You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
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We're going to look at Luke 19 this morning, and there's a well-known story in Luke 19
of Jesus and a wee little man who climbs up a sycamore tree.
I'm not singing, cried enough.
Now, kids, does anybody know who this story is about?
You can say it.
Zacchaeus, that's right.
This is a good one if you like drawing pictures of what we're talking about.
This one's kind of a fun one to draw.
But before we get into the story itself, I want us to look back where we've been the last
few weeks.
Jesus has been encountering some people on his way to Jerusalem.
This is at the very end of his earthly ministry.
He's going to the cross, and he's talking a lot about eternity and about his kingdom, what
it means to be in his family.
In a sense, you can think of Jesus in Luke chapter 18, where we've been.
That's page 877 of the Bible in the pew in front of you, 877 if you want to look at these stories
for just a second.
Think of it as Jesus drafting a team, so to speak, that will show everyone really clearly
what team Jesus is like, what his kingdom is characterized by.
That's kind of what he's doing as he goes through this.
So imagine that draft scenario if you're a sports fan, and you're picking teams.
You've all done that, right?
Jesus picks first, beginning of chapter 18.
With the first selection in the Luke 18 eternal kingdom draft, Jesus selects a widow, one being
treated unjustly, but God's on her side.
Well, the next team is up, the other coach says, I'll take the obvious first pick, give
me the Pharisee.
I'll take the Pharisee on my team, that's tough to beat.
You can't really compete with the Pharisee.
Jesus, why don't you take two picks to kind of make up for it?
And Jesus says, okay, I'll take the tax collector and the little children.
That's what happens next, right?
Those are the ones that Jesus welcomes to him.
But the other team adds the rich young ruler, looking pretty strong here on the other side.
Now we've got religious and social and political power all coming together.
We've got influence happening, quite a team developing.
Jesus, you can have two more to make up for it.
And Jesus selects a blind beggar.
So now we get one more this week.
Blind beggar was last week.
We got one more chance, Jesus.
You're going to need to round this team out a little bit.
We need a quarterback.
We need somebody with some spiritual clout going on here.
Jesus, what do you think this team is missing?
And Jesus says, I'll take another tax collector.
Oh, are you kidding me?
We've already got one of those.
See, it's the upside down, unexpected nature of Jesus's kingdom, isn't it?
The blue chip prospects are out.
They're going to be suiting up for the fighting Pharisees team over here.
You like that?
I worked hard on that.
They're over here.
And the ones who got cut from their middle school football team, they're on Jesus's bad news bears.
If you've ever seen that film.
A widow, two tax collectors, some little children, a blind beggar.
What is Jesus trying to show us here?
What's he doing?
Let's follow the story of Zacchaeus this morning.
We'll end up back at the roster of the bad news bears, but let's walk through this passage together.
Verse 1.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus.
He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
I want you to imagine this morning that you're Zacchaeus.
You're a Jew who has gotten rich off of your former friends and neighbors and your former employees.
So none of them like you anymore.
Most of your friends these days live out of town.
They work for Rome.
You're not wanted anywhere.
Socially outcast, spiritually left out, behaving immorally for a living.
Always hanging out with Gentiles.
But you've learned how to work the system.
And how to make a lot of money.
Then Luke tells us something unexpected.
Zacchaeus was curious about Jesus.
And he was seeking to see who Jesus was.
But on account of the crowd, he could not because he was small in stature.
So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him.
For he was about to pass that way.
Zacchaeus was seeking to see who Jesus was.
I wonder why.
Luke doesn't explain directly and completely.
But why do you think you'd be interested if you were Zacchaeus?
It could be Zacchaeus had started to feel unfulfilled by all his money.
He had this sense that something else of value and significance was out there.
And he felt that gnawing sense of emptiness that many of us have felt at the top of our profession
or the peak of our success in life and just empty.
It could be Zacchaeus felt lonely and left out.
I mean, you look at the text.
Sure, he was short.
But wasn't there somebody in all of Jericho who cared about him enough to let him kind of slip in
up to the front of the crowd where he could see if he wanted to so badly?
Apparently, nobody around cared enough about Zacchaeus.
