by Pastor John Stensrud
Immanuel Baptist Church
Elgin, Il
April 1, 2001
Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of ZACCHEUS; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "ZACCHEUS, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a ’sinner.’" 8 But ZACCHEUS 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." 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."
A man went for physical checkup and the nurse asked him how much he weighed. He held his stomach in and replied, "160 lbs." She got him on the scales, weighed him and said: "No, your weight is 166 lbs. The nurse then asked him how tall he was. Standing very straight he answered, "5 feet 10 inches." The nurse measured him and said, no - he was only 5’9". Then the nurse asked him what his normal blood pressure was. After looking at her for a moment he said, "How can you expect my blood pressure to be normal??? I came in here a tall, slender man and you have already made me short and fat."
“ZACCHEUS was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a Sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Master passed that way, he looked up in the tree. And He said "ZACCHEUS, you come down. For I’m going to your house today." How many of you have sung that song as a child? It’s a sweet little song. But you get the impression that ZACCHEUS was a sweet little man with 1 basic problem: he was short: too short to see Jesus. If that is your impression, it’s the farthest thing from the truth.
I’m going to tell you the main idea of our text right from the outset: It teaches us about what we must do in order to hear Jesus say to us "Today salvation has come to this house". As we look at story, we need to ask ourselves: "Have I done what is necessary?" "Has Jesus said these words to me?"
Let’s start with the setting of the story. The account of ZACCHEUS begins with Jesus coming to Jericho: You may remember Jericho from Sunday School as the city that Joshua and the Israelites marched around 7 times and then the walls came tumbling down. Just south of that O.T. city a new Jericho was built – it was a trade center, a prosperous city from an economic standpoint. Not unlike Elgin.
Jesus came to Jericho to see ZACCHEUS: In bible times persons were named either according to their character, the circumstances of their birth, a physical characteristic, or what a person did for a living. Esau was named “Red” because he was all hairy and the color of his hair was red. Nabel, who was Abigail’s husband, his name meant “fool.” And that name fit him like a “T” because he refused to feed David’s men and almost got his entire household killed. How would you like that name? “Hey, fool, what’s up?” I knew of a family in Wyoming whose last name was Outhouse. Maybe way back in time some guy built outhouses with the little crescent etched in the door and the name stuck. I think I would rather be called “fool.” Anyway, there was a meaning behind ZACCHEUS’ name: it meant “pure or righteous.” Nothing could have been farther from the truth.
ZACCHEUS was probably one of the most hated men in all the region of Jericho. Why? Was it because he was so short? No - although I don’t suppose that was an asset. Shortness made it easy for others to make fun of him, push him aside, or even ignore him. If you’ll pardon the pun, as far as others were concerned, ZACCHEUS just didn’t measure up. His shortness was a disadvantage - but that wasn’t why he was disliked. I believe the reason ZACCHEUS was disliked was that he had an attitude problem. I think ZACCHEUS had become an angry and bitter man because of the way people treated him. WHY ELSE would a man take a job with such a negative effect on his life. This man was a tax collector. Public sentiment towards tax collectors in Jesus’ day was that they were scum of the earth. In the Gospels, we’re told (no less than 8 X) that people complained about Jesus eating with the "tax collectors & sinners." It’s as if there were sinners… and then there was a special class of sinners called “tax collectors.” But ZACCHEUS was a chief tax collector. He was the Big Kahuna to boot. He was in a class all by himself.
Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were viewed as traitors. Men like ZACCHEUS betrayed people. ZACCHEUS didn’t work for the nation of Israel. He worked for the Romans. And the Romans were a hated people - occupiers of Israel… an arrogant & cruel people.
And, not only were tax collectors regarded as traitors, but they were also seen as thieves. The Romans demanded a tax from the Jews, which was bad enough, but they didn’t pay their tax collectors. Tax collectors made their living by adding an additional % on top of the Roman tax - and they usu. added whatever they thought the person could pay. A savvy tax collector could make very good money without having to worry about being fair. Why would ZACCHEUS take a job like this? Because nobody cared for him anyway. People mistreated and rejected him all of his life because of his height. AND God obviously didn’t care either. WHY ELSE would God create him a short man, an object of ridicule?
