Jesus Came to Seek and Save the Lost - Luke 19:1-10

Luke chapter 19 beginning in the first one. I took verse 10. You can stay seated for this. Reading the God's word tells us this Jesus entered Jericho and is passing through, a man was there by the name of Zacchaeus Was a chief tax collector in his wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was up because he was sure he could not see over the crowd. So, we ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way. I'm sorry since you was coming that way. When Jesus reach the spot, he looked up and said to him is that he has come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. So we came down at once and welcome him. Gladly all the people saw this and began to mutter, he is going to be the guest of a sinner. Is that key is stood up and said to the Lord, look Lord here. And now I give half of my possessions to the poor and if I've cheated anybody out of anything I will pay back four times. The amount Jesus said to him today, salvation has come to this house because this man to is a son of Abraham, and the son of man came to seek and to save the Lost The word of God for the people of God. Thanks, be unto God. How many if you've heard this before? Zacchaeus Was a wee little man. And wee little man. Was he climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord. He wanted to see and has a savior passed that way. He looked up in the tree, Zacchaeus you come down or I'm coming to your house today. Yes, I'm coming to your house today or I would be here. Came this morning read that text. I know one of the big questions in your mind was is he going to sing or mention that song at all in the sermon? So I just wanted to get that out of the way so we can proceed up. Some of you might be what was that weird little jingle. That's just simply a children's song that is quite popular and if you are in the church, buy it from a young age, you probably have heard that and it's quite catch you because I haven't heard that song. Probably in 15 years until I read this and the night. I Googled VeggieTales that does that Keya song and I listen to it again but I just remember dad hasn't missed a beat song, it is quite what does well in terms of simplifying. What this passage is about and that is Jesus meeting with Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus meeting with Jesus. Now if I would have just steal this passage down into one, kind of big truth that I want you to cling on to today. It's, it would be this when you meet Jesus in humility, he will save you and he will change you. When you meet Jesus in humility, he will save you and he will change you. As you might be a part of that song named her for the first time, what is one detail that that song leaves out an interview? Catch it white room, you read the text. There's there's something and intriguing about Zacchaeus at the song doesn't mention did any of you see it and you can give me feedback here. What did it not? What did it leave out about Zacchaeus? 10 again. You can pay back the money that it's close to it. It go back a little bit. What what's the application there? He was wealthy, go back a little more. Why was he wealthy?

