St. John's: Luke 19:1-10: Be Kind

Introduction

Swatch watch stolen… Very unkind…

You know what it’s like to be treated with unkindness - hurtful words, gossip, being made fun of.

You know what it’s like to be treated with kindness. To be helped by someone when no one else helps you. To be encouraged and uplifted.

If you’re a Christian, kindness not something you show from time to time, it’s a way of life.

A kind person says to people: I’m going to be for you instead of against you.

You are a child of God because of the kindness of God (Ephesians 2:7). The kindness of God leads to repentance (Romans 2:4).

Christ-centered kindness has the potential to change lives.

Luke 19: A life transformed because of the kindness of Jesus.

Two simple truths to help you grow in kindness.

A kind person looks past what everyone else looks at.

A story about unkind people.

Nobody liked Zaccheus because Zaccheus was unkind. He was a traitor - an Israelite who worked for Rome and not took advantage of his own people. Instead of fighting against Rome, people like Zacchaeus were helping Rome!

Zaccheus got rich off of his own people. He was unkind, and because he was unkind, people were unkind to him. No one liked him.

Zaccheus was rich, but having everything you want doesn’t matter when no one likes you. I imagine his own momma told him not to come home for family gatherings. She was ashamed of him. Not a good thing when your momma doesn’t like you...

Zaccheus had everything, but he had nothing. No one cared about him. Ever feel that way?

Zaccheus heard Jesus was coming. Zaccheus knew about Jesus. He knew that Jesus was kind. He had heard of how Jesus spent time with people like tax collectors. Zach probably knew about Levi, the former tax collector who was one of the twelve disciples.

Zach had to know more. Heard Jesus was passing by. A crowd gathered to see Jesus. Zach was like me… short. He was jumping but couldn’t see over the crowd.

He ran ahead of the crowd and found a tree - started climbing. The richest, shortest man in town climbing a tree to see Jesus. A grown man climbing a tree - not a sight you saw every day.

I don’t know what Zaccheus expected to happen when Jesus passed by. Maybe he just wanted to lay eyes on Jesus. Maybe he thought Jesus would at least be nice to him and smile or wave at him.

Imagine Zaccheus screaming as Jesus passed… “Hey Jesus! Up here!”

Zaccheus couldn’t have expected what happened. Jesus wasn’t simply nice to Jesus… He didn’t politely look up at Zaccheus in the tree and say, “Hey, how are you?” Jesus was kind… He said Zaccheus’ name.

“Zaccheus...” Jesus knew Zach’s name. Everyone else tried to forget Zach’s name. Zach had caused so many people so much hurt and financial devastation. Everyone cringed when they heard the name Zaccheus.

Jesus didn’t want to forget Zach’s name. He wanted Zach to know that He knew his name. He wanted Zach to know that He wanted to know him. “Come out of that tree. I’m going to your house today.”

Immediate scandal. Shock. People complained. “Doesn’t Jesus know who Zaccheus is? He’s a tax collector. A traitor. A sinner...”

The scorn that Zaccheus had experienced over the years now directed at Jesus. “How could He?” All of a sudden, the focus and scorn was taken off of Zaccheus and put on Jesus. In that moment, people weren’t complaining about Zaccheus, they were complaining about Jesus. Jesus gladly took the scorn for Zaccheus. He would take Zach’s scorn upon Himself again some time later when He went to the cross.

“Jesus is a hypocrite. What does He think he’s doing?” Jesus didn’t care about the unkind things people said about Him. He cared about Zaccheus.

Jesus did something we have a hard time doing: He looked past what everyone else looked at: labels, stereotypes, sins, shortcomings, failures, hurts, etc. and endured pain and insults for someone else.

Everyone else looked at Zaccheus and saw a sinner, a traitor, an extortionist, etc. Jesus saw a man a broken man that He could help.

Jesus looked past all of that and saw deep need: a hurting man who needed help, home, and comfort.

If you’re going to exude kindness, you have to look deeper into the lives of people than you typically look.

KINDNESS BLOCKERS

If I’m going to be kind I have to look past what I think about someone. (What they look like, how they dress, where they come from, what everyone else thinks, etc.)

If I’m going to be kind I have to look past what I don’t like about someone. (How they act, how they treat others, annoying habits, the attention they get, etc.)

If I’m going to be kind I have to look past what someone has done to me.

A kind person sees Gospel potential in every person.

We look past what everyone else looks at because we’re convinced that Jesus is able to transform anyone.

Zach hurried down the tree. Jesus coming to his home? Couldn’t remember the last time someone came to his home.

In that moment, the kindness of Jesus changed everything for Zaccheus. For years, Zach took. Immediate repentance - a response to the acceptance of Jesus (Romans 2:4). Now, a giver. “I’ll give half my possessions to the poor and pay back four times as much to everyone I’ve extorted.”

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. You couldn’t get any more lost than Zach.

“Today salvation has come to this house...” Then Jesus says something that would have shocked all the religious leaders that witnessed this scene: “…because he too is a son of Abraham.” Even more kindness...

Religious leaders loved to talk about how they were the children of Abraham (Luke 3:8). I imagine Jesus looked at the religious leaders and said, “Zach is a son of Abraham too. He’s part of the family.”

Zach was a prodigal son. He once was lost but now found.

When everyone looked at Zach they saw a traitor, but when Jesus looked at Zach He saw Gospel potential. He saw a man made in His image, a broken man who needed love, compassion, grace, and mercy. Jesus saw a man that He was willing to die for. Jesus saw a man who He could make into a new creation.

Kindness = a heart issue - the kind of person you are because you’ve experienced kindness. But, how do you practice it?

How do I practice kindness?

Think less of you and more of others. You think about you way too much and you don’t think enough of how you can help others. But, you’re called to be a blessing!

Get extremely practical. “I’m going to your house.” That’s what Zaccheus needed - fellowship. To be person who gives kindness you have to be a student of people. Who do you know that could use some kindness? A student that’s struggling, a teacher who’s working really hard, etc.? Who can you encourage? Who can you send a text to? Pray for?

Practice kindness at home. Family sees us at our best and our worst. Hard to be kind at home - but the more kind you are at home the more kind you will be outside the home.

Always remember the kindness of Jesus. Knowing Zaccheus’ name and calling him out of the tree was an extraordinary act of kindness, but there was a day when Jesus showed Zach the ultimate demonstration of kindness - Jesus was nailed to a tree for the man that He called out of a tree.

We desire to be kindness because we’ve experienced it. We know what kindness is all about. Romans 2:4: The kindness of God has led us to repentance - to turn from our sinful ways and turn to Him because we know He has a better way for us.

If you’ve never trusted Jesus, let the kindness of God lead you to repentance this morning - to trust the God who gave His Son for you.