But ZACCHEUS took a certain consolation or comfort in his job as a chief tax collector. Now he was a BIG man. People feared him. Sure, people hated him, but they also feared him. He was a man of power & influence. AND, he was a rich man. He became rich because he made it a practice to real rip-off people that had mistreated him in the past. He was getting revenge for all the pain he’d been caused. ZACCHEUS had everything a man could possibly want: power, riches, control of his life & control of others. And these things; Power, riches, and control had blinded his spiritual eyes
And he’d built walls around himself designed to insulate himself from the insults and indignities of his past. On top of this, his profession required him to have continual contact with Romans – those hated Gentiles. This made him ceremonially unclean. That meant that he couldn’t go to the Temple and offer sacrifices. He was stripped of the privilege to worship God. Thus, he was effectively separated from his God.
ZACCHEUS suffered the double indignity that he was cut off from his people and from his God. Although Z was rich, he was still a lonely man. He was a man that people loved to hate. How many people here have ever watched Hogan’s Heroes? There was a man in that show that was just itching to arrest people and have them shot. Do you know whom I am talking about? It wasn’t Col. Klink – he was an incompetent nincompoop. It wasn’t Sgt. Schultz: he was naïve, gullible, kind of lovable, and had a weakness for fine food--like Apple Strudel. The man I am talking about is Major Hochstetter. He always wore a black uniform with a red armband and swastika. He was mean, nasty, and hateful – I suspect he was a lonely man because he was always hunting for people who were not totally loyal to the Furer: Even among his own people, the Germans.
ZACCHEUS and Major Hochstetter remind me of a song written in the 1960’s by Simon & Garfunkel called “I am a Rock.” The lyrics go like this:
"I’ve built walls - a fortress deep and mighty,
that none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship
friendship causes pain
It’s laughter and loving I disdain
I am a rock, I am an island
Don’t talk of love - I’ve heard the word before
It’s sleeping in my memory
I won’t disturb the slumber
of feelings that have died
If I never loved, I never would have cried
I am a rock, I am an island
I have my books and my poetry to protect me
I am shielded in my armor
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb,
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock, I am… an island
That’s how I picture ZACCHEUS - a rich, lonely, and isolated man who had everything… except what he really wanted. ZACCHEUS reminds me of another man that most of you know. How many people have watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” during Christmas season? Do you remember old man Potter. That penny-pinching, self-centered, hard-hearted, bitter old man. He is the perfect example of the old adage that “Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness” Christiana Onassis, the daughter of the Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis once said, "Happiness is not based on money, and the greatest proof of that is my family" She commmitted suicide shortly after making that statement.
Maybe now you have a flavor of the kind of person ZACCHEUS was. And then Jesus comes to town. Jesus had been preaching and teaching throughout Galilee, Samaria & Judea for the better part of 3 years. This was His 1st visit to Jericho. Now Jesus was a famous person. Everybody wants to see Him. Rumors have floated around town that this is a man who does miracles. He raises the dead, feeds thousands, heals the lame, the deaf and the demon possessed. And NOT ONLY THAT - when this man speaks it is like the voice of God Himself. Word has reached ZACCHEUS about Jesus. There’s something about Jesus that somehow strikes a hidden chord in his soul.
It’s been rumored that Jesus doesn’t care who you are, or what you look like or what you’ve done. Word has it that this Jesus has eaten with tax collectors. And they said that one of disciples had been one at one time – his name was Matthew. They even said (this was a good one) that Jesus had told the chief priests that tax collectors would make into heaven before they did (you can read it for yourself in Mat. 21:31). Maybe, just maybe - this Jesus could give him the acceptance that he’s craved all his life. And this may be his one & only chance to find out. Jesus might not come around again for a long time. So ZACCHEUS rushes to the street.
ZACCHEUS makes a bee line to the road in which Jesus was traveling through - but he can’t get through. Nobody likes him, nobody wants him there. You can see this short little man jumping up and down trying to see if Jesus has come by yet. Then… he sees that tree - a sycamore tree. Sycamore trees of that region were fig trees with wide branches that sprouted out from the trunk - close to the ground. They were easy, even for children, to climb.