No one wanted to do him any favors.
Perhaps Zacchaeus felt convicted in his heart over his dishonesty, his thievery, his mistreatment of others.
I mean, he knew this was against God's law, right?
He'd grown up a Jew.
He knew better than this.
But it had been a long time since he cared about God's law.
Well, rumor had it there was this new teacher who had a spin on God's law and spoke of forgiveness.
Maybe you felt one of these things in your own life, that gnawing emptiness, that painful loneliness,
deep conviction.
My life's not the way it should be.
Something that made you say it's at least worth exploring Jesus.
I think the context of this passage especially indicates we should consider another possibility.
In the midst of any or all of those emotions that he was feeling,
it seems quite likely that chief tax collector Zacchaeus would have known that this rabbi was different from all the others
when it came to tax collectors.
You think he'd heard?
That there was a tax collector, Levi, one of the close associates of this Jesus?
In fact, that Jesus was known for hanging out with tax collectors?
That he even told stories about tax collectors being the ones who were in with God?
This was unheard of.
If I was a generally despised and unwelcome tax collector,
such a unique person would interest me.
Who is this Jesus?
What does he have to say to someone like me who the rest of the religious leaders seem to have written off,
but apparently he hasn't?
So for some combination of reasons,
Zacchaeus is interested in Jesus.
I assume for one reason or another you are too,
being here today.
Maybe you just want to see what all the fuss is about.
Maybe there's another person that you want to please and they want you to be here.
Or maybe you've heard about the grace of Jesus,
that he offers relationship with the holy God of the universe to the least deserving,
to people who could never earn it.
That he claims that he is the way and the truth and the life for eternity
and for people whom everyone else has written off.
He apparently doesn't.
He offers eternal life and you're one of those people and so you're here.
Let's see what happens as Jesus passes the sycamore tree.
Well, actually, he doesn't pass it, does he?
Jesus has this knack for stopping for the most unexpected people.
Verse 5,
When Jesus came to the place,
he looked up and said to him,
Zacchaeus, hurry and come down for I must stay at your house today.
Jesus calls him by name
and he invites himself into his home.
This is remarkably unusual.
This would never happen.
And Jesus says on top of that,
It's really important.
I must stay at your house, he says.
Of all the houses in Jericho,
I must stay at your house, Zacchaeus.
It's our first indication here that Jesus is an even better seeker
than Zacchaeus is, isn't he?
Isn't that true for us?
And isn't that such good news?
That God knows us?
And that he pursues us way better than we do him?
Jesus is coming into Zacchaeus' home
and he tells him he's going to stay at his home
while Zacchaeus is still sitting up there in the tree,
awkwardly,
kind of looking down.
Did I get caught up here?
And Jesus says,
Hey, I'm coming into your house.
We're going to have fellowship.
We're going to have relationship.
It's this glorious picture of the grace of Jesus
that meets us where we are
and doesn't leave us where we are.
More on that in a bit.
But Jesus meets Zacchaeus in the middle of a messy life
where Zacchaeus has very little sorted out
and Jesus invites himself into that mess,
that confusion,
that curiosity that Zacchaeus has.
You know, he may be doing that with you this morning.
He may be even more eager to know you
than you are to know him.
You don't have to figure everything out first.
That's not how it works with Jesus.
His grace is so big
that you can come with your mess,
with your persistent questions you still have,
with your ongoing struggles
that you haven't sorted out yet.
You can come to him and he's big enough
and his grace is enough to handle it.
Zacchaeus, hurry and come down.
So, verse 6,
he hurried and came down
and received Jesus joyfully.
The first indication that Jesus,
having met Zacchaeus where he was,
doesn't leave him there.
Let me suggest to you,
remember, you're Zacchaeus, right?
Try to feel what he's feeling.
Just imagine,
Zacchaeus probably hadn't had a lot of house guests recently.
Certainly none who were Jewish.
No rabbis over for dinner
in a long time in Zacchaeus' house.
Said too much in this culture
about your relationship,
who you were to be with a despicable tax collector
in that kind of intimate setting.
But Jesus doesn't hesitate, does he?
