Thank God for the Tree - Luke 19:1-7

Introduction

In life there are some lessons we will learn from people, lessons we will learn being in certain places, lessons we will learn doing or not doing certain things. There are times though we will reason within ourselves what we will and will not allow to teach us. Older people typically look at younger people in their supposed superiority and determine there is nothing I can learn from this person because older people at times will feel as if they have forgotten more than what a younger person knows at their age.

But the truth is if you are willing to learn - you can learn from anybody and anything. I’m the kind of person I am always looking for a lesson. Because if you stop learning you will inevitably stop growing. Some people are fine without any growth but God’s desire for His people is that we never stop growing thus we never stop learning.

I’ve learned to let people of any age, color or creed teach me something. I’ve learned to let animals even inanimate objects teach me something because if I pay attention long enough anything can teach me something.

Today, I am drawn to this text not only because of the extraordinary determination of Zaccheus, not only because of the graciousness of Jesus to the chief among thieving and dishonest tax collectors… But I am drawn to this text because of the nature of this tree.

Body

The text indicates that Jesus was coming in and passing through Jericho and the news of His arrival was so prevalent in the city that even the chief tax collector heard that He was passing by. Perhaps he had heard that Jesus had been friendly to even a publican. A publican by the way was a tax collector. They were hated by everybody as the tax collectors were wealthy and known to take more than what they were supposed to. He probably heard that Jesus had been friendly to these publicans but Zaccheus wants to know Jesus for himself… Because there is nothing like knowing Jesus for yourself. He did not want someone else to tell him about seeing Jesus but He wanted to see for himself. Perhaps Zaccheus was there because everybody else was there and he wanted to see what the hype was about… but even if you’re going along with the crowd, even if you’re coming to the party for all the wrong reasons - anything that gets you even close to Jesus will be alright. That’s the thing I love about God that even when I may be coming for all the wrong reasons He still has the power to meet me in the place and I might think I am coming in for one reason but He’s got another plan in mind.

The text indicates that Zaccheus was short in stature… Yet he had a desire to see Jesus who was passing through getting ready for a parade. And the text is already preaching by itself giving us the indication that no matter how important you are, no matter how wealthy you are as Zaccheus was… everybody at some point in life is going to come up short. You will come up short of money at times, you will come up short of support at times, some young people can attest at times you may have set out to study for a test and realized you didn’t study long enough or didn’t study the right things and your grade came a little short. Every body at some point in life will come up short. And if you don’t think you’ll come up short of something just keep on living. There are some folk who have all the faith in the world until something hits them and knocks them off their feet.

Yet the problem with Zaccheus was not only that he was short in stature but he was also short in his righteousness. It seems no matter where he turned he came up short. And the reality is not only did Zaccheus know his shortcomings but so did everybody else. What in the world do you do when you’re a crook, you just ain’t right and you know it but everybody else knows it too? Somehow Zaccheus knew that if he could just get through the crowd on the other side of the crowd was a tree. In other words Zaccheus would not allow his short stature, his shortcomings, or his short popularity to stop him. He had gotten to a place where his condition would not be an excuse for him. He found a way!

And my brothers and sisters that just gives me some reason to shout that even when the crowd knows my mess God will place something in my midst to help me when nobody else will. Don’t you just love that about God? He’ll make a way out of no way. He’ll create a door where there is no door.

The text indicates that Zaccheus who was short in stature, short in righteousness, and short in popularity desires to see Jesus so he ran up into a sycamore tree to see him. Oh thank God for the tree!

You should know that in this day and age of bible times powerful and rich men do not climb trees. Zaccheus wants to see Jesus so bad that he doesn’t mind looking ridiculous doing something that people like him do not do. Because at times when you want something bad enough - you’ll risk everything to get it. You’ll risk your personal image, you’ll risk your popularity… because what I am after is more important than all of that. He recognized I’m rich but I’m really poor. I am in the upper class but I’m really in the dungeon because I’ve got all the riches I need but I don’t need riches I need Jesus!

So he climbs a sycamore tree. Zaccheus encounter with Jesus would have seemingly never been possible if it were not for this tree.

And if you would just think about the origin of the tree… This tree began with some seeds being planted in some dirt. And it is easy to read this text and take the tree lightly and even miss its prominence in the text. But this tree has grown from seeds planted in some dirt that it would grow for such a time as this - that when the crowd who despised the chief tax collector would stand in his way of seeing Jesus because of his short stature, his short comings, and his short popularity this tree would now do for Zaccheus what people would not do!