One prerequisite that Jesus looks for in a man or woman is that they need to come to Jesus like a child. ZACCHEUS acted like a child. He wanted to see Jesus but being short he couldn’t. Children know what it’s like to try to watch a parade – they can’t see – The adults are too tall – they get in the way. Do you remember when you were a child and your parents took you to a parade and the streets were crowded with people, all taller than you were? Then dad hoists you up on his shoulders and you get a bird’s eye view. Or maybe some kind soul lets you sit in front.
But I don’t think anyone would have let ZACCHEUS in front of them. Neither is anyone going to allow this unclean sinner on their shoulders. So ZACCHEUS does something very strange and unusual. He runs and shimmys up a Sycamore tree. Now, in the middle east, not only was it unusual and undignified to see a grown man run, especially a government official; but he climbed a tree. How many people here over the age of 25 have climbed a tree in past year? Grown ups don’t do things like that, but ZACCHEUS did. Perhaps grownups have too many hang-ups and fears about what others think.
Another prerequisite that Jesus looks for is people who overcome their fear of the opinion of others to put their trust in Christ – it’s a humbling thing to do. I have also found that those who are lonely or rejected by others are often more open to Christ. When we look for those who may be open to gospel, look to those rejected by others, who are looked down on - those who are poor and struggling or rich and lonely. Often God creates needs in people so they will turn to Him – Maybe God has done that very thing to you but you have been bitter and angry at Him about a certain impediment that you have struggled with all your life. Have you ever considered that God may have allowed that so that you will turn to Him. Like ZACCHEUS The wee little man sitting in the Sycamore tree waiting to see Jesus.
Finally, along comes Jesus. The people are crowding around Him, trying to get His attention, touching His clothes, calling His name. And gentle and kindly man that He is, Jesus slowly makes His way through the crowd, speaking to people as He passes. And then he comes and stops at the base of the tree. He looks up - right at ZACCHEUS And then He says: "ZACCHEUS come down from that tree, I want to go and eat at your home." Jesus spoke to him…Jesus wanted to go to his house… Jesus had … accepted him. (pause)
Jesus said, "I must stay at your house today", not just to visit but to stay, to live with you and to abide within you. The third prerequisite outlined in our story is that to be saved a person must experience a personal relationship with Jesus. You do that by inviting Him into the most intimate place you have – in your heart. In the middle east, to invite someone into your home was an act of intimacy. Vs. 6 tells us that ZACCHEUS came down at once and welcomed him gladly. In the original language, the Greek word for “gladly” is better translated “with rejoicing.” ZACCHEUS practically fell out of that tree and rejoiced that Jesus knew his name and wanted to be with him. Have you welcomed Jesus gladly as ZACCHEUS did? Jesus knows your name, and He has come to you as you are and He wants to abide in your heart. Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Why does Jesus say He will come in and eat. Because In the middle east, sharing a meal is the most intimate thing you can do with a friend. It is a metaphor for Christ coming in our hearts, for Jesus to be our best friend, for the Messiah to be our Lord and Savior.
For ZACCHEUS this is undoubtedly the 1st time for a long time anyone has wanted to eat at his house. But notice in vs. 7 the reaction of the people on that road. “All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a ’sinner.’ In the original language the word for “mutter” is more correctly translated “complained” or “grumbled.” The Greek word for mutter, die-gong-uzo is only used 2x in the N.T. The other time it is used is in Luke 15, vs. 2 “The Pharisees and the teachers of the law complained or grumbled, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
What does this tell us? That you don’t need to be a Pharisee to act like one. Jesus opposed the Pharisees because they were convinced of their own righteousness and were sure that they were the privileged ones who had a special spiritual insight—they could perceive true religion and others were blind. Are we like the Pharisees and “all the people” along that road in Jericho who complained about Jesus talking to ZACCHEUS because Jesus loves the sinner? He loves people that we love to hate. There are certain people, maybe certain groups of people we don’t particularly care for. Maybe we don’t hate them, but they’re nothing like us and because of that we don’t feel comfortable in their presence.
Take Jane Fonda. You may remember her as Hanoi Jane. She posed with North Vietnamese soldiers for a photographer during the Vietnam War and was a traitor to her country. I am a veteran and was outraged by her actions. I could not stand Jane Fonda. Well, guess what? Jane Fonda has become a born-again Christian and she is now a sister in Christ.