Zacchaeus Was a tax collector. Okay. Now, to God, our time to unpack this passage. What is this mean? Was it mean for us today, we're going to consider three big things. Number one, the short stingy sinner number to The God Who became a guest. Then finally, the change that comes from a new heart separately, the short stingy Sinner by Zacchaeus to text tells its voice to a man was there by the name of Zacchaeus, he was a chief tax collector and he was wealthy. Are you stop right there? If that description of this man doesn't immediately cause you to be repulsed and angry at him, I want to try to insert you into the first century context. Is he in the first century with the Jewish people, they were under Roman rule, right? They weren't just in the land of the free and the home of the brave. They were underneath the rule of the you know, the brutal Roman Empire. And the Romans. And the Jews. They weren't necessarily, buddy, buddy, far from it. Now you see the Romans, they disrespected? The Jewish way of life, they mocked the scriptures. They didn't acknowledge the one true God, that the Jews believe. Then they were always looking over the Jews. Shoulders, always kind of just seeing, what, what they would do. Making sure there was no hint of insubordination, and if there was any whiff of it, right there would be jail. Time. Execution, or seizure of property? I said, the Jews already. Looked at the Roman people above him. Very disfavor, play it with a lot of animosity. When the Roman government ruled over them as is often the case throughout history who ever is ruling. Typically takes advantage of those who are below. So what did they do? They set up a quite a thorough taxation system to just make money right there where we can just sit up here and I'll palaces and our houses and we can just make money just by the fact that their existing they live back in the day. I should know by text season, just ended but back then there's no e-filing allowed. So you actually had to have face-to-face interactions with the tax collector. The Roman government did with a set up Tax Collectors, tax boobs, tax stations all throughout the land of Israel. That the Israelites that the Jewish people would have to meet them face-to-face to hand over their money. But here's a little catch though, but the tax collectors were Jewish men. You might be wondering what? What was that come from? When you see the Romans were smart? They knew that if they, they were able to buy some of the Jewish people, there would be less resistance to resist them. And so, the Jewish people, those who chose to become tax collectors, they would have had to renounce their family. They would have had to have spit in, their parents faces renounce, their Heritage renounce, their religion renounce their way of life. So they would serve the cruel. God, this Roman leaders above them. You might think who on Earth would do such a thing like that, but if you're in the community, if you have good relationship with your family, who would want to be a tax collector, would be somebody who would be extremely greedy. It would have been just a lowlife, or would have just been a criminal. So, immediately, those who would have been Tax Collectors, would have already had its favorable view amongst society as a whole. Can I see the text? Zacchaeus Was a chief tax collector and he was wealthy. Here's another little. Now you may have heard this before but tax collectors in the first century. It it's not as though. Today, we justify or maybe console ourselves with taxes by saying you do our taxes today. They provide infrastructure, education, and law enforcement are these different public services. And, you know, there's just the best of all what taxes provide are the different Modern Art sculptures throughout the the city. And then in the first century though are there was none of that is one author. Said the Jewish people were paying their oppressors to oppress them but there's no reception reciprocity here. And let's say for example this past week you made $100 it. Let's just say the Roman government charged $1 to $1 per hundred the tax collector. Zacchaeus in this instance, the chief by the Kingpin of this region around Jericho. He could have when it was time for you to meet him face-to-face. He could say. All right, you know what Chris you owe me 1750? Even though Rome only required $1, they could have pocketed that extra 1650 and you can't argue with them. You cannot argue. You cannot debate. You come out to this unfair you can't do that. Again with of insubordination execution jail or seizure of property. So you have to comply it gets even more Insidious for them or if you just paid to that key, as soon as say another Tax Collectors walking by, they just happened to look at you and they just are having a bad day. They could just say, you know what, Chris, you still owe me $30 today, even though you just paid it, you cannot refuse it. With, with all of that background, how would you view a tax collector? Would you want to have a meal with them? Would you even want to just look them in the eye and smile at them? Would you want to talk to them at all? Absolutely not tax collectors in the first century in first for Century literature. There named among murderers among robbers, right there. They are high on the list of people you stay away from the more than that people. You hate people. You despise. You can see in the Bible we come across a lot of different sinners in the gospels, right? Whether it be a thieves like the thief on the cross or Jesus talks about how there's going to be prostitutes who enter the kingdom of God before the religious Elite by a lot of different Sinners. But the thing about Tax Collectors, it's slightly different is you can't just keep your distance from them. Write a lot of people in it and think about lepers or a blind man or somebody who is deaf those types of people. If you wanted to stay away from than what you just walk on the other side of the road, but a tax collector, you cannot escape the presents. You have to look at them in the eye face-to-face, every so often, So there's a lot of just hatred for and you can just avoid them, there's hatred because you have to see them quite often. Does Ikea's was a chief tax collector and he was very wealthy. A text tells us that because he was a chief tax collector, it's most likely meant that he was, as I mentioned before, he's a Kingpin around Jericho, the text goes on verse three. He wanted to see who Jesus was He wanted to see who Jesus was. Now, that scripture doesn't explicitly. Give us the background on this? I, I was just trying to think. What would cause a curious want to see this man, and I just, I entertained the thought, perhaps, how many of you for the 12 disciples, the 12 apostles, right? So one of them is Matthew and those of you who are familiar with the Bible, you know, Matthew was a tax collector so I like to think