Luke 19 vs 1 to 10
I read a wonderful sermon in preparation for today’s message. Roberta Bondi writes about the time that she heard a sermon in church about this passage. The preacher said something like this:
There was once a bad, rich man in Jericho named Zacchaeus who heard that Jesus was coming to town and wanted to see him very much. When Jesus arrived, however, the crowds were thick and Jesus was short, so Zacchaeus couldn’t see him. Then he hit on an idea. He would climb a sycamore tree.
Different? Yes, but why is it we assume that Zaccheus was the short man? Read verse 3 again. It does not indicate who the short man was! But I guess it is because we have these images of Jesus as a beautiful human being with beautiful eyes and perfect behaviour. We spiritualise the humanity of Jesus beyond what Jesus Himself did! And so we tell children to be perfect like Jesus, which is a way of getting them to do everything we want!
Do you think Jesus was really like that? I am sure that he disobeyed his parents at times, did not make his bed, forgot to put his toys away. None of that constitutes sin – which is rebellion against the purpose for which we were created – to serve God in proclaiming and living by His standards of justice and truth.
What can we learn then from the story of Zaccheus and Jesus?
1. CONVERSION IS COMPLETE CHANGE
When Zaccheus encountered Jesus he immediately chose to bring reparations to those whom he had harmed and cheated. When we experience God in our lives we have to make a radical change to behaviour that is destructive and does not help us live they way we were meant to live. The process may not always be quite as swift as it was in Zaccheus’s case but there has to be a willingness and openness to redress and correct behaviour that has led us away from God.
I guess this is possible because Jesus offers Himself to all people so that change can occur in their lives.
God sees the potential in us, even the great sinners, like Zacchaeus. When Jesus saw him did he see a tax collector?
Tony Campolo relates a story about himself. Once he asked a class of students
Do you think Jesus was really like that? I am sure that he disobeyed his parents at times, did not make his bed, forgot to put his toys away. None of that constitutes sin – which is rebellion against the purpose for which we were created – to serve God in proclaiming and living by His standards of justice and truth.
What can we learn then from the story of Zaccheus and Jesus?
1. CONVERSION IS COMPLETE CHANGE
When Zaccheus encountered Jesus he immediately chose to bring reparations to those whom he had harmed and cheated. When we experience God in our lives we have to make a radical change to behaviour that is destructive and does not help us live they way we were meant to live. The process may not always be quite as swift as it was in Zaccheus’s case but there has to be a willingness and openness to redress and correct behaviour that has led us away from God.
I guess this is possible because Jesus offers Himself to all people so that change can occur in their lives.
God sees the potential in us, even the great sinners, like Zacchaeus. When Jesus saw him did he see a tax collector?
Tony Campolo relates a story about himself. Once he asked a class of students
"What do you reckon Jesus would have said to a prostitute?"
Campolo was apparently preparing himself to be able to speak about Jesus' compassion and understanding. At one particular point in the discussion a Jewish student responded:
Campolo was apparently preparing himself to be able to speak about Jesus' compassion and understanding. At one particular point in the discussion a Jewish student responded:
"Jesus never saw a prostitute."
Campolo began to sensitively suggest that Jesus in fact related to a number of prostitutes. The Jewish man interrupted him and said:
"Dr. Campolo you didn't hear me ... Jesus never saw a prostitute."
Campolo responded again with a situation from the Gospels. Again the man said:
"You're not listening to me ... Jesus never saw a prostitute."
Suddenly, Campolo understood. When Jesus looked at someone he looked beyond their situation and he looked beyond their own perceptions and societies' configuration of them. He always saw the whole person and who they could construct themselves to be through the journey of conversion.
Unfortunately this is not very easy – look at how many of the religious leaders of the day turned away from Jesus because they were unwilling to change.
The same can be said of many sitting in churches today. When presidents of countries and political groups call on the name of God as they invoke their powers to go to war and kill and destroy, often for very vague and nebulous reasons, then conversion is not occurring. Imagine if Zaccheus had said to Jesus : “Come into my heart and come and eat with my family. I am now going to serve you”. I wonder how Jesus would have responded. I am sure Jesus had heard many promises before – and often these were not followed by any change of behaviour.
2. CONVERSION IS CHANGE IN OUR WHOLE BEING
The Biblical notion of conversion is spiritual, psychological and social. For Zaccheus the way that he thought about change was to bring justice to those he had previously treated in an unjust manner.
IN 1981 Jim Wallis wrote, in his book The Call to Conversion:
“The goal of biblical conversion is not to save souls apart from history but to bring the kingdom of God into the world with explosive force; it begins with individuals but is for the sake of the world. The more strongly present that goal is, the more genuinely a biblical conversion is. Churches today are tragically split between those who stress conversion but have forgotten its goal, and those who emphasise Christian social action but have forgotten the necessity for conversion”.
Biblical conversion, as we see in the story of Zaccheus, is about a profound change in one’s belief system as well as one’s living.
Conclusion
The scriptures encourage us today to make a difference in our communities as a result of the work that God has and is doing in our lives. Zaccheus went from being rich to being poor in order to bring justice where once there was only injustice.
You see the work of justice is not the responsibility of government or any other force or power. It is our work.
Because of the conversion of our lives we must live lives that reflect the God of justice who has come for all people.
Let us stop waiting for the church to do something, or the state, or anyone else. Let us start today and begin changing our lives so that others can see what God has done and is doing.
AMEN.
Unfortunately this is not very easy – look at how many of the religious leaders of the day turned away from Jesus because they were unwilling to change.
The same can be said of many sitting in churches today. When presidents of countries and political groups call on the name of God as they invoke their powers to go to war and kill and destroy, often for very vague and nebulous reasons, then conversion is not occurring. Imagine if Zaccheus had said to Jesus : “Come into my heart and come and eat with my family. I am now going to serve you”. I wonder how Jesus would have responded. I am sure Jesus had heard many promises before – and often these were not followed by any change of behaviour.
2. CONVERSION IS CHANGE IN OUR WHOLE BEING
The Biblical notion of conversion is spiritual, psychological and social. For Zaccheus the way that he thought about change was to bring justice to those he had previously treated in an unjust manner.
IN 1981 Jim Wallis wrote, in his book The Call to Conversion:
“The goal of biblical conversion is not to save souls apart from history but to bring the kingdom of God into the world with explosive force; it begins with individuals but is for the sake of the world. The more strongly present that goal is, the more genuinely a biblical conversion is. Churches today are tragically split between those who stress conversion but have forgotten its goal, and those who emphasise Christian social action but have forgotten the necessity for conversion”.
Biblical conversion, as we see in the story of Zaccheus, is about a profound change in one’s belief system as well as one’s living.
Conclusion
The scriptures encourage us today to make a difference in our communities as a result of the work that God has and is doing in our lives. Zaccheus went from being rich to being poor in order to bring justice where once there was only injustice.
You see the work of justice is not the responsibility of government or any other force or power. It is our work.
Because of the conversion of our lives we must live lives that reflect the God of justice who has come for all people.
Let us stop waiting for the church to do something, or the state, or anyone else. Let us start today and begin changing our lives so that others can see what God has done and is doing.
AMEN.
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