06-06-21 “Change for the Tax Collector”

Scripture   Luke 19:1-10
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 being a short man he could not, because of 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. (Rev 3:20)
          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 what was lost."

I spent my childhood involved in creative play. When it was time to grow up, I went to college. I started out poorly, but I kept climbing the educational tree. Most people would have never imagined that I would graduate college, but I did 41 years ago TODAY. As a child, I loved to climb trees and build treehouses. There is something about being in a tree where you truly get a bird’s eye view of the world around you.
As I have gotten older, I have learned to love cutting down trees.  Trees play such an important role throughout scripture from creation and the fall (man’s first sin was related to a tree, to building massive structures with the cedars of Lebanon, to parables about trees being planted by the river of life. And in HIStory for today, we are focused, as Jesus was, on one particular sycamore-fig tree in a particular city at a particular time.
 
The city was Jericho = oldest inhabited city on earth. Lowest city on earth 864’ below sea level (Jerusalem 2500’ above sea level).
The timing of this story took place in 1400 BC (3421 years ago). What year this event happened is not as important as what week it happened and the events that preceded and would follow it. Let’s look back at Luke 18
1-    Parable – A cry for mercy to a judge
2-    Parable – Pharisee & a tax collector – the tax collector finds forgiveness when seeking mercy
3-    Jesus blessing babies saying we must have faith like them
4-    A ruler asked how to get eternal life. Jesus said to him – “Go sell all you have and give to the poor and come follow me.” He went away sad because of his great wealth. Jesus said, whoever leaves everything for me will find eternal life. Then he said we must now go up to Jerusalem where I will be killed - and then rise again.
But there were two more everyday ministry things to happen before Jesus got to Jerusalem.
1)    Just before arriving in Jericho, the healing of a blind man and 2) having lunch at a home in Jericho with a guy had just climbed a tree.

 

The blind man seeks out Jesus directly.
Zacchaeus is just casually observing Jesus and Jesus seeks him out.
 
Entered – passing through = he was not staying; he was going from one place to another. Galilee to Jerusalem.
The word ENTERED. Just before getting into Jericho, a blind man was on the roadside and called out to Jesus to heal him, and Jesus did. The man followed him and word about Jesus spread quickly and the entire town came out to see this miracle working Jesus. It became like a parade you would see for a major sports team today. People were crowding the street so much that by the time one man arrived (he was not a tall man) he couldn’t see Jesus so he did what most people would do, found a way to get a better view. He climbed a nearby tree.
SYCAMORE-FIG TREE = This tree was not native to the area – it was a botanical outsider. It is fitting that a tax collector – someone who was considered a social outsider by Jews because he collaborated with the Roman authorities – should be sitting in that particular kind of tree. These things don’t happen by chance. I am sure there were other trees Zacchaeus could have used but he (or God) chose to have him sit in a tree that represented the kind of people Jesus seeks out.
WEALTHY TAX COLLECTOR:
          Zacchaeus was not your run of the mill IRS agent. He was a Chief Tax Collector meaning he had others working for him who would collect taxes all over the area from travelers, for certain goods they would sell or purchase. They would gouge people to become wealthy. They knew it was wrong, but the love of money is the root of all evil, which is why tax collectors were so associated with being sinners.
          “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up…” Jesus knew Zacchaeus was there, even before he got there, just as much as, even though he had not seen Nathanael, he knew he was under a what? A fig tree! Hmmmmm. Moral of the story – if you don’t want Jesus to see you – don’t hang out around a fig tree – besides that, you might get caught up in a curse.
          Jesus knows who we are, what we have done, where we are, and exactly what we need. He knew that a few words to Zacchaeus would not be enough. Jesus had to show him the full extent of his love by entering his home and sitting down to a meal with him. Also, Jesus had no time to waste and said, “Come down immediately, I MUST stay at your house today!”
          It is amazing that Zacchaeus not only responded but that he gladly welcomed Jesus to his home.
          All the people were gossiping about Jesus going to the house of a sinner. Jesus was about to die for the sins of the whole world and some people had nothing better to do than to criticize Jesus for loving someone.
          We have no idea what was said during that meal, but I am guessing that Matthew must have been involved in the conversations as he could relate, having also been a tax collector and now has been with Jesus for 3 years. Matthew’s life was changed and likely shared his testimony with Zacchaeus.
          RESPONSE:
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."
          Zacchaeus repented in the area of sin that was greatest for him MONEY. It appears he opened his safe, took out half his money and promised to give it to the poor. On top of that, he still had enough money to pay back anyone he had cheated, 4 times as much as he had taken from them. Someone pointed out that he said he would do this, but we have no evidence that he did it. True – but we can assume he did and if not, it was the total attitude and complete heart change that was important even if he didn’t follow through 100% with his new intentions. Jesus believed him and said that what he had done was evidence of his new found salvation.
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”
          “SON OF ABRAHAM”  - he came to Jesus, not by his attitude or actions – they were evidence of what he did have – which was faith in Jesus just like Abraham had faith to take his own son’s life (which by the way he did not end up doing, but it was still counted as righteousness before God.
 
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
          This tax collector needed a change in his life. Jesus is the only one who could give him that change. What about you? Are you a tax collector? Are you a sinner in need of a savior who can change your attitude, actions, and the content of your heart?
 
Psalm 18:16-19     The Message
But me he caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
 
But what about others?
Stephen Sondheim
Careful the things you say - Children will listen
Careful the things you do - Children will see and learn
Children may not obey,-  but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn - Co learn what to be
Careful before you say 'Listen to me' - Children will listen
 
Oliver
Where is love? -  Does it fall from skies above?
Is it underneath the willow tree…that I've been dreaming of?
 
It would seem to me, if we have been sought out and found by Jesus, then we ought to serve him by stopping, looking around, and seeing who we can see up in a tree, in a grocery store line, at a ball game, at work or at school and say, I need to have lunch with you today, come to church with me as together, we feast on God’s word (THEME VERSE ON BANNER)

 
Communion
“O Come to the altar”