maybe Matthew work for Zacchaeus. Maybe Zacchaeus Was Matthews boss. And maybe a Zacchaeus Was at the tax Booth collected, all the money. Jesus comes by calls out to Matthew by name and says hey come and follow me. Matthew gets up. He leaves all of his money. He leaves his career, he leaves all of the status that he had with the high leaders to go follow this Renegade Jewish preacher. That key is probably thought. What on Earth, why would he go do that? Does not care about what's right in front of him. There must be something special or valuable or intriguing or unique about this. Jesus fellow I I've never met him, I've never seen him, but why would anybody leave this? Good post to go follow this guy store in so much trouble in the region. And this is the time where this happened in Jesus's life. This is towards the end Scholars say that this is about 10 days. Before the crucifixion of Jesus, it had public Ministry for three years. And when Jesus preaches, a sermon 5000, plus people hear it. What do you think those 5,000 people do? They go and tell their friends, their family, their neighbors. So just the word has spread rapidly. A lot of people have heard about Jesus and Zacchaeus is one of them. He wants to see who Jesus was, he wants to get a glimpse of him with his own eyes. But you and I know this part right here, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. We don't know explicitly how short he was maybe he was Danny. DeVito sauce was for 10, we don't know exactly. I did. See one when Scholars say that in the first century that statement would have meant that he was at least below 5 ft and you just think about it. He would have been at least a head below everybody that he couldn't see over the crowd. So what does he do? Look at the text before he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way. Now this wasn't, you know, today you today, you think about it, wouldn't it be odd to see a banker or teller in, their their attire, their suit in a tree, just in the middle of the day you just don't see grown. Men are grown adults freely and of course, unless you're playing with kids, right? We get that today, but even more. So, in the first century, it was so much more absurd. You do not see a man of dignity Amana status. Climb a tree, much less run cuz you seem to text zakia's Ran ahead and to run you know, there were two necks back in the day and you had to lift your tunic a bit which would have exposed and the bottom part of your legs which that was shameful. You don't do that, especially as a man in society. So it's like he has disgraced himself and several different because he wanted to get a glimpse of this man. Didn't care about what other people thought he didn't care about how much Social stigma there might be with and how other people might view him. There's just one concern his money. I see this man with my own eyes. I don't really need to talk to him. I don't even need to talk to him. I just want to look at him. That's when I look at the second truth here and that's The God Who became a guest from verse five to seven. Tell us when Jesus, reach the spot, he looked up and said to him is that he has come down immediately. I must stay at your house today so he is a key as he came down at once and welcome him. Gladly all the people saw this and began to mutter, he is going to be the guest of a sinner. Everyone had bated breath here. Right. So Jesus is walking, the sycamore tree, I've read that it could have been at least 60 ft tall is who is a good little tree. Jesus reaches that spot prices in the shade, the text says he looks up. Jesus looks up and looks at Zacchaeus in the eye, the eyes connect immediately. And then Jesus says Zacchaeus, he calls him by name. Not just a you up there. I can't see if you are either say, Hey you tax collector. He says he has an everybody around him. The disciples, the crown who's following him trying to press in on, they're all wondering, was he going to say I hope he gives and what he deserves. I hope he condemns him. I hope he just gives him to Justice and the rat that he deserves for betraying us, but it says, come down. Immediately, I must stay at your house today. This is the first and only time Jesus invites himself over to somebody's home, it's just cleared, Jesus Takes the initiative, Jesus Takes the initiative here. What happens here at Jesus goes to his house. They share our meal together, that communicate so much back then. And even today, you understand that to a degree, right? Think about an intro, let you in the city of Charlottesville a homeless, man homeless person, you may have seen To love them on the most basic level. What do you do? You look them in the eye. That's just the most basic things, look them in the knowledge their Humanity, their existence by looking them in the eye and how many of us we see them we just going to let you know look that we pretend like we don't see them. To love somebody, the bare minimum. You look them in the eye. You go a little further than that. How do you love them? Well, speak to them. Say hello. You love them a little better. You get to know their personal name. I just acknowledge them that they were human. What is their personal name? You love them. A little better. One thing that I try to do with with them, however, I encounter them is he can I get you some food, a person, not comfortable giving money but I I do offer today. What can I get you a meal? There's a restaurant right around the corner to love them. But perhaps the most clear powerful tangible, way that you can love somebody like this is to invite them into your home to cook a meal for them on your stove. Top and even to let them stay at your house to use your shower to stay in the guest bedroom. We get that trailer. It's a holistic way to love somebody and it is one author says that we Christians. We talked about we want to demonstrate love. We're supposed to be people of love, that's in our mission statement. We want to show God's love but one author said hospitality is the Flesh and Blood on the bones of love. In Jesus here, when he initiates, it says that he has come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. Jesus is expressing everybody. I'm going to have fellowship with this, man. I'm going to have a meal with this man. Zacchaeus came down at once, welcome him gladly and then 47 Jesus went to be the guest of a sinner. Medford gospel wrapped up in just a few verses right there. As people have said before in Luke Chapter 5, the Pharisees they were complaining cuz this happened before, Jesus had a meal with Levi with Matthew, the other tax collector and they were all murmuring and complaining. Matthew, or Luke 5:30 the Pharisees asked Jesus. Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Listen to what Jesus said here, it's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick I've not come to call the righteous but Sinners to repentance.

