Sermon for 8/27/2006
Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man
Luke 19:1-10
Introduction:
Zacchaeus was a wee little man … Sing the song.
WBTU:
A. Jesus was often in the company of notorious sinners. (Luke 15:1 NIV) Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. (Luke 15:2 NIV) But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
B. Jesus did not have to go through Jericho. It was not directly on the way to Jerusalem. However, Jesus went through Jericho for two people. One of them was this man named Zacchaeus. Jesus would often go out of his way to be with certain people. How often do we do this?
Thesis: This sermon is brought to you by the letter “M.”
For instances:
1. The Man vs. 2-4
A. Vs. 2- A man named Zacchaeus. We know two things from his name. 1) He was Jewish. 2) He didn’t live up to his name of pure. Of course no one lives up to the name of pure, but in Zacchaeus case he did exactly the opposite of being pure. WE could imagine his parents at his birth looking at him and saying what a pure sight so they gave him the name of pure. However, Zacchaeus was a disgrace to his parents and to the nation of Israel.
B. Vs. 2- a chief tax collector. A tax collector in Jesus day was a traitor. The tax system in that day worked like this: The Romans would hire native Jews to be tax collectors; the Romans would require each tax collector to pay them a certain amount. The Romans did not pay the tax collectors; the tax collectors paid them for the right to tax in the name of Rome. Each tax collector paid for a certain section to tax and they would charge what the Romans wanted plus what the tax collector wanted. This system was effective because everyone was taxed but it was full of fraud. As a matter of fact, the whole thing was based on fraud. If someone thought the tax was too high, too bad. IF they didn’t pay what the tax collector asked, then they were put into jail. Also, Zacchaeus was good at it, he was a chief. In the mafia he would be called the godfather. In the drug world, he would be called the kingpin.
C. VS. 2- And he was rich. The only reason that someone would become a tax collector was because they loved money. Zacchaeus had to love money better than he loved his nation. He loved money better than he loved the respect of his city. He loved money better than he loved his own soul. He loved money better than he loved his God.
D. Vs. 3- He sought to see who Jesus was- He was curious about this Jesus. Curiosity can kill the cat, but if Zacchaeus had not been curious, he would not have bothered to go and see Jesus. But deeper than this, Zacchaeus was restless and disappointed. He had set out to get money and had succeeded. But he found that money had no power to satisfy the longings of the soul or to heal the hurts of the heart. Maybe he heard the stories about this Jesus, that he spent time with tax collectors. Maybe he heard the story about the tax collector Levi (Matthew), who was now one of Jesus’ disciples.
E. Vs. 3- Zacchaeus was frustrated in seeing Jesus. Zacchaeus didn’t get a good seat, and the crowd made sure of that. Zacchaeus was a wee little man. What did he do?
F. Vs. 4- If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Zacchaeus was not above doing something that a child would do. Zach and Zane are great at ingenuity. The other morning they ate all of the cookies. Zacchaeus was child like in his curiosity. (Luke 18:17 NIV) I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
2. The Meal vs. 5-8
A. Vs. 5- Jesus came to the place, looked up and saw Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was out of the way and probably wanted to stay out of the way.
B. There is an old saying: A man chases a woman until she catches him. When it comes to God, God chases us until he catches us. (Rom 3:11 NIV) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
C. God took the first step in that he sent his only begotten Son…
D. Here Jesus is taking the first step. It looks like Zacchaeus is chasing after God, but really it is Jesus who is chasing after Zacchaeus.
E. Vs. 5- Jesus calls him by name. Zacchaeus was an embarrassment and not a subject of conversation. Jesus Christ knows your name.
F. Vs. 5- Come down, for today I must stay at your house. This is the only place where we find that Jesus invites himself to someone’s house. Jesus is chasing Zacchaeus and he is going to catch him in his own house.
G. To go into someone’s house is to accept them. It is to take a step to be comfortable with each other. When we eat and enjoy each other in our own homes, this is a step of hospitality and friendship. Is Jesus comfortable in your home?
H. Bill Hybels has come out with a book called, “Just Walk across the Room.” I haven’t read it but the basic premise is that a friend of Hybels was at a party and he was talking with his friends. Off in a corner was a man all alone. This man left his circle of friends and went over and began a conversation with this man all alone. He invited him to meet his friends and thus began a friendship between these two. Over a period of time, this man who before was all alone was lead to Christ by this man who just walked across the room. Sometimes it is just that easy. Many times just being a friend to others is a far greater witness than answering all of their questions or overcoming their objections. IF we are friends with them, then many of these things will disappear anyway.
I. We are not told about a meal here but we know from this culture that a meal would be customary. We also know from the story of the tax collector Matthew, Matthew had a meal with Jesus. (Mat 9:9 NIV) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.(Mat 9:10 NIV) While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.
J. Took him home, vs. 6. Zacchaeus could have refused but joyful responds. I do not believe that they stayed in that crowd. Vs. 8- Zacchaeus stood. Vs. 9- to this house.
K. (John 14:23 NIV) Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
K. While they are on the way to his house and/ or while they are in Zacchaeus house, we have the complainers, the murmerors, the Pharisees. Vs. 7. We can understand their reaction; wouldn’t we react the same way?
L. The discussion. Vs. 8. We are not told what Zacchaeus and Jesus talked about. From other conversations of Jesus, I know that Jesus emphasized heart issues. I am sure that money came up, but Jesus got deeper than money.
M. The confession. Vs. 8- (James 5:16 NIV) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
3. The Money. Vs. 8
A. A teacher, when asked when a man should repent, said, “Repent on the last day of your lives.” And the students said, “But we do not know when that will be.” And the teacher said, “Then repent now.”
B. We see a demonstration of repentance. Give half of my goods to the poor. In the past Zacchaeus didn’t care about the poor. (Prov 14:31 NIV) He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
B. This is in contrast to the rich young ruler who went away sad, because he was very rich. Zacchaeus is willing to part with his money.
C. We see restitution. An admission of wrongdoing and a willingness to try to make it right- by false accusation, I will restore 4 times.
1) The decision of Christ to stay at a house- the house of Zacchaeus, or our houses- has the force to free us from our most entrenched bad habits.
3) The key to this tax collector’s salvation is relationship: relationship with the Lord and relationship with the people around him. To restore his relationship with those around him, he had to promise to stop his cheating ways and try to make things right.
4) When Christ comes into a life, there will be a desire to try to make things right for past wrongs.
5) Love Story: Love means never having to say you are sorry. What a crock!
6) Marriages are severely damaged by an unwillingness to admit wrong; so are a host of other relationships, either personal or professional. One of the most painful things we can do in a relationship is to commit a wrong and then pretend it never happened or did not do any damage.
7) Admitting wrong, asking for forgiveness, and trying to make restitution are essential for a fresh start.
8) Making restitution will give us opportunities to witness to those who knew us before we met Christ.
4. The Means of Escape (Salvation) vs. 9
A. Today salvation has come to this house. Was this said because Zacchaeus decided to give up his cheating ways or something more? According to this, we can give to the poor and stop our lying, cheating ways and then we have heaven. We are saved by our good deeds and righteous living. If this is the case, then we don’t need Christ.
B. The Bible tells us that we are saved by faith through grace for good works. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ not by our good works. However, if we don’t have good works then are we really saved?
C. He is a son of Abraham. Zacchaeus followed Abraham’s example of faith.
C. (James 2:17 NIV) in the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:18 NIV) But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:19 NIV) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. (James 2:20 NIV) You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (James 2:21 NIV) Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (James 2:22 NIV) You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
D. We do not repent of sins and do good deeds to earn heaven. We repent of sins and do good deeds because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We need a faith that works. It works against sin, against death, against hell and it also works for good deeds.
E. We also need to remember that Jesus Christ in this story has not gone to the cross yet. He will soon but not yet. On this side of the cross, we need to:
1) Believe.
2) Repent, demonstrated by Zacchaeus but we cannot do it on our own.
3) Confess, demonstrated by Zacchaeus but importantly the good confession.
4) Be baptized.
5) Live a life of surrender to Jesus Christ every day.
5. The Messiah Vs. 10
A. Alexander Maclaren- A church which does not address itself to the outcasts of society has no business to live; and that Christian people who are too proud of their righteousness to go amongst the unclean and the degraded are a great deal more of Pharisees than Christians.
B. Are we more like Vs. 10 or more like vs. 7?
C. There are many who don’t want our ministry but desperately need it. Zacchaeus was like the boy who got separated from his parents in a large shopping center. Security quickly located the child, and took him to an office while the frantic parents were paged over the public address. One of the security guards got a large ice cream cone for the boy, so when his parents arrived at the office, there was their little son happily eating his ice cream. Suddenly, as his parents embrace him, the child burst into tears. One of the security guards said, “Man, I guess he didn’t know he was lost until he was found!”
D. (Rev 3:20 NIV) 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.
