Jesus was passing through Jericho from the area of Jordan to Bethany near Jerusalem. He was on his way to raise Lazarus back to life. It was an important journey that he was undertaking but as he was going to perform this great miracle he still found time to deal with other people and their issues and needs and wants. The need that was going to delay him for a while was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector.
The Jews, as decreed by Roman law, had to pay taxes, which resulted in them having to hand over much of their wealth and income to support a regime, which they disapproved of. Tax collectors or publicans were usually Jewish and so they were hated by their own people and not cared for by the Romans. As they collected taxes for Rome they would turn over the required amount of money, and whatever they could add on for themselves is what they kept. They were known to be extortionists; they took large sums of money through unscrupulous means.
Because tax collectors were in a relationship with Rome, they were classed as Gentiles in the eyes of the Jews, and were hated for their domination and dishonesty.
They were treated as the worst kind of sinners going, as they were sinning through choice and not ignorance. They were classed as untouchables, people to be shunned at all cost. Some other occupations that were classed as sinners were barbers, tanners, shepherds; they were all immoral jobs but at the top of this list were tax collectors.
Jesus, however, showed great compassion to the tax collectors, as he did with other sinners, he even dined with them, which in Israel was a sign of fellowship. This was an act that surprised the crowds that were around Jesus. They found it very hard to understand how this man from God could socialise with the outcasts of society.
Zacchaeus was not just an ordinary tax collector; he was a chief tax collector, who would have employed other tax collectors. He came from Jericho, which was an important town in the Jordan valley.
It comprised of a new and old town section. It was a rich and important town and a gateway to Jerusalem. Here there were date palm forests and Balsam groves along with fields full of roses. Dates and balsam were exported from this busy town to all regions of the Roman Empire. This rich trade centre was one of the greatest taxation centres in Palestine.
Zacchaeus was probably responsible for collecting the tolls on goods coming into Judea from Perea an area to the east of the river Jordan and north of the Dead Sea. His taxation business had made him very rich indeed. He was a small man but he was also a lonely man, his occupation had made him this way. But he was also a curious man who wanted to get a better look at this man called Jesus, this Holy man from God, who he had heard so much about. So he ran ahead until he was clear of the crowd and then he scrambled up into a sycamore fig tree, which grows to around 40ft high by 18 ft wide. It had sprawling lower branches so was easy to climb. But it was also a tree that was considered unclean as its fruit were fed to pigs. But what was it that made him react in this way, what had moved him to crave a glimpse of Jesus? Perhaps it was God at work in Zacchaeus’ heart without him knowing anything about it, which John Wesley would describe as prevenient grace. When Jesus reached the tree where Zacchaeus was he called to him to come down as he wanted to stay with him. Zacchaeus was so moved by what Jesus said to him and moved that Jesus should care so much about him, a sinner that he should want to have fellowship with him, that he immediately repented and offered restitution to the people of Jericho.
Today I would like to take a little time to consider three short points about this story:
No one is beyond repentance and redemption
Our Master actively seeks the lost in order to save them.
Our ministry may require a boldness that calls on us to invite ourselves into the lives of people.
No one is beyond repentance and redemption
As can be seen from our story with Zacchaeus and in many other places in the bible, Jesus socialises with sinners and the outcastes in society. But not only does he socialise with them he calls them through kindness and compassion to repent and be his friend and his disciples. I have already mentioned how Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus. But you know he was taking a bit of a risk in trying to see him. Here was this small man, a man without friends, amongst a big crowd of people. He was eager to see Jesus, a man whose reputation had gone before him. His heart seemed to be on fire but he was taking a risk as he acted in this way. Here he was in the midst of a jostling crowd. He would have been well known and many would have taken their golden opportunity to settle scores and grudges that they held against him. You can almost imagine their mutterings “Look there he is that’s the one that swindled me out of my money. I owe him one you get one side and I’ll get the other side and we will give him a push and a shove, we’ll sort him out and pay him back” But on the road side our chief tax collector was about to experience a sudden conversion. So sudden would his conversion be that it would move him to give back money that he had acquired. Sudden conversions can be seen elsewhere in the bible. Other people who had a great and sudden conversion experience were Saul of Tarsus. He was thrown to the ground and Saul became Paul. He changed from persecuting Christians to promoting them. In Acts 16:23-34 we see how Paul and Silas are in prison and are praying and singing hymns when there is an earthquake and the doors fly open and the prisoners chains fall off the gaoler is about to kill himself as he thinks they have all escaped only to be stopped by Paul as they have remain there. He is moved and an immediate conversion of the gaoler takes place along with all within his household and the list goes on. All sorts of people are called by God and there are no exceptions to this call. No longer does God require elaborate sin offerings from us, it no longer pleases him to have burnt offerings. The death of Jesus was the start of a new covenant where the confession and repentance of our sin was sufficient.
This to me is a sign of great hope to know that if we get it wrong Jesus is prepared to give us a chance, he allows us to show our worth. We first need to recognise our faults, confess them to God and then receive his mercy, forgiveness and grace. No one is beyond repentance and redemption. In our reading from Isaiah we find encouraging words in verse 16-18. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Our Master actively seeks the lost in order to save them.
I am curious about how Jesus appeared to know Zacchaeus by name. Was the crowd chanting his name, did Jesus over hear his name being called or was it his holy being that enabled him to know, I suppose we will never know the answer to this question.
But one thing we do know is that he called out to Zacchaeus. He said “Zacchaeus come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.' So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly."
Here Jesus shows how his unconditional love for all is freely given he also shows that he will always go after the one that is lost, the one that is a sinner, and the one that may feel there is no hope for them or those that have moved so far away from God that they are difficult to see. These people are always of interest to our Lord. It doesn’t matter which or how many trees we climb we will never be able to escape from the view of God. But who do we consider to be the lost of today?
We tend to think immediately of the criminals – thieves, murderers, but what about those who are atheists, those who once had a faith but have lost it or those who have never come into contact with anyone associated with the church and have no knowledge of who or what God is. It is all of those who do not have a relationship with God. God created us so that we could have a fellowship him and with each other and to worship him. We that are here today have that wonderful relationship with God, we know Jesus and through him we know God. We have been saved and have freely given our lives to God and we have a relationship with him. God has given us all the choice to accept him or to live our lives without him. We are like a person who is drowning that is thrown a life buoy; we have the choice to take hold of it and be saved or to ignore it and be drowned. One means life and the other means death. We have that choice in Christ; eternal life or death. Isn't it wonderful that Jesus takes our shame upon himself willingly, waiting, and hoping that we will understand and repent. What grace! What mercy! What love and how it changes people. Jesus' love changes us. Our love for others can bring change in those who are far removed from the presence of God because our Master actively seeks the lost in order to save them.
Our ministry may require a boldness that calls on us to invite ourselves into the lives of people.
I used to find it very hard to reach out to others and discuss issues of faith with people who had no faith or with people I didn’t know. Perhaps you may also have had similar difficulties in this area. I believe that I may have been like this because I was not confident in what I was saying, I doubted my ability or I was just simply scared to step out in faith and do it. When Jesus called out to Zacchaeus he was reaching out in love to him. He was bold in how he talked to him and those that were around Jesus heard as he invited himself to stay at Zacchaeus’ home. When Jesus reached out to him we see many things that speak to us. Jesus showed to everyone that no matter what someone has done he still cares for them enough to invite them into a personal relationship with him. Neither is he scared of what people think about who he mixes with. But Zacchaeus’ reaction was to change and that change was immediate and also it was an inward change but was shown by outward actions.
It is not enough to follow Jesus in our hearts and heads we have to show our faith by changing our behaviour. The behaviour that Zacchaeus displayed was one of great remorse. Immediately he gave away half of his possessions to the poor and offered to pay back anyone who he had cheated by four times the amount. This was a display of great repentance.
In the times of this event if someone had committed a robbery he was expected to pay back what he had taken with an additional 1/5th of what he had obtained so what Zacchaeus was proposing was far in excess of what his crimes of extortion required. .
Some of the people who need our prayers and love are in our churches, in our towns and villages, at our work place, in our schools -- hurting people, whose lives are messed up and who need Jesus' mercy and grace.
These people need our willingness to love them rather than judge them, our willingness to go out of our way to extend ourselves in love to them. I see these people day after day in my custody suite. Some of these people try to hurt themselves in any way that they can.
They cut their arms and wrists, they take solace in alcohol and drugs and they are desperate for attention and for others to notice them.
They are involved in a never-ending cycle of alcohol and drugs, which they seem unable to escape. In my position I have a great and unique opportunity to take time to be with these people and I am surprised at how many of them respond to me and are prepared to hear about God and welcome words of comfort in the news about how Christ cares for everyone, even them. Also how they are willing to accept a Gideon’s bible when I offer it to them. When people are in need they are prepared to listen. We all have the opportunity at some time or other to have these conversations with people we meet. The circumstances may not present themselves to you as they do to me simply because of the work that I do, but at one time or another we may find opportunities coming before us. It may be a neighbour that is going through a hard time or a friend who is ill. The way to broach the issues is to simply ask “would you like me to pray for you” and then let the Holy Spirit open other doors for you in the conversation that you have with them.
So as Disciples of Christ what can we take away with us today from Zacchaeus’ conversion?
No one is beyond redemption and repentance, even those who commit the most terrible sin. They are all capable of sensing Jesus' love for them. Jesus’ love changes people and the acceptance and openness which Jesus had must become our way too. As disciples we must not be overly concerned about tarnishing our reputations. Yes, we need to be wise and discrete and avoid evil ways but we must not be more concerned about ourselves than we are for the lost. We also need to be willing to take the shame of their sin upon us so that we might bring Jesus' love to all. Our Master's mission is active, not passive. He doesn't wait for people to come to him. He actively seeks the lost in order to save them. God can give us both natural and supernatural insights into people so that we might help them. Our ministry to others may require boldness, a courage that calls on us to invite ourselves for dinner if that is what is required and to speak of Christ to others. Disciples of Jesus are no longer enamoured with money, but with Jesus and his righteousness.
Jesus is the Great Shepherd, relentlessly seeking and relentlessly saving one lost person after another. And you and I are his assistants, his disciples, his co-workers. His mission is our mission. His sorrows are our sorrows. And the joy in Jesus eyes as he watches an enthusiastic, short sinner, scramble down from a tree and be changed in an instant from a sinner to a saint -- that joy, too, is ours to share. Let us pray:
Jesus, as we read about Zacchaeus, we think of our own selfishness. Sometimes we are impatient with people, despairing of people for whom you died. Forgive us for our lack of vision. Help us to see you at work in people around us.
Help us to be willing to risk whatever reputation we have to join in your search and rescue campaign. We long to see your salvation shine more brightly through us. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