Jesus sharing a meal with this man. It's as if he's declaring to Zacchaeus declaring to the crowd, Zacchaeus you were being forgiven of your evil career. Zacchaeus you were being brought into God's family. Zacchaeus, you're being cured of your addiction. 12th, Zacchaeus, I'm going to transform you into a model of generosity. That is the gospel. Front-and-center explicitly, clear. But then in verses 8 to 10 we see Zacchaeus is change that comes from the new heart.

Zacchaeus received love Grace Hospitality from the Lord. He repents receiver say that he has stood up said to the Lord. Look Lord here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor. If I've cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount I noticed a few things Pick-A-Part Zacchaeus didn't give all of his money away or sometimes in the Bible when you read it you might think your Jesus calls me to sell everything because there was an instance in chapter 18 where Jesus say that, right? If you want to, follow me, if you want to be my disciple, sell all that you have and come follow me. That's not necessarily the case, for every single person wasn't the case for Zacchaeus. He didn't sell everything, but he did give a lot of his money away, particularly to Those whom he has wronged. I'm here for you and I today but if Jesus is not the Lord over your finances, if he's not the master over your wallet, he is not the master of your life. If you claim that Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I follow you. That means your money will be used for his glory for his purposes, and I hope you understand my heart here. I'm not saying that you need to get money to Hillsborough, Baptist Church of the preschool, right? But you are called to be generous with your money. That is clear in Scripture.

But then Jesus continues verse 9 verse 10. In response to Zacchaeus is repentance verse 9. Jesus said to him today, salvation has come to this house because this man, too is a son of Abraham, the son of man came to seek and save the Lost

a few things. I just want to point out here. Sometimes in the Christian church, I think it's it's easy for us to think about Jesus, in Thor, in the Bible, in terms of fire insurance, right? So, Jesus, came, he preached, he went to the Cross. He rose from the dead also that we could go to heaven afterwards. It's all about how what happens after we die. That is a massive part of the Christian narrative. It's not just about the future Christianity. And Christ is about today, because just as Jesus has saved, you just as Jesus has saved you from hell that he has saved you for heaven. So now he wants to change. You give us to transform you. He wants to use you to spread love to spread life in this world today. That's clear with Zacchaeus. Isaac, he has his attitude. Wasn't, you know what? Jesus, I know I'm going to have it now. So I'm just going to sit back and enjoy all my money. I have. Or I'm going to go back to the tax boot so I can just make more money and I was like, he is recognized Lord, you have blessed me so much. You have saved me from the the the idol of greed and of wealth and how that just consumes my heart, it doesn't fill me with true love and happiness. You save me from all that. How can I not share all that you've given me with others who are in need? As Jesus saves us. He also wants to change us.

Jesus says right there, the very end where's Tim? We see explicitly. Why Jesus came into the world? Some commentators say that Luke, 19 verse 10 is the theme. Verse of the Gospel of Luke. This is what the entire Gospel of Luke is about. It is about Jesus stepping into the world coming to seek and to save the Lost coming to look for the lost. But not just coming to look. Also coming to save to rescue or both and I was I've watched a movie before called 127 Hours. I don't know if y'all have heard of that or familiar with that story. It's quite intriguing quite gruesome at the same time. It's about a man who name is Aron Ralston. He is in Utah and he went out hiking in the blue. John Canyon, I believe it's called and he didn't tell anybody where he was going and he was walking along the rim and eventually he was crossing a bunch of different crevices and stuff and he he was on a rock and he caused it to slip and fall and he fell under the canyon and The Rock landed on his arm and pinned him in between a Canon about this wide in his arm was just stuck there just disarmed, everything else? He was he was standing up used upright but he wasn't he the movie depicts him. The trauma he experienced in. Just wondering how much food do I have? How am I going to survive? Am I ever going to get out of here? And is it, can I move the rocky? Tried to move it several times to try to shift with his little, Swiss army knife? Try to chip away the roget nothing work. He tried to use a levee system to to pull it up. Nothing worked. Eventually graphic details. He was able to get his arm, he was able to escape the Rock and to do. So it was a massive amount of blood. It was pouring out everywhere. All right? He was able to climb out of the canyon. And I think I read if I remember right? He that he had lost 25 lb pulling out of his arm, but he had a will to survive. And as he was walking along the trail trying to find his way back to the car. He stumbled upon a family was hiking and if they found him an hour later, he would have been dead. And the family. Are they saw him. They bandaged him better as best as I could, they gave him water. They gave him food and called the authorities reported where this is where we are. The helicopter came rescue them went off to the hospital. Are you still alive to this day? And in that scenario, Did that family come seeking this man? They come seeking Erin They were just out walking. They were just enjoying that that Park, but they still look upon him and they were able to help rescue him. Right and conversely if Aaron he didn't have shown at the time, but if you had five year old child, the five year old child strikes out trying to find his dad trying to look for him actively. Let's say he did find him with the child. Be able to save him five-year-old. No phone. Nothing on them. No, no bandages, no food, no water with a child, have been able to save his dad. No. She with Christ it's both and Christ came looking for us. Looking for you personally, actively looking, but it's not as though as Jesus find you. Now he says, you know, I can't do this, I need to go do something else. I am not able to know you also came because he can save you. He can rescue the sound as though Jesus accidentally stumbled upon you and said, you know, now that I found you and your broken ass now that I found you in your mess, I can do something for you. He came actively looking actively saving you personally my name. This is what I'm going to eat with tacos with. My fellow Christian if you are Christian today. I see two two, big kind of applications and Reflections for you. Firstly. Rejoice in what Jesus has done for you. Hi. This is a the gospel in a nutshell. If Jesus can save, Zacchaeus is ostracize man in society. This this lowlife of Center it again, in terms of how people viewed him, Jesus viewed him as a broken man, who is in need of his grace and Jesus, share that Grace with him. That is how God treats everyone of us. We are all broken. We are all messed up. We're all flawed. We are all sinners. That Jesus moves towards us, all the same, it comes closer to us rejoice and how Christ is treated you. But also do Christian. Remember that is Jesus to save you. He also wants to change you as Jesus has indeed given you access to Heaven. He now wants you to be an agent to bring Heaven to Earth through, love, through Good Deeds. And I asked you, do you have a heart for the lost as our savior does? Are you looking for the Lost? Are you seeking them out for those? Family members, you might know. Are you praying for them? Those friends, you might know for those neighbors who don't follow Jesus and don't love him. Are you praying for them? Are you seeking their well-being? Are you opening up your home and Hospitality sharing the love of Christ? Are you comfortable in the little bubble? Isolating herself from all the mess out there.

