There are so many people in our lives that need to get to know the Jesus we know. For most of us the idea of sharing the Gospel is fearful, not that we don’t believe it, we do, we live it and are growing in it every day…but for most of us sharing the Gospel is right and profitable but difficult today we are going to see one way that the Lord can use through us
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus had many things against him including scripture…
A rich man had just come to Jesus in Matthew 19 and asked Jesus what must I do to make into heaven and Jesus told him sell all you have and give to the poor and follow me…the man left sad because he couldn’t do it because he had much wealth so Jesus makes an exaggerated statement…
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:24
There are all kinds of explanations for this but the only one I see with merit is that Jesus simply made a ridiculous statement about the struggles the wealthy have with truly following Jesus. Zach was very wealthy he was not only a tax collector but the head of the tax collectors…but Jesus shows us in Zach the rest of his statement from Matthew 19
I believe Jesus was just being ridiculous because the disciples give it away when they say “then who can be saved?” Jesus gives them the answer…
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
I want us to really look at this story with fresh eyes because it is really about us.
Zach was a hated individual, Matthew was hated, because of being a tax collector and but he hung out with the worst of the worst and they felt comfortable around him. Zach was so bad no one, not even the worst of the worst wanted to hang out with him.
Zach was wealthy and because he was wealthy he held power and influence over the lives of others. He lived in two culture Roman and Jewish. He was hated by both by feared by both.
Why would such a man seek out Jesus? By all earthly standards he had it all, money, power, prestige but something was missing and he heard about it in Jesus…
Like many people in our culture Zach looked like he had it all together. It looked like everything was going his way but
Zach was broken, he had no peace, he knew he was a sinner, he knew deep down inside he had no hope, no real future.
Jesus was living peace, he was living hope, he brought freedom to everyone who was looking for it.
Last week we talked about a man who had no hope for nearly 40 years but Jesus knew it would only take a spark to fan the flames of faith in him. Zach had heard this story. Jesus had fed the 5000, he had given hope to the hopeless, he was comfortable talking to any one. Jesus simply brought something that everyone wanted hope and love!
Zach came to find Jesus
Luke 19: 3-5
He, (Zacchaeus), wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
Zach sought out Jesus! Yes, he had heard of the miracles but many had come through Israel performing signs and wonders, we hear more about that in the Book of Acts. I believe there was something else that all of us can bring every day
- Jesus brought hope wherever he went
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Zach would have had no hope of someone like Jesus coming to be with him but Jesus knew he needed hope. You may be surprised where the Lord will lead you and guide you as you walk in hope daily. You can have hope always because He is hope! His Spirit lives in you
- Jesus loved unconditionally
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
He didn’t bend to convention of who is worthy and who is not. Every person on the earth even those with whom you disagree, don’t like, can’t stand, don’t want to be around, don’t fit into your world or theology are all people God loves and Jesus died for
- Jesus always brought and lived truth
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Conviction fell simply because Jesus was always truth and that conviction wasn’t there to but up Zach but instead to set him free. The Spirit of truth lives in us to do the same for others
- Jesus was real and he brought a real message
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus didn’t quantify or qualify those who should be impacted by his life. You see he carried a message but He was the message. We carry a message too. We know the love, joy, and peace of a real relationship with the one who loves us the most…that message is the most real, life-giving, full of hope message there is
If we choose to live as Jesus lived we won’t have to seek people out…they will seek us out…God will draw them out and draw them to us but we must choose to live like Jesus, love like Jesus, in affect be Jesus to a broken world
This small tale is a big lesson for us….yes some are created to street preach and witness but the Bible doesn’t really call us to witness as it does to make disciples and we make them by building relationship, living a real, Jesus kind of life, always something tangible people can see….Jesus said
John 12:32
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.
Jesus has been lifted up, he died on a cross for you and I now it is our turn to see people drawn to Him because they see the risen savior in us in very real ways and they are drawn to the Jesus in us