Grace Brings the Outcast In

Intro

Last week we started this series looking at different people Jesus came in contact with and how they recieved the grace of God. We saw Jesus meet the woman at the well and met her right where she was. Today We are going to see another person that came face to face with Jesus and their life changed forever, They went from being an outcast to being brought into the family of God. If you lean into this story with me today you are going to see how you can go from being a lost outcast to being a found member of God’s family through his grace. And see what you are to do with the grace you have been giving in a world that desperately needs it.

Luke 19:1–10 ESV

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 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. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 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.” 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.”

If you grew up in church you likely remember this story because of the song. But the people in Zacchaeus’ town didn’t know him as the short guy. They knew him as the traitor, the thief, the sinner, short guy.

Zacchaeus not only worked for the Romans who had conquered his country he also skimmed off the top and kept whatever he wanted. Because of this he was likely the richest and most hated man in the city. He did what he thought he had to do to succeed. For him the ends justified the means. And now that he reached his goal of becoming rich at all costs. He realized that his wealth could not fill his greatest need. He needed the living water we talked about last week. He needed Jesus.

When we read verse 4 we see that he climbed the tree to just catch a glimpse of Jesus. For him the best he could hope for was glimpse. But Jesus in verse 5 looks up and says Zacchaeus of all the places I could stay I am choosing to stay at your house.

1. Zaccheus Hoped for a Glimpse, But Jesus Gave Him Grace.

In Zaccheus’ mind the best case scenario was to look at Jesus from a far. But Jesus was not content with that arrangement. He wanted to sit and fellowship with Zaccheus. The worst sinner in town. God’s grace is when he gives us something that we do not deserve. Zaccheus did not deserve to have the honor of hosting Jesus. In their culture hospitality was a big deal. To host someone was a honor. To host someone of high importance was an even higher honor. Jesus gave that honor to the traitorous, lying, sinning, outcast.

As a fellow traitorous, lying, sinning, outcast this brings me a lot of comfort. That even when i lived for me and did nothing that God wanted me to do he still looked at me and said come and be with me. I may not have been public enemy number one but I was just as lost a Zaccheus was and he chose to extend his grace to me. Zaccheus didn’t even deserve to catch glimpse of Jesus. I don’t deserve to catch a glimpse of jesus, you don’t deserve to catch a glimpse of jesus, and Jesus decided that even though you have done nothing to deserve it I want to sit at the table with you.

Derek Barnett is the all time sack leader at Tennessee. The year he got drafted in the NFL right before the draft there was a meet and greet in Knoxville Alysa and I went and waited in line. and we got our picture and autograph and I told him that I hope he has a great career. He was nice but at the end of the day I was one of hundreds of people he met that day. He doesn’t know my name. If he saw me on the street he would not remember me. If you meet any celebrity that is what you expect. I’ve met Hendon Hooker, and Dolly Parton and its the same story. Jesus is not that type of celebrity he seeks out a relationship with us, and he’s not out looking for fans he wants followers. How beautiful is it that Jesus wanted a relationship with Zaccheus, with me and with you.

Not everyone thought it was so beautiful.

Luke 19:6–7 ESV

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

Whenever we read any story we like to see ourselves in a character in that story. Often times we see characters as people that represent what we see as the best version of ourselves. We see how Luke Skywalker chooses the light over the dark and we see who we want to be, We see how Elsa in frozen lets go of all the burdens she is carrying and we think that could be me, We see Spiderman choose to use is great power with great responsibility and think I would do the same.

We like to see ourselves as heroes in the stories we watch or read. I know me well enough to know I don’t relate to the hero of this story. I relate to the upset people in the crowd.

I bet you do to. What would your reaction be if you are in the crowd and you know Jesus is going to pick someone to stay with, and you are just hoping that its you but you know it will probably be someone really religious. That you would understand. But then He sees Zacheus the person you hate the most and says I am going to his house. And then you have step aside and make an isle for him run down all happy to meet Jesus. I imagine it was like his name being called on the price is right. but no one is cheering. He’s getting left hanging on every single high five as he runs down. I can’t help but think, that would be me.

2. Grace Welcomes Those We Wouldn’t.

The people in the crowd hated Zacheus so much that they didn’t want him to experience the grace of God that Jesus was offering. They didn’t think he deserved it and guess what he didn’t deserve it, but neither did they, neither do I, and neither do you. If we deserved it, then by definition it wouldn’t be grace.

The grace of God is not limited by a popular vote. Who deserves it is not determined in the court of public opinion. No one deserves it, and yet he chooses to give it to us anyway. Is there anyone in your life that has wronged you, that was terrible to you in the past. That if you saw a picture of them getting baptized on facebook it would cause you to say really? them?, if have experienced a moment like that or you have a person in mind that is a red flag that you have misunderstood how much you needed God’s grace the day you were saved and how much you need it every single day.

When we have that kind of attitude it shows that we think we need God’s grace less than someone else or God’s grace isnt powerful enough for that person. Both sell short what Jesus did on the cross. The people in the crowd needed grace that day just as much as Zacheus, The difference was Zacheus knew he needed grace and the people in the crowd thought they were good.

The way we avoid this mindset is letting God’s grace humble us the way it did Zacheus. Brent Crowe puts it like this “Understanding grace leaves no option but humility. The more we know about the grace of Jesus the less room we have in our lives for pride.” We don’t think I was a sinner saved by grace like we only need grace on the day we were saved. to avoid the prideful attitude of the people in crowd is to think of grace in the present tense I am a sinner still needing God’s grace every single day.

To miss this and treat people and God’s grace like the people in the crowd did is to miss Jesus entire purpose for coming.

Luke 19:8–10 ESV

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.” 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.”

Jesus came with purpose, with intent, with initiative, and it wasn’t to prove the pharisees wrong, it wasn’t to make Israel a military power again, it wasn’t to reform the Jewish religion. It was to bring salvation to lost people.

He spent 3 years finding people who knew they were lost and showing them the way of salvation, repentance and faith.

3 God’s Grace isn’t Passive, It is Purposeful.

Jesus knew what the purpose of him being here was. To seek and save the lost. Notice he doesn’t the Son of Man has come to be here when the lost come to me. No he says I am going to seek them and offer them salvation. Zacheus was trying to look at Jesus but it was Jesus who sought him out for relationship for salvation.

The grace that Jesus gave to Zacheus had an immediate impact. Zacchaeus does what the rich young ruler refused to do in the last chapter of Luke. He gave up his wealth. Repaid all that he had taken. He immediately accepted the harshest penalty of Jewish law for steeling and applied it to himself, without trial. and on top of that giving away half of his honest gains to the poor.

Giving away all that we have is not a requirement for following Jesus and receiving his grace. But in the case of Zacheus he knew that he couldn’t hold on to this wealth that he gained dishonestly after experiencing the grace of God. His repentance came in the form of action. When Jesus said salvation has come to this house. he wasn’t implying that giving to the poor is what saved him. Like he was now suddenly worthy of God’s grace. But that his change in lifestyle was evidence of his right relationship with God. He had a new lifestyle because he had a new Lord.

Jesus had fulfilled his purpose he found what that city claimed was the most lost, most far gone outcast and sinner and offered salvation. He didn’t just let the outcast in he went out with a purpose and brought the outcast in.

That fact should bring us comfort because we were the outcast and he brought us in, and also conviction that we should be as purposeful at introducing people to the grace of God as Jesus.

We are not to sit back and hope someone asks us about our faith one day. If someone is lost in the national park the rescuers do not just find a spot in the mountains and sit there hoping the lost person will find them. Unfortunately that is what the church has become. We sit here in our big intimidating buildings and hope that lost people wander in, we have become passive. When the example of Jesus is not to sit and wait passively it is to go purposefully.

Don’t be about welcoming the lost if they show up. Go and seek them out. Share with them how you have experienced God’s grace. Invite them in to come and see for themselves. Invite them not to hear Ashley sing, or to meet me, invite them in to meet Jesus and experience the grace that changed you.

Conclusion

Have you been treating Jesus like a concept to understand or a celebrity to catch a glimpse of. Jesus is so much more than that. He didn’t come to take selfies and give autographs he came to give grace to people like Zacheus, like me, and like you. If you have never recieved the grace of God to cover your sins do not leave here today without coming down here and experiencing it.

For those of us that have experienced the grace of God and it has changed you. Never lose sight of the fact that it was God’s grace that saved you it wasn’t you that saved you, and everyone needs God’s grace including you. Maturing as a Christian is not needing God’s grace less each day. It is realizing how much more you need God’s grace every day. When we live in that reality it makes giving grace to others easier.

God’s grace is not passive it is purposeful. Are you being purposeful in bringing the outcast in like Jesus. Or are you sitting down putting the burden on the lost person to find you so they can then find Jesus. That is not what Jesus did and it is not what he calls us to do. He tells us to GO and make disciples. During this last song pray for a specific lost person in your life and leave this week with a purpose to introduce them to the grace you have recieved, the grace they need, the grace that will change their life.