Today. Lastly, if you're not a Christian or if you're simply exploring Christianity, trying to figure all this out, you may identify with Zacchaeus at the very beginning of the text. irregardless of Zacchaeus is past and it regardless of your past today, you might be intrigued by this Jesus fellow And I just want you to drop for a moment, all the, the different hypocritical stuff. You might think about the church or Christianity, think about Jesus alone. Are you might be intrigued about Jesus. You want to see him a little more. There's just something appealing, something mysterious. You don't quite figure it out fully and you just want to get a little clear glimpse of him. I tell you, that's a great place to start as a wonderful place to start, but I will say that describes. A lot of people with a lot of people have a little fascination with Jesus but what happens, you know, I can't see if the crowd, it's just too hard and I'm definitely not going to do anything. That might make me look foolish in today's world. I'm not going to pursue the Bible to try to study because if I actually follow it, people in the world, in the culture at my job, they might start mocking me for following something that's so old. I'm just not going to do it is just too much pain and stigma and I'll just keep my distance. I I can look from a distance

Whatever, hesitancy you might have towards Jesus Christ himself. I hope in this text In this passage, you are captivated a little bit by the radical love and beauty that Jesus shows to us broken people. Because it doesn't matter how Grievous your past has been. That's one of the beautiful things about the gospels. Jesus meeting broken, people time, and time again, he receives them, he welcomes them, but he only does that if you're humble, If you're if you say Jesus. I appreciate you but I'm good. I don't really need you. Jesus says, okay if you don't need me, I'm going to go to the least of these, to those who ask to those who humble to those who will receive me into their home. A lot of people want to see Jesus. A lot of people even the gospel. They said Jesus come to a miracle for me. I want you to do something big for me. Lot of people do that, but will you have Jesus into your home? Will you open him? Will you invite him into the home of your heart in humility? That's the big question. And if you do, if you meet Jesus in humility, he will save you and he will change you all for the glory of God. Let's pray and then we'll close with the doxology.

Jesus, we give you thanks today.

for the Glorious truth and verse 10 that you came to seek and to save Us. We are lost. The we're confused, but we are hopeless that we are empty inside.

And we thank you for this beautiful demonstration of what that look like, what that meant. As you saved one of the most despicable people in society at that time.

Lord, as you saved Zacchaeus as you've saved the Apostle Paul dubbed himself, the worst of sinners How much hope how much joy there is for us? In the midst of all of our pain in our heart, ache, and our mistakes,

As we live this life, will you please help us to be your hands and feet that you'll help us to go and do likewise to share? And the minister to those who are Ostracized to those who are the least deserving in society. Father for those who are here, who may not know you personally with met you personally, would you please soften their heart, help them to be open and receptive to you. Jesus, please reveal yourself to them. Please help them to hear your call. Please help them to know you personally.

Holy Spirit. Apart from you. We can do nothing. We need your presents. We need your power. You first today as we share a meal. Now, that's our time we strengthen us so that we might serve you better. Say, all these things to commit to you. In Jesus name. Amen.