There used to be an ad for lamb, I think. It showed a teenage girl receiving a call from a radio station telling her, ‘You’ve won a date with Tom Cruise’. This was before the break up with Nicole Kidman, something that Aussies cannot get over. And then the girl says, ‘When?’ ‘This Saturday’, comes the response. And she says, ‘Sorry, mum is cooking a lamb roast’.
Do you remember that ad? It works off the reality that if someone is important enough, it doesn’t matter whether they invite themselves over. They don’t need an invitation.
Perhaps you might feel the same about a visit from the Queen, or a movie star or other celebrity, or a religious figure. It doesn’t matter when they come over, you will clear your diary, change your plans, drop everything to accommodate him or her. Because relationship with this person is so important that everything else becomes unimportant.
Today we are going to Jesus inviting himself over to someone else’s house. And this was unexpected and life changing. The person was so gobsmacked that he will never be the same again.
Jesus is continuing his journey to Jerusalem. And the last main city before Jerusalem is Jericho. After Jericho, Jesus has an 18 mile uphill walk to his launchpad of a cross.[1] For Jerusalem was to be his exodus.
But like so many farewell tours, Jesus does at times take the scenic route. He does take stops and breaks—I guess like us, he took breaks every two hours or so. But not to have a sleep, for Jesus wants to make the most of the journey. If the point of heading to Jerusalem is to save sinners, of course he will make sure he maximizes the opportunities along the way.
We’ve met lost people before in Luke. At one level, everyone we’ve met in Luke’s Gospel except Jesus is lost. For Jesus said that ‘no one is good, except God alone’. Jesus is God, so Jesus is good. Everyone else is not good, but evil (Luke 11:13). That’s you and me. So we all are lost, unless Jesus does something about it.
But at another level, there are those who have respectable sins, and others who have socially unacceptable sins. They are just like us. For our society has socially acceptable sins—like divorce, homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, conspicuous consumption, white lies about Santa Clause, swearing and road rage. And our society still has socially unacceptable sins—like rape, paedophilia, incest, domestic violence to women and children.
And so did first century Jewish society. There were the normal sinners and the notorious sinners. And Zacchaeus was one of those notorious sinners. He was socially unacceptable. For he was a tax collector.
Now, it’s not that bad in our society if you work for the Australian Taxation Office. Some might even say that it is a good, respectable government job. But in first century Judea, being a tax collector meant you were a thief, a spiv, a cheat. You were worse than a dodgy used car salesman. For you robbed your own people to give to the Roman army, and creamed the top off for yourself.
Recently in Luke, we have met some fictitious ‘lost’ people. We met the ‘lost’ son—as well as the lost sheep and lost coin. We met the tax collector who went up to the temple who was ‘the sinner’. They were all lost, but were fictitious lost. This passages shows us that those fictitious lost people represented real lost people. Luke now introduces us to a real lost person.
Just like in our community, there are real people who have made terrible decisions in their lives. There are people who are socially unacceptable. And so we are introduced to Zacchaeus. Rich, like the rich young ruler. A tax collector, like the one in the Parable and Matthew the disciple. And short, like… well, short people.
Short people got no reason, short people got no reason , short people got no reason to live. They got little hands and little eyes and they walk around tellin' great big lies . They got little noses and tiny little teeth. They wear platform shoes on their nasty little feet.
Well, I don't want no short people, don't want no short people, d on't want no short people round here.
They got little baby legs and they stand so low , you got to pick 'em up just to say hello … They got grubby little fingers and dirty little minds. They're gonna get you every time.
Well, I don't want no short people, don't want no short people, don't want no short people 'round here[2]
Randy Newman’s song is a bit mean to short people isn’t it? But it is pretty spot on for Zacchaeus. For short Zacchaeus, with his little hands and little eyes, he walked around Jericho tellin’ great big lies. He had grubby little fingers and a dirty little mind. He got the people of Jericho every time. So they didn’t