Through the branches of the trees the Bible says Jesus noticed Zaccheus in the tree. See there is always a crowd of folks who will throng Jesus but Jesus is looking for the one that will go out of their way to see Him. Folks who will lay it all down on the line - say I lay down my power, my prestige, my position because I’ve got to see Jesus.

See what I see in this text is that when Zaccheus went up the tree he really went down. Most people who preach this text emphasize the fact that Jesus had asked him to come down. But when Zaccheus climbed the tree he went down because he did something that was unheard of for a man of his status. Sometimes folk have a status that doesn’t equal their stature. There are folks who walk around looking rich but broke as a joke on the inside… because some folk think money will buy you happiness but money without Christ will only buy you heartache. Some folk walk around trying to look good on the outside with all hell breaking lose on the inside. But one day Zaccheus made the decision that he didn’t care about the crowd - those who he had taken money from and made his living on their backs. He was now interested in pursuing Christ at all cost. And he gained the attention of Jesus by a tree. Thank God for the tree!

And in this day and age in which we live beloved we’ve got a choice. Will we be the crowd or will we be the tree? The crowd since he was the chief tax collector had probably been swindled and bamboozled by Zaccheus for a long time. They looked at him with dislike, disgusts, and distrusts. But the tree gave him the boost that he needed to see what he never saw. The tree gave him corrective lenses to no longer have any concern about his short stature, shortcomings, and short popularity.

The tree gave him a glimpse to gaze upon a somebody who can save anybody. That as he moved in faith from the place that he was he no longer saw himself but he saw Jesus!

And in this day and age God says I’m looking for some trees who won’t stop nobody from seeing Jesus but will help somebody. I’m looking for some trees who say I wasn’t always a tree. I was just some dirt, that somebody planted a seed in, somebody else watered it, but God gave the increase. And now that I’m a fully grown tree rooted and grounded I’m not just here to look pretty but I’m here to help somebody else!

If I can help somebody as I pass along. If I can cheer somebody with a word or a song. If I can show somebody that their traveling wrong than my living shall not be in vain.

But what I love about this text; Zaccheus couldn’t stay in the tree. Jesus told him to come down and when he came down - Jesus came in! Why did he come down the tree? Because he couldn’t stay there. Why couldn’t he stay there - because he wasn’t supposed to stay there. In other words, Zaccheus had to go down the tree so that Jesus could go up the tree. The work is not done with someone who just comes to see Jesus - the work is only done when Jesus comes in to stay.

Zaccheus couldn’t stay in the tree any longer because the tree served its purpose. The tree isn’t meant to be God its meant to lead somebody to God. Jesus said Zaccheus lets go in the house. Because when Zaccheus went up the tree he went down. And when Jesus told Zaccheus to come down the tree - Zaccheus went up! And he didn’t go up in the sight of the crowd - because even when you encounter Jesus the crowd is still going to hate on you! But he went up in the sight of God… and that’s what matters.

And if you could just take a minute and look back over your life… You’ll have to thank God for the tree. There was a crowd of folk and your opinions of you stopping you from seeing Jesus but He made a way for you to press thru! And now that you’ve been saved and delivered - its your turn to be somebody else’s tree!

The pastor is not the only tree in the church. The deacons aren’t the only tree in the church. Every blood bought, born again believer is called to be a tree. When they can’t see God through the crowd, when they can’t see God through their own opinion of themselves… that’s where you come in to show the love of God by being a tree. Because you realize if it had not been for the Lord that was on your side who gave you a tree in the midst of the crowd - you’d still be lost and in your mess!

Closing

But thank God for the tree.

What I love about the story is the tree was the quickest way for Zaccheus to get away from all the noise! Because everything they had to say about him was right and it was true! But every now and again God’s got to separate you from your truth about who you are… but aren’t you glad when everybody else noticed my faults He looked beyond my faults. And saw my needs!

And he didn’t visit my house. He didn’t drive by my house. But the Bible says He came in to stay with me!

I know I’m unworthy, I know I’m short in stature, have short comings, and short popularity… But what a wonderful change in my life has been wrought - since Jesus came in to my heart.

Jesus left something when He came to stay and I’ll never be the same! But I thank God for the tree that helped me see Jesus but more importantly helped Jesus see me!

When Jesus came to stay with me, I had a new identity. When Jesus came to stay with me, my record was wiped away. That’s why I tell folk all the time like the old song used to say - you can have all this world, but give me Jesus!

I believe God placed the tree there to indicate He wanted to make Zaccheus like the tree you know the one the Psalmists talked about in Psalm 1:3 “and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

(The tree = calvary)