He enters in
and Zacchaeus is overjoyed.
Jesus doesn't leave him alone.
The first big change that we see for Zacchaeus
is that he has a relationship
and it brings him joy.
Relationship with Jesus brings joy,
deep joy,
especially into a tired life.
I didn't say constant happiness
where everything works out all the time
and always goes your way,
but joy.
Most of us know what it's like
to live with little or no joy.
Even after you've met Jesus,
many of us know the drudgery
of living life without relying on him.
You can talk to anyone in this room,
but it's a big part of my story.
I've been in the church my whole life.
Living in the church
and trying to keep up the appearance
that you've got things together all the time
is exhausting.
Yes?
Pretending you don't struggle deeply
and you can handle things on your own
is burdensome.
Trying to be good enough
day after day after day
becomes often joyless drudgery.
Don't tell me that it doesn't
because I know better.
It can be hard.
In fact, I think the most exhausting part for me
that I've experienced at different times in my life
is trying to pretend you have joy
when you don't.
That's an exhausting thing to fake, isn't it?
I'm joyful, but I'm not.
But knowing that Jesus
is good enough for me
that He actually takes my burden
and frees me from that
to live and to love,
there's so much joy there, isn't there?
Have you felt that difference?
And knowing I live in union with Him
safe in His grace
that I'm beloved even in my failures
on the joy of that.
That's joy you can only find in Jesus.
Only in relationship with Him
can that be true.
Only by knowing Jesus
do we find that joy
that we've looked for
in so many other places.
And Zacchaeus finds that.
Jesus doesn't leave us
where we are.
Alone.
Exhausted.
Joyless.
Verse 7,
others start grumbling
about the sinfulness
of Jesus' new friend.
And meanwhile,
Jesus is transforming
Zacchaeus.
Verse 8,
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord,
Behold, Lord,
the half of my goods
I give to the poor
and if I've defrauded
anyone of anything,
I restore it fourfold.
What in the world?
What's happening here?
The thieving tax collector
who we all know
is used to scheming
how much he can take,
is scheming now
how much he can give.
What's happened?
We don't get all the details
of his conversation with Jesus,
but his response
to the good news
you can't miss,
can you?
This is not like Zacchaeus.
This is how the grace
of Jesus works
in our lives.
Jesus meets us
where we are,
but as we get to know
who he is,
we're not the same person
anymore.
The only explanation
for this radical change
in Zacchaeus
is that he no longer
finds life
in the same place,
does he?
The money he hoped
would make him happy
and significant,
but you can have it.
He now has a better source.
Everyone can see it.
So when the value of Jesus
comes home
in your heart,
people will see a change.
That's what his grace does.
Some of you have shared with me
an instantaneous change,
freedom from the need
for drugs
or alcohol
or pornography
or something like that
when Jesus came into your life.
And then sometimes
the impact of experiencing
the grace of Jesus
works change in us
over time
and it attacks
even more acceptable idols
that are every bit as wicked.
Most of you know
I'm a sports guy,
which means that
I used to play sports
and now I watch
others play sports.
That's what that means.
But most of you
don't know
the version of me
whose emotions
went up and down
based on the results
of the game.
I mean,
I still enjoy a good game,
don't get me wrong,
but I don't find life there
like I used to.
In fact,
I remember being in India
last fall
and just so excited
about what God
was doing there
that I genuinely,
I nearly forgot
Clemson was even playing
and I honestly struggled
to care about the game
when I did remember.
Another subtle one
where Jesus is
still practically working
on my heart
is food
or better,
comfort eating.
where do you go
when you're getting
overwhelmed
or discouraged?
How do you soothe
your anxious heart?
We all go somewhere.
Food has often been
a go-to for me
and often one
that I have used
to avoid needing
and resting in
and rejoicing in Jesus.
and go somewhere else
to take the edge off.
And God is teaching me
that repentance,
real,
true repentance
can actually look like
walking away
from the donut
and actually
turning to Jesus
for a few minutes
and receiving comfort
from Him
and acknowledging to Him
that I need Him
rather than trying
to ignore that
and find comfort
somewhere else.
And it really is fuller
and longer lasting
comfort
that I find in Jesus.