We see all around us people either we don’t like or people we don’t understand or feel comfortable with. It seems that certain groups of people are popping up and taking over our nation. Take people from India, for example. It seems that they have taken over the convenience store industry. You go to Dunkin’ Donuts and chances are a man with an Indian accent will ask you if you like French Crullers or a chocolate-filled éclair. If you need a psychiatrist, chances are good that the person who shrinks your brain hails from Bombay, Madras, or Calcutta.
Take young people nowadays. They don’t understand the value of a dollar. They are neck-deep in debt when we waited until we could pay cash for the things we wanted. We used to walk 5 miles in the snow just to get to school. Generation X lives 2 blocks from school and drives a new car to school every day, rain or shine.
I am taking the liberty of exaggeration to drive home the point that we are all God’s children and we need to build bridges to all peoples to win them to Christ.
Jesus won over ZACCHEUS by building a bridge to his lonely heart. Notice then how ZACCHEUS responded once someone for the 1st time in his life cared for him. Suddenly ZACCHEUS is struck by the poverty of his soul… by the shabbiness of his life of selfishness & pettiness. Here’s this holy man of God - eating at the home of sinful and self-centered man. And it’s like he’s wearing filthy garments in the presence of this God Himself. ZACCHEUS feels like his soul needs to be washed clean of the wickedness he’s permitted to be there for so long.
And so he says: "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." According to the Jewish law, a thief was required not only to return what was stolen but to repay an additional 20% of the value on top of that. ZACCHEUS was not only willing to pay back what he’d taken, BUT he was willing to repay an additional 300%. Impressed by his repentance, Jesus told him: "Today salvation has come to this house" (vs 9)
We need to repent, to see what we have done wrong and to do something about it. That is what Lenten season is all about. To have Christ live in us means that we start looking at life in a whole new way. We see what we have done wrong and we get rid of our sin and that which comes from our sin. We make things right with those who we have wronged. We desire to start with a clean slate.
What does the story of ZACCHEUS tell us? It tells us there are people in this world that are hurting. And they are often men and women that behave in ways that aren’t particularly endearing. They are hard people to get along with. Inside, they are people who’ve built walls around themselves. Walls laced with barbed wire. They’re often NOT nice people. AND they know that being like this isn’t right… They’re afraid that if they let down the walls, if they are nice to someone for even a moment - they’ll get hurt and lose the protection that has for so long comforted them. Their walls are up and they know of nothing better for their lives…That is, until Jesus comes.
By application we can look at this story in one of two ways. ZACCHEUS was a small man but he teaches us a two big lessons. First of all, his life forces us to ask ourselves, “has salvation come to our house?” What about you? Do you desire to see Jesus but afraid what people will think? Are you not willing to give up certain things in life? ZACCHEUS would rather have Jesus than his silver or gold.
Jesus came looking for ZACCHEUS He knew where he lived. He knew the turmoil in his heart. Jesus had never been to Jericho before, but when he got there, he walked right up to the tree that held ZACCHEUS AND, he called him by name. As far we can tell, this is the ONLY thing Jesus did in Jericho. Jesus came to Jericho for one person – ZACCHEUS He came to make a difference in the life a man who was small, petty and bitter. A kind of person you would love to hate. If Jesus would go to all that trouble for a man like ZACCHEUS, wouldn’t he do the same for your life? The rich young ruler in the previous chapter, Luke 18, seemed a more likely candidate for salvation, but yet ZACCHEUS, a rich chief tax collector was the one granted salvation. Salvation is God’s free gift through Jesus Christ. Salvation is free because there is nothing to be found in us, there was nothing to be found in Z, that could in any way induce God to be merciful. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is the sole source of our finding favor in God’s sight. This story of ZACCHEUS shows us that there is not a single obstacle that the Lord cannot overcome in saving you.
Secondly, what about that so-and-so that rubs you the wrong way, or that group of people that leaves you cold. If you look around, you will find the strangest and most unlikely people up in that proverbial tree as we stand in the crowd dumbfounded by their childishness, their lack of care about what others think of them, and their willingness to invite Jesus into the most intimate part of their being. Will we accept them? Will we seek to build bridges to them? Are we willing to be Jesus to them? We may be the only ambassador of Christ that they will ever see.
