actually. And I think at the end of this message, you’ll know what I mean. But I need your help this morning. There’s a song I learned as a kid in Sunday School and I’ve asked the worship leader if she will help us this morning by reminding us of what it is. [Sing Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man].
3. Turn with me in your Bibles this morning to Luke 19.1-10 as we read the story of Zacheus together. [Read text]
4. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever given thought to the person of Zachaeus, to what he looked like or what he must have been like but I have wondered about that and in my mind’s eye, I have a character developed that I’d like to share with you this morning.
5. The song we sang said [sing song], and the scripture says that Zacchaeus was too short to see over the crowd. And in my mind’s eye, I imagine Zacchaeus was born short. But that was only the start of his problems. You see, not only was Zacchaeus born short, he stayed short. He was the smallest kid in his kindergarten class and all through elementary the kids made fun of him. Keep away was their favorite game and he never could quite jump up high enough to get whatever item they had stolen from him. He would get so mad he would start to cry and they would make fun of him and call him Zachweus. Kids can be cruel you know.
6. It didn’t get any better in junior high either. He grew alright but so did all of his classmates. So on a regular basis, he was stuffed into a locker, or trashcan or just pushed aside, the books knocked out of his hand. He was constantly picked on and made fun of because he was so short. He learned a little bit how to defend himself but it was never quite enough. The kids only got more cruel as they grew up.
7. High school was more of the same and then it was college. He was a smart kid but still a short kid and still the brunt of the jokes of some people. He did find one or two friends in college but no one he ever felt he could really trust. He was alone and bitter and angry. It was on one of those days that he happened past the career board at college where he saw this listing, “Tax collectors wanted. Collect for us, keep the rest.” And he knew what his calling was going to be. If he couldn’t get back physically at those who hurt him, he would get back at them financially. And that’s what he did. He dug into their pockets. All of his childhood classmates. All those who called him Zachweus. All of those who ever made fun of him or put him into a locker. All of those who had made his life a nightmare, he had his chance to get back at them. He had his chance to settle the score, finally. And he took full advantage of it.
8. But here’s the thing. It didn’t make him any happier. He had become rich working for the IRS but he still wasn’t happy. He had been able to take advantage of the people who had abused him and made fun of him and called him names but he still wasn’t satisfied. He was still full of anger and bitterness and resentment and he was still feeling distant from God.
9. And the Zacchaeus I picture in my mind’s eye is not only a wee little man, he’s not only short, but his heart is so full of brokenness that he walks like a broken man. He leans forward a bit. He avoids eye contact with anyone around because he knows the truth, he has no friends, and he looks at his feet. Always looking down, afraid of what anyone might say. Chained to his anger and bitterness and his selfishness and his sinfulness. Not only is Zacchaeus as I see him short, he is bound up. He is in chains.
10. But one day, this man hears a rumor. It’s spreading quickly around the community. Jesus, the one the people have heard so much about is coming here. Coming to this city. Coming to this place. And Zacchaeus has heard enough about this man that just like all the others his curiosity is piqued. He wonders if this man is really as special as the rumors say that He is. And critical, bitter, angry Zacchaeus goes out with everyone else but finds once again that his height coupled with his spiritual bondage is getting in the way of his ability to see Jesus. So he does something about it.
11. He climbs into a Sycamore tree. Now the sycamore tree was one whose branches were low to the ground which would make it easy to climb but it is also a tree with a great deal of leaves which would also make it easy to hide. So they sycamore tree fits Zacchaeus. He can climb into it and at the same time, with the crowd and everyone else, he can hide in the branches, close enough to see and hidden enough to not be seen. It’s a perfect place for a short, angry, bitter man, who lives his life in bondage to hide.
12. But this is Jesus we’re talking about. And Jesus stops. Right beside the sycamore tree where Zacchaeus was. Maybe Jesus even sat on one of the lower branches, resting, dusting His feet off, removing a pebble from His sandle. And He almost nonchalantly says, “Hey Zaccheaus, come on down. I want to come to your house. I want to be your guest.”
13. Now you understand, this had never happened for Zacchaeus before. No one ever wanted to stay with him. No one ever chose his house to visit. No one ever wanted to be with him. And though he had tried to hide, had never met Jesus before, Jesus had called him by name and invited himself over to Zacchaeus’ home.
14. And everyone there surrounding said, “Yeah. That’s great. That’s wonderful. That’s the best thing that ever happened. So glad Jesus chose Zacchaeus’ house to go to.” Right? Wrong. The people who were there, who had also come to see Jesus were upset with His choice. Jesus went to stay with Zacchaeus. Luke tells us they were displeased. So many well deserving people who should have been able to have Him in their homes and He goes to this no good sinner’s house. He goes to the home of the one who has been robbing them. He goes to the home of the one no one likes. The one no one trusts. He goes to the home of the worst sinner in the community. Out of all of the options He had, in their opinion, His decision was the worst. And absolutely no one liked it.
15. Well, there is one who did. His name, Zacchaeus. Jesus, this one whom he has heard so much about wants to go to his home. No one had ever wanted to go to his home before, but now Jesus does. Zacchaeus doesn’t waste any time. He gets out of that tree as fast as he possibly can.
16. And Zacchaeus is completely and totally changed by Jesus’ visit. Zacchaeus repents and determines to give half of what he has to the poor and to repay up to four times whoever he has robbed. And that day, Zacchaeus’ physical attribute of being a “wee little man” wasn’t changed, but he was a big man in his heart. You see, that’s what happens “When Wee Encounters Grace”. Lives who encounter grace become radically and drastically changed.
17. In meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus met grace. And grace changed Zacchaeus. No longer was he angry, or vengeful. He didn’t desire to see others suffer or try to get back at them for what they had done to him. Jesus says it, “Salvation has come to this home today.” And that’s what happens when a wee little man encounters the gigantic grace of God.
18. This morning, I want to ask, where do you find yourself? Are you like Zacchaeus? Are you living with anger and bitterness, envy and jealousy? Do you feel like no one really cares about you or that no one really understands how you feel? Do you feel like a wee little man or a wee little woman today?
19. Or do you find yourself in the group of people upset that Jesus would rather go to the home of a Zacchaeus than come to your house? Those who were displeased that Jesus chose to go to Zacchaeus’ home weren’t aware that His goal wasn’t to find the cleanest home in all of Jericho, but that His desire was to seek and to save those who are lost. And those who got upset that He went to the home of that dirty sinner, didn’t have eyes like Christ had. This morning, for those of us who have encountered grace, and had salvation come to our home, do you and I have eyes like Christ? Eyes that look beyond the sin and the filfth and the dishonesty and the perversion in order to see that the wees of this world encounter God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.
20. Closing Hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin.”