For some of you
it may be food.
For many of you
it is sports.
But there are other things.
Where is the glory
of Jesus' grace
displacing in your heart
another source of life?
And where does that still
practically need to happen
in your heart?
Where does the glory
of knowing Him
and being freed
by who Jesus is
need to push out
another place
that you run
for comfort
in your pain?
What a beautiful thing
when Jesus helps
the money addict
become generous
like we just read.
When He helps
the sports addict
become reasonable.
The food addict
become self-controlled.
the success addict
become content.
Whether it happens
overnight
or whether it happens
over 50 years.
It's beautiful
what He does.
And that those things
happen
not because we one day
figured life out.
That's not how it works.
It's not what happened
for me.
I didn't one day decide
I've got my stuff together
and I'm going to live
the way I should.
But it happens
because we're so full
of Jesus
that we don't need
to draw life
out of anything else.
Indeed Jesus says
here's what's happened.
Verse 9
Today
salvation
has come
to this house
since He also
is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man
came to seek
and to save
the lost.
This is what
salvation looks like
Jesus says.
Certainly not that
Zacchaeus has earned it
but that Zacchaeus
is demonstrating
true faith
which always
has new life
as a part of it.
Something else
that's more valuable
than what I used to value.
Zacchaeus knows
and loves
the one whom
to know
is life itself
is fullness of life
and freedom
and joy.
Today salvation
has come
to this house.
Yes
salvation
Jesus
Himself
has come
to this house.
Never has it been
more true
than it was
this day
with Zacchaeus.
When Jesus
walks into your
life
salvation
safety
eternal
security
present
fullness
is yours.
Knowing Him
is what makes
all the difference.
It can happen
today.
It's not
complicated
what happens
with Zacchaeus.
You can trust
Jesus
right now
and know
a fullness
of life
that you have
never known
before
and that's
possible
only because
that's why
Jesus came.
I love
the conclusion
of this passage.
It reminds us
that it's a story
about Zacchaeus
but the point
is really all
about Jesus
isn't it?
That's the main
point.
He came
to seek
and to save
the lost.
Zacchaeus
was seeking
who Jesus
was
but Jesus
is such
a better
seeker.
He knew
who Zacchaeus
was.
He was beyond
that.
And he was
seeking Him
not merely
to see Him
but to save
Him.
Now that's
good news.
Jesus
wants not just
to have a
conversation
not just
to lay
eyes on
you.
Jesus
wants to
save you
if you're
confused,
empty,
guilty.
Jesus
is here
to save
you.
It's what
He does.
It's why
He came.
Just admit
that you're
exhausted,
running out
of gas,
looking to be
enough on your
own has
bankrupted you
and let
Him fill
you up.
I remember
in grade
school doing
this team
building exercise
where they
blindfolded all
of us and
then they took
us out into
a forest and
put our hands
on a rope
and we were
supposed to
find our way
out of the
rope maze.
I hate to be
a spoiler but
if you've ever
done this before
it's just a
circle of rope
that goes
around several
different trees
and just keeps
going and so
you walk along
like that and
the whole point
is acknowledging
that you can't
get out on
your own and
so you win
by holding up
your hand and
asking for help
and the facilitator
pulls you out
and takes off
your blindfold
and says,
hey look,
here's the rope
maze.
You haven't
gone but ten
feet.
It took a long
time for this
stubborn,
self-sufficient
guy to raise
his hand.
Are you there
this morning?
Are you tired
of being stuck?
In an unfulfilling
loop of life
where you've been
living there
and you just
can't get out
of it?
You ready to
acknowledge your
need for help?
Jesus came
just for us
to seek
and to save
the lost.
Isn't that
beautiful and so
glorious when we
see ourselves
there?
He didn't come
to hone in on
the holy.
but to locate
the lost.
He didn't come
to sort out
the most eligible
bachelorette
and give her a rose
but to rescue
the lost
princess.
He didn't come
to build a super
team roster
of the most
qualified people
he could find
but to display
his grace
to those
who weren't.
Remember that
draft board
we started
with?
The bad news
bears roster
includes
widows
tax collectors
children
blind beggars
elsewhere
we see Jesus
include prostitutes
demon possessed
murderers
just a few
verses
from Luke
to that point
on your
bulletin
to show you
this consistent
heart
moving toward
the lowly.
Pray through
these this week
or discuss
them in your
connect community
this morning
but
but this list
of lowly
people
is such
good news
because it
means that
I could be
on that team
too.
Maybe
I could
actually be
on Jesus'
team
if we're
honest
it's hard
to believe
that we're
so unworthy
of that
aren't we?
I was talking
with a friend
this week
and just
marveling
together
that often
God's grace
does seem
too good
to be true
I mean
he's holy
in that he
would choose
to be in
relationship
with repeat
offenders
who do the
same awful
stuff again
with intentional
rebels
who willfully
turn their
back on him
and run
the other
direction
with people
who don't
even love
the other
people they
pick to
love
much less
everybody
else
and yet
he does
it seems
impossible
to us
and so
Jesus
shows us
and tells
us again
yes
it's true
I came
to seek
and to
save
the lost
if you
know
Jesus
this morning
that's
who you
were
apart
from
him
lost
but now
found
by a
God
who
seeks
and
saves
people
like
us
the weak
the foolish
the lowly
nobodies
so that we
might not
boast in
ourselves
but boast
only in
him
so that we
might go
into the
world
proclaiming
not how
wise
or moral
or better
than someone
else we
are
but how
gracious
and merciful
and perfect
beyond what
we can
imagine
he is
a God
who seeks
out lost
people wherever
they are
and saves
them into
relationship
and joy
and life
that he
created them
for
what a
glorious
savior
is Jesus
rejoice
and trust
him
today
one last
thing
for those
of you
already
living
in the
joy
of
relationship
with
Jesus
we
talked
last
week
about
Jesus
heart
in this
section
being
for us
to bring
others
to him
for us
to show
everyone
Jesus
remember
that
well this
morning
I think
as we
look at
this team
that Jesus
selects
he's
reminding
us
particularly
not to
overlook
bringing
the least
the lost
the littlest
the lonely
and the
left out
to him
we say
it this
way as
a church
because we
are aware
of our
own
weaknesses
and
dependence
upon
God
we want
to introduce
fellow
sinners
to the
great
physician
in whom
the broken
and hurting
find refuge
and a
home
in other
words
having been
recruited
from our
lostness
onto
Jesus'
team
he has
made us
ambassadors
scouts
if you
will
who should
see the
least of
these
and think
Jesus would
want to
see them
who should
see an
email like
the one
that many
of you
got Friday
from Angela
and say
oh there's
there's
children on
a Sunday
morning
some of
our special
children who
need care
and think
yes Jesus
would want
to see
them
what a
perfect
person to
show the
love of
Jesus to
who hear
about special
youth in
the lodge
on Monday
nights and
say oh
what perfect
people for me
to introduce
to Jesus
he would love
to meet
them
and in
particular as
we see
Zacchaeus'
story we
should remember
Jesus' love
for the
lost
should ask
if we
share it
he's come
to save
the poor
and needy
yes
but also
the rich
and needy
the successful
businessman
like Zacchaeus
who is
desperate
for true
fulfillment
the frantic
mother of
three who
is desperate
for true
rest
the wandering
young student
who is
desperate
for purpose
and meaning
in life
and they
live next
door to you
they work
in the next
office and
they attend
the same
class
what a
perfect
person
for you
to show
Jesus
to
he would
love
to meet
them
if you
see them
and realize
they're as
lost as you
once were
and still
some days
feel
tell them
about Jesus
who's already
seeking
lost people
to save
he would
love
to meet
them
let's pray
Jesus thank you
thank you for
being a better
seeker than
we are
we get so
lost and
confused in
life
we get
distracted by
so many
things
and you
keep
looking
for us
when you
find us
you save
us
you don't
leave us
there stuck
you
you make
us new
thank you
might we
rejoice
in your
heart
might we
praise you
for loving
us like
that
might we
share that
heart
and love
the lost
as you
have loved
us
do that
work in us
we pray
in Jesus
name
amen
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