Zacchaeus

Auto-generated from the audio — may contain errors.

0:00 Well, glad you made it this morning. And I was thinking of just a few thoughts about where we are this morning and just a reminder about what we do when we gather togethers that the church is broader and older than our little gathering here. And so we have a lot of history to look at on how to handle situations.

0:31 I was reading a little memo to church leaders by this guy that I respect named Andy Kraut because he was talking about the importance of solidarity in times of confusion. And I wrote this little email last week to you all about like the difference between preparation and worry and I just stole that from Andy. And now that Christians are encouraged, in fact, free from worry and anxiety, we can

1:02 make the most complete preparations and then create safe spaces for the people that we are called to love well. So I think that it is important that we are able to be here. I'm glad that we are thinner this morning. I want people to be responsible and when they don't feel well and when they are around people who are vulnerable to take proper precautions. But I'm also glad that you're here and that we wash our hands and use disposable cups

1:35 and are smart in preparation but also don't abandon the like generations long commitment to gathering together around the story of the gospel to remind us who we are and why we're here. So I'm glad to hear and I think that we're being responsible by gathering while also honoring the identity of who we are. So in that I'm going to keep going with our notion, our ideas about Lent, what we had planned to think through in this Lent and season. And remember that Lent is a season where we prepare for the celebration of the resurrection

2:10 of Jesus. And that celebration we commemorate every year with a seder dinner on Monday, Thursday honoring that reinvigoration of the Passover and then a commemoration of Good Friday together which I'm thinking we're going to do kind of an experiential thing this year around that. And then we have a great festive celebration of the resurrection with a feast and everything here together. But in order to get ready for that we have a period of 40 days, a historic period of 40

2:40 days where we look at our need for God that we are people who need the resurrection of Jesus. So we have these confessions and it's guided the selections of the text for us to think about for the next couple weeks. And I'm looking at stories of people who needed God where God met them in that need in this sort of scripture in order to encourage you to be okay with your neediness. God came for the ones who need and is capable of meeting your needs.

3:12 So don't run from them or hide from them or look the other way. Stay your neediness especially this time of year. Stay your neediness straight on and be honest about it and then come to the Lord with your neediness. The story I want to look at this morning is a story of a tax collector in Luke's account of the gospel. There are paper copies of the scriptures there if you are into paper copies. If you want your own germs on your phone that's available for you as well. This is type in Luke chapter 19.

3:53 So Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Number Luke is one of the four accounts of life of Jesus. Several people have this couple of them have this story. It made a mark because it's a very public event. At this point in Jesus' life he's got some attention. In the place where Luke puts this story he's headed towards Jerusalem for the triumphal entry.

4:24 And he's had kind of a ceremonial walk towards Jerusalem with lots of teaching and healing and right before this he healed blind Bartimaeus the beggar and it's significant that Bartimaeus is named a lot of times people when Jesus heals them the name is not recorded and so Luke records the name probably because people that are reading Luke's account of the gospel

4:58 would know who Bartimaeus was. Apparently Bartimaeus went on to be a significant leader in the church and so it would be a little pain when they're reading the story. Ah, this is where Bartimaeus comes in. Jesus actually did the healing and then so he's got this crowd following him because he's walking this walk where a lot of people are coming up to Jerusalem. We've talked about it before where the tradition might have been that you walk in several family units together. It's why they could lose track of Jesus when he was a kid for a couple of days because there's sure some other family is watching.

5:30 They're walking in large family units together and they go through Jericho as such a way where the blind Bartimaeus sitting on the outside of the street can't see that Jesus is coming by but because of the size of the crowd and the murmuring among them he's able to discern and call out in his blindness Jesus doesn't have mercy on me and then Jesus asks the blind guy in front of everyone hey what do you need? He makes Bartimaeus answer him in front of everyone.

6:01 Of course the moment there was a moment there where Bartimaeus could have been pious and said what I really need is for all my buddies to have enough food. We're out here begging just give us all enough food to eat. He could have said I just pray that everyone has a good Passover. Just like you asked me what I need I just want all you guys to welcome by to have a great Passover. He could have given a pious answer and strunk away from his need especially with all the eyes on him but he owned his neediness in that moment. Jesus said what do you would like me to do and Bartimaeus said I would love to see Jesus

6:33 says fantastic I can meet that need and the healing of sight is supposed to be one of the harder miracles to do so Jesus calls a lot of attention to himself and the crowd dwells and so as he comes into Jericho the Zacchaeus attack collector Jericho was a big trade city Zacchaeus was a successful pastor collector getting all kinds of taxes from the people and you know the story then when you're a tax collector you're a Jewish person so that you've got some camaraderie with the Jews but you're really working for the Romans. The reason it's important to have some camaraderie because there's a minimum tax requirement

