There are people in this world who just never fit in, who never find a place, who never get invited. Charlie brown for instance. Here’s a typical scene from his life:
Charlie Brown is walking along when he approaches two girls. One of them says, “Well, what are you doing here?” Then both girls fire away at him with a verbal barrage, “Go on home! We don’t want you around here! Who asked you to come by in the first place? Nobody! Go on home!”
With head hanging low and a dark cloud over his head, the little boy trudges away. One girl said to the other, “You know, it’s a strange thing about Charlie Brown – you almost never see him laugh!”
Charlie is as popular as gophers in a garden. He is a model pariah, that is, a reject by society. Have you ever felt like that?
• Have you ever felt like the low man on the totem pole?
• Have you ever felt like an onion in a petunia patch or vice versa?
• Have you ever felt like you’re playing left out in the baseball game?
Then you know how Zaccheus felt every day of his life. He was disliked, despised, shunned, and just made unwelcome.
But here’s an event in his life that brings hope to all of those who feel like nobody cares or even likes us. Let’s read about that event as it unfolds in the life of Zaccheus. It turns out that for a little guy, he was a pretty big man.
“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. ‘For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’" Luke 19:1-10 (NASB).
When you think about it, “For a little guy, he was a pretty big man.”
I. ZACCHEUS WAS EXCLUDED:
A. He was an odious, tax collecting, turn coat traitor! Nobody liked him.
1. “Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.” And the crowd intentionally elbowed him out, but he didn’t let that stop him; he was too big a man to sulk and whine.
2. When they saw Jesus going with Zaccheus, the crowd scorned Him, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
B. Who could blame them? There is not a lower bottom feeder than a crook who will take advantage of others by hook or crook, con or scam.
1. Tax collectors were notorious for gouging as much as they could beyond Rome’s tax requirement and they were rich in the midst of poverty.
2. And, moreover, they were traitors serving as agents of the Roman oppressors.
C. Strange, isn’t it, that God would accept the dregs of society who were rejected by the ones enjoying societal status.
1. Note His gracious forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery.
2. Recall His kindness to lepers forsaken by friend and family.
3. Don’t overlook His gentle approach to the Samaritan woman at the well.
4. And how could I ever forget how He accepted me?
D. Have you ever been excluded?
1. Dropped by a long time friend?
2. Shunned by a neighbor?
3. Cut from the team roster?
4. Rejected by someone you thought you could trust?
E. The story is told about about a little boy who got sprayed by a skunk. His parents nearly scrubbed the skin off him but they could not get rid of the odor. So for a couple of days, he had to sleep in the barn and eat his meals outside the house.
He could see his family inside the house eating at the table, laughing and talking. When it got dark he sat in the yard and watched through the window as Pa read a story to the other kids and watched his Ma tuck the others in bed. It broke his heart to be excluded, on the outside looking in.
If you have felt, or could feel, the pain of exclusion, you would understand what Zaccheus felt as he sat up in the tree. If he had fallen out and broken his neck, none of that crowd would care. But, Jesus was coming by and Zaccheus found acceptance. So, let me assure you Jesus will not ever exclude, cast out, dismiss or shun you. But though excluded by the people,
II. ZACCHEUS WAS ENTHUSIASTIC:
A. “Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. They wouldn’t break rank to let him through, so he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.”
1. Envision this little fellow, dignity cast aside, robe flapping in the wind, sandals slapping the ground because he was enthusiastic about seeing Jesus.
2. Little did he know something even better than just seeing Jesus was in the offing for him.
B. He would not let a little thing like rejection hinder his seeing Jesus. For a little guy, he was a pretty big man.
1. His enthusiasm made him determined.
2. His determination made him act.
3. His action caught Jesus’ attention.
4. Catching Jesus’ attention led to a relationship.
5. A relationship with Jesus always changes us.
6. When He changes us it is always an improvement.
C. What enthuses you?
1. The thought of something new? A new car, a new house, a new wardrobe?
2. The thought of completing something? High school, college, a project, remodeling your house, chemo?
3. The thought that the God of creation knows you by name, knows your sin and loss you all the same?
D. Are you enthusiastic about Jesus?
1. I don’t mean enthusiastic like a cheerleader on steroids or like a sports fan who paints his body and goes berserk, or like a radical who incites mob mentality and riots.
2. To be enthusiastic means to be actively supportive, to be intense and eager in approval.
E. I knew a girl in The Dalles who was lukewarm in her Christian commitment. That was manifest because her attendance was spasmodic, and her participation in events was lacking, unless there were no secular events to distract her.
We were discussing her Christian life and the need for full commitment and participation. She said, “Well I believe in Jesus and I want to be a Christian, but I don’t want to go whole hog about it.” She was not enthusiastic about Jesus.
This little guy was whole hearted and whole hog big in enthusiasm. And in addition:
III. ZACCHEUS WAS EXTRAVAGANT:
A. “”Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.’” For a little guy, he was a pretty big man.
1. He promise half of what he possessed.
2. He had certainly defrauded people, but now he would give 400% in restitution.
3. He might have been a leech bleeding the people, but now he was going to give them a transfusion.
4. Whereas he had been running a skimming operation, now He was working his own stimulus program.
B. He took big and gave bigger; he ripped off without concern for mercy and poured on without concern for measure.
C. And talk about extravagance:
1. Recall the widow in Mark’s Gospel, where we read, “And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.’" Mark 12:41-44 (NASB).
2. In 2 Corinthians chapter 8 worried about the Macedonian Christians, about whom Paul wrote, “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NASB).
3. Mary, who broke a jar of very expensive perfume just to anoint Jesus’ feet.
4. Extravagance is measured not just by how much we give, but by how much we give in contrast with what we have or what we keep.
D. Many are hesitant to bring a full tithe, which is 10% of income, because they have not fully trusted in God to provide their needs. But:
1. “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever." 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 (NASB).
2. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." Luke 6:38 (NASB).
3. “He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9 (NASB).
4. “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.” Proverbs 19:17 (NASB).
E. R.G. LeTourneau is an example of extravagance. He came from humble beginnings and had a 7th grade education. But he taught himself engineering and eventually built a manufacturing empire.
The decision to give away 90 percent of his personal income and stock in the company was the result of a previous decision--made when he was 30 and deeply in debt--to make God His business partner.
He attended a revival meeting at church and surrendered his life to Christ. Thinking he was headed to the mission field, he sought guidance from his pastor. After praying together, his pastor said, "You know Brother LeTourneau, God needs businessmen as well as preachers and missionaries." LeTourneau responded, "All right, if that's what God wants me to be, I'll try to be His businessman."
LeTourneau took his business partnership with God seriously so when financial success came years later, he believed this made him a debtor to God as well as his business partner.
His commitment to give away so much of his wealth was not a flash of generosity as much as a lifetime practice based on his earlier decision to make God his business partner.”
If you have been excluded, come to Him and you will find welcome. If you are enthusiastic about anything, be enthusiastic about Christ. If you are extravagant, be so for Jesus.
Though Zaccheus came out of that tree, still a sinner, still a traitor, still a crook, and still a reject he came at Jesus urging and found acceptance and a changed life. You can, too, so come to Him just as you are and He will make the alterations He deems necessary.
