Of Crows and Scoundrels II
Of Crowds and Scoundrels II • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Turn to Luke 19. If you missed last week’s message, this is Part 2. We covered verses 1-3 last, but we’ll do a quick review.
He entered Jericho and was passing through.
And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
The Jewish people hated tax collectors. They were scoundrels and traitors (liars, cheaters, schemers …) all at the expense of their fellow Jews. They were considered to be among the worst of sinners in society.
And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.
Double-entendre - he was physically short, but also short on social respect. The Village People did not like him – wouldn’t let him in the YMCA. They intentionally prevented Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus.
Who was Jesus? Jesus was God incarnate – God in the flesh – God with us. There’s a lot more to the incarnation than that, but it’s clear from Scripture that
God wants to be seen and known.
So, God reveals Himself to humanity, but sometimes it can be difficult to see God because of the various “crowds” in our lives. As was the case with Zacchaeus,
“Crowds” have a way of obscuring our ability to see Jesus.
We want to see Jesus, but someone or something is in the way. Of course, I’m using “crowds” metaphorically this morning. Crowds can be sin, people, pride, past wounds, shame, guilt, fear … anything that prevents you from seeing Jesus.
Curios-
Got any “crowds” in your life preventing you from seeing Jesus?
(By seeing we mean knowing – having a relationship). Like Zacchaeus, you want to see Jesus, you’ve heard about Jesus, you know people who know Jesus, but you just can’t quite get there – there’s a “crowd” in front of you. So, what do we do with this crowd?
Name the “crowd.”
If it’s fear, name it. If it’s ___, name it. Naming helps give power over something. Hebrews chapter 12 tells us to throw aside everything that hinders us and fix our eyes on Christ. But wait, you can’t easily toss a crowd to the side. Crowds are – crowded, and big and ….
So what do we do?
I’m sure there are several answers depending on what your “crowd” is, but here’s what Zacchaeus did.
So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. Zacchaeus found a way to see Jesus -
He left the “crowd.”
Didn’t fight the crowd. Didn’t have a pity-party. Didn’t make excuses. He simply made a decision to leave the crowd. I know this is simplistic, but sometimes the simple answer is the answer.
Curious –
What are you going to do with your “crowd?”
(Parable of the plow)
What happened when this scoundrel left the crowd?
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
Jesus stopped and focused on Zacchaeus – Jesus made room for this scoundrel. Reminds me of another story about another scoundrel – a son who told his father to go fly a kite and took his money wasted it. But when he came to his senses,
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
If you’re a prodigal, a scoundrel, a traitor, and if you come to Jesus, he will make room for you and He will embrace you.
Now, Let’s be honest, for those of us who know Jesus - we were scoundrels and traitors and prodigals at some point in our lives, and Jesus made room for us. If He made room for us, He’ll make room for you.
Doesn't matter what your “scoundrelness” is, Jesus has room for you, and He loves, and He wants to forgive you – that’s why we have Easter.
Side note – I wonder how many Zacchaeus’ we’ve missed in our lives.
Too busy to stop.
The crowd knew Zacchaeus as what? A tax collector. He had a label. But Jesus knew Zacchaeus as what? Zacchaeus.
Jesus knew this scoundrel’s name!
Didn’t call him by his occupation, or by his sin, or by his past, or any other label. Jesus called him Zacchaeus.
Curios-
Got any labels stuck to you?
Labels that others have placed on you or labels you’ve given yourself? Listen, when we come to Jesus, we are no longer labeled as sinners, scoundrels, or whatever. God calls us each by name. We receive new labels such as sons and daughters and saints and more!
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
If you’re in Christ.
Got any labels. Let Jesus remove them and let Him call you by name.
And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
Here’s the crowd again. They prevented Zacc from seeing Jesus, and now they’re criticizing Jesus for seeing Zacc. And they still wouldn’t use Zacc’s name! A man’s life is being transformed and they’re griping about it.
Makes me wonder who the real scoundrel was in this story?
Remember that crowd you name earlier – FYI, crowds don’t give up easy. Not everyone will be happy ….
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
What Zacchaeus did was above and beyond what the Mosaic Law required for reparations. Just an enthusiastic response to God’s love.
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
We need to understand this. What did Jesus mean by, “he is also a son of Abraham?” Ancestry (lineage) was and is critical to the Jewish people, especially their connection to Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham that He would bless the nations through Abraham’s offspring – i.e. Israel. There’s a lot more here than we can cover now, but for all intents and purposes, Zacchaeus was “cut off” from being a Jew – cut off from his lineage – cut off from the inheritance – he was absolutely canceled. Follow me. But then
Jesus reinstated him.
Jesus said, “Yes, Zacchaeus, you’re back in!”
Do you feel cut off this morning? Cancelled?
William Barclay wrote this-
“The story ends with the great words, the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. We must always be careful how we take the meaning of this word lost. In the New Testament it does not mean damned or doomed.
It simply means in the wrong place. A thing is lost when it has got out of its own place into the wrong place; and when we find such a thing, we return it to the place it ought to occupy.
A person is lost when he or she has wandered away from God; and is found when once again that person occupies the rightful place as an obedient child in the household and the family of the Father” (W. Barclay).
Jesus came to seek and save people who are in the wrong place.
Let’s bring this to a close. Last week I said this story epitomizes the Gospel – that Jesus makes room and rescues and saves scoundrels and sinners.
Are you seeking Jesus this morning, but you have some “crowds” you need to leave behind?
Got any labels you want removed? Want to hear Jesus say your name?
Been a prodigal, a scoundrel, a traitor, a sinner – just been in the wrong place?
It’s time to come home and come to Jesus.
Let’s pray. If you need Jesus this morning
Blessing
Tithe / Just accepted Christ pamphlet.