7:06 from Rome but really the tax collectors live on anything they can get you to give them. They can extort you legally and so a Jewish person is better because they know how much you actually have rather than the Roman who doesn't know you and your family history very well so they're better at extorting their peers the tax collectors are turncoats that are good at extorting Zacchaeus by all accounts was very good we'll find out later in the story why but Jesus comes into this into town look at chapter 19 verse 1 he entered Jericho

7:36 and was passing through and there was a man named Zacchaeus he was the chief tax collector and was rich and he was seeking to see who Jesus was he'd heard about him and thought it was worth checking out but on account of the crowd he could not because he was small of stature so he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was

8:07 about to pass that way I don't know why they go into such detail here other than this maybe to maybe communicate Zacchaeus's desperation it's a little bit undignified for the chief tax collector to climb up in a tree right to communicate that he wants to see this guy he's a chief tax collector he's kind of a big deal he's the resource for the Rome people have to do what he says

8:40 he could demand an audience with people but when Jesus comes by he goes out of his way even climbs up the tree to see Jesus he needs to see the dude right the guy and when Jesus came that place so he ran a climb and was about to pass that way verse 5 and when Jesus came to the place he looked up and said to him Zacchaeus hurried down for I am a state of your house today this is a thing Jesus

9:14 does that causes him problems with all of the respectable people on a regular basis Jesus very seeming cavalier with whose house he'll go to right he just will like he's not in tax collector as the party he goes are we hanging out with all Mackey's buddies Jesus is like walking in this assembly of people who are going to the Passover like good Jewish folk the Pharisees that

9:46 he's always arguing with are all spread out around Israel they're not the Sadducees that run the temple they're the ones that keep the every mixture everyone in all the synagogues around Israel are following all the laws and doing all the right things the Pharisees are the lawyers of the church so there are probably Pharisees walking with Jesus making sure everyone is doing processing the right way through the Passover and then eventually celebrating the Passover correctly and they're all keeping their eyes on Jesus because they're a little bit worried when people claim to be a

10:22 Messiah Rome crack that like this is a heightened situation I want you to understand and Jesus in front of the crowd when everyone is there sees Zacchaeus up in the tree ask nothing of Zacchaeus and says I'm coming to your house today Jesus moves towards Zacchaeus in response to Zacchaeus very apparent need he's climbed up in a tree to see him Jesus sees that Zacchaeus has acknowledged

10:56 his need he's climbed up in three cm aces a I'm going to come to your house today and everyone sees it that is significant everyone sees that Jesus going to the chief tax collector house that's on the gun Pharisees do not go over there even good Jewish folk do not go over there because he ripped them off okay he's crooked he's like a diss on the sky a dishonest politician

11:32 right okay yeah every time they end and when Jesus came to the place he looked up and said to Zacchaeus hurry and come down from a figure house today so he hurried and came down and received him joyfully he hurried and came down and received Jesus joyfully and when he saw it when they saw they all grumbled he's gone to the guest to be the guest of a man who is a sinner and Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord behold Lord half of my goods I gave to the poor

12:10 and if I have defrauded anyone of anything I restore it for hold um Jesus did not act as Zacchaeus to do anything so I ask you to think about where you belong I think these two things I get half of the I think the reality that there was poor while Zacchaeus was rich and the reality that he defraed I think Zacchaeus was aware painfully aware of how crooked he was

12:52 I think that this is on the forefront of Zacchaeus's mind and he's always explaining the way I'm doing just I'm just doing the best I can I'm trying to make the best of the situation and besides what else is there for me I've already passed my law with the Romans I can't go back to the Pharisees and the church I'm too far down this road there's no chance for me over there anyway I might as well just keep piling the money in because there's no place for me there

13:27 such that when Jesus walks in when the rabbi stites the blind walking for the lame good news to the poor raising lazors from the dead when this rabbi walks into his house the T.S. knows he belongs

13:57 he's like there is a place for me with this guy I'm changing everything forget it I'm gonna cast my law to this guy and he repents he changes his behavior in response to the kindness of Jesus this is important because you have the same opportunity

14:30 you are a mess I don't have to know you to know that your headspace is a mess like like your anxieties will run as though God will not protect and provide for you your bodies are a mess you have compulsions that you have had for years

15:01 and you can you are I don't have to know you to know you are a mess I don't know the decisions you're making with your dollars I don't know how you understand your job I don't know how you treat your kids or the significant people in your life I don't have to to know that you are a mess and also to know you are not such a mess that you don't already belong to Jesus of Nazareth

15:38 for the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Christ in the church the god of creation and life you have a home here no matter how many times you have passed your law with something else you have the opportunity now to cast your lot with this one just like Zacchaeus I think the reality Paul says it to the church in Rome he says don't mistake gods for barrens

16:12 and mercy as free license to do whatever it is the kindness of god intended to draw you into repentance and to cast you a lot with him it's the kindness of god that leads us to repentance I think Jesus goes into that and it's next parable I've never really read it this way but I want us to keep going because I think they connect I think Luke put this parable together with the story of Zacchaeus on purpose look at it with me and so he hurried and Zacchaeus stood and said to the

16:44 Lord behold Lord half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have to prod it anyone of anything I restore it for fourfold and Jesus said to him today salvation has come to the south since he also is the son of Abraham for the son of man came to seek and save the law I want you to see salvation came to this house and then he cites Zacchaeus's identity not his actions this is consistent we miss it because we we have I don't want to accuse of being lazy but we have

17:16 lazy readings of the story of scripture he doesn't say salvation has come to this house because you have taken an action of repentance he says salvation has come to this house because you are a part of the covenant remember like before when Jesus separates the keeper the goats he separates two different types to hold different species it's about identity the sheep doesn't don't know what they did that was right it doesn't matter they just lived out of who they were and he looked at Zacchaeus he says you are living consistent with who you are salvation has come to this house because you are

17:52 child of Abraham you are a son of the covenant and you have come home to your true identity you have abandoned wrong and its money and come back to Abraham and its generosity to its dependence on God you have come home to where you belong to who you are and then he tells us parable which we're going to go through kind of quickly and I'm going to

18:22 just lend myself to not stop that every thing that occurs to me but as I heard these things he proceeded to tell them a parable Jesus uses stories to explain and teach right and so I think that he he pulls out this truth about belonging it from Zacchaeus realized in this parable hearing he says as they heard these things he proceeded to tell them a parable because he was near to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately he said therefore a nobleman went into a far country to receive him for himself a kingdom and then return and

18:56 calling ten of his servants he gave them ten minus and said to them engage in business until I come but his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him saying we do not want this man to to reign over us and when he returned having received the kingdom he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him and that he might know what they had gained by doing business verse 16 the first came before him saying lord your mind has made ten minus more

19:30 and he said to him well done good and faithful serving because you have been faithful in a very little you shall have authority over ten cities verse 18 and the second came saying lord your mind has made five minus and he said to him you are to be over five cities then another came saying lord here is your mind which I kept laid away in a handkerchief for I was afraid of you

20:01 because you are a severe man taking you take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not so and he said to him I will condemn you with your own words you wicked servant you knew I was a severe man taking what I did not deposit and reap and what I did not so why then did you not put my money in the bank and that my coming I might have it collected with interest and he said to those who stood by take the money from them and give it to us ten minus the first thing is parables

20:32 have one main point of connection so don't over read god don't don't ball down your mind and over reading god into the place of the king and try and understand he's read great doesn't so and is severe the point is this like charge to manage the thing that you've given and given account for it when the king returns and the problem isn't that the the third servant was a was poor at business he didn't have to be good at business the problem was he was so sure that there would be

21:08 no grace or forgiveness that it paralyzed him from engaging in life at all he did not know that he belonged he was afraid that his actions would disqualify him like if he failed he would have no place Jesus is telling Zacchaeus I don't care how far away from me you have gone you are a child

21:38 of Abraham you always belong with me no matter which how badly you failed at managing your minus you will always have a place go out and try again it's not about perfect execution it's about knowing who you are and then in light of knowing who you are living like your master as best you

22:09 can and when you fail know that it doesn't disqualify come back repent and go out and live like your master again several weeks ago we talked about the fact that Christ came live died rose and ascended means you have the capacity to be godly to be people like god you will fail because you are a mess don't let that stop you from coming back getting forgiveness and trying again because you

22:41 always belong the message of Zacchaeus for us during the sledge and season is that we all need you need a place to belong the answer of Easter is you always belong the god of creation and life the god of Abraham I'd say can shake up the god of Christ and the church you belong here not because of what you've done because of who you are God's own created by him bought by him and provided a

23:21 future by him for you let's pray it would thank you for this gift of identity in you indelible identity created by mercy and preserved by grace or open our hearts and minds to believe that no matter what we belong with you

23:55 we know that your that kindness that belonging creates in us repentance and again godly living take us there this morning repentance Lord and godly living built on belonging in you and Jesus name we pray