Luke #8 "For Everyone" 3-27-22
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Overview
Overview
Text: Luke 19:1–10
Topics: Theft, Reconciliation, Salvation
Big Idea of the Message: God came to seek and save the lost.
Application Point: In response to God’s grace, he calls us to change and to make amends for the past.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping
Open Up in Prayer
Open Up in Prayer
Let’s get started....
Let’s get started....
Let me introduce you to Johnathan Jonso. At the time of this picture he was 20 years old. Today, he is 27 years old.
Back in January of 2015, Jonathan did something that was out of character for a person in his profession.
He was caught burglarizing an older woman’s home, when that home owner caught him in the act.
He did something odd after she called the police: he repaired the damage that he had caused. After repairing the screen window he returned all of the money that he had stolen.
What makes this story so interesting is how rare it is for a thief to make voluntary restitution to their victims.
I found this story online; however, If you go online and try to find other instances of something like this happening, there won’t be many results. I only found three others in the past 25 years.
Jonathan was arrested and charged with burglary, even though he repaired, returned her money, and the homeowner said she did not want to press charges.
Jonathan felt that he did deserve to pay for his crime regardless.
The story today in Luke’s Gospel, we will witness a similar path by the main character interacting with Jesus.
Turn to Luke 19.
This is where we will be this morning.
Let’s follow along as we read the first 10 verses.
1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.
2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.
3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
As with the other teachings we have looked at recently, this week we are again turning to a story that is only found in Luke’s Gospel: the story of Zacchaeus.
You may be familiar with the story from the children’s song, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man.”
Who would like to share the song?
Early in the description of Zacchaeus, we learn “he was small in stature” (19:3).
3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.
We also see that he lived in Jericho, that he was a tax collector, and that he was rich (vv. 1–2).
1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.
2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.
And, last but not least, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.
Why do you think Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so badly?
Jericho was a wealthy town of importance, due to its geographic location where it controlled the approach to Jerusalem and a crossing of the river Jordan.
As a result, it was a popular area for taxation in the Roman Empire.
Rome would assign a district a figure they must produce and then sell the collection to the highest bidder.
So long as Rome received the required amount, they did not care how it was collected.
This led to many abuses by tax collectors and explains why they are consistently lumped in with “sinners” in the Gospels. And it explains why Zacchaeus is rich and considered a sinner (v. 7).
7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Jesus approaches the crowds in Jericho, walks right through them, and goes straight to the tree Zacchaeus has climbed.
He looks up at Zacchaeus (v. 5) and tells him to come down because Jesus needs to stay in his house.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
This is the question we must pose to ourselves...
Who is seeking whom here?
We’re told Zacchaeus is seeking Jesus, but it is very clear both from Jesus’s actions and words that Jesus is seeking out Zacchaeus.
Friends, what lengths would you go to to see Jesus?
This invitation brings Zacchaeus great joy (v. 6).
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
Here we see that Zacchaeus is already becoming a new creation in Christ, for in response to the people grumbling about him Zacchaeus announces he will give away half his money and restore fourfold any money taken wrongfully (v. 8)!
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
What does Zacchaeus demonstrate about the change Jesus brings to a life?
How do we see him not only confessing his sin but also making amends with those whom he has wronged?
Let’s begin to apply this into our lives...
Jesus seeking out Zacchaeus is a picture of his pursuit of each of us.
Zacchaeus’s actions are noble in the end, but they are a response to the grace of God.
When it is said that Jesus came to seek and save the lost, that is exactly what’s meant: Jesus is the one seeking, finding, and saving us.
It’s like a drowning person being rescued by a lifeguard—we’re lost and we need to be found, and only Jesus can find us.
Jesus responds by stating what could be described as the mission statement of Luke: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (v. 10).
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
10 For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”
Zacchaeus might have thought he was seeking Jesus, but Jesus announces that Jesus himself was the one doing the seeking—not just of Zacchaeus but of the lost wherever and whoever they may be.
As illustrated so beautifully in Luke 15, we see time and time again that the heart of God in Jesus is illustrated in Luke’s Gospel as a heart for the lost.
6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’
10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”
God doesn’t want his children to be lost; he wants salvation to come to their house.
He wants to come into their homes. He wants a relationship with them.
How is your relationship with Christ?
Do you get excited like Zacchaeus or is it expected?
The interaction between Zacchaeus and Jesus raises a lot of challenging questions for followers of Jesus.
What are you doing to demonstrate that your life has been changed?
Zacchaeus realized not only that changes had to be made, but that reconciliation needed to take place.
Oftentimes we start living differently going forward, but we don’t look back to see what damage might need to be repaired from our life before Christ or before repenting of a sin.
But Zacchaeus shows us that following Jesus isn’t simply about making changes in the present—it’s also about having hard conversations and doing the necessary work of reconciliation with the past.
Whom have you wronged by sinning against them?
What actions might God be calling you to do to make amends?
Let’s not forget, in response to God’s grace, he calls us to change and to make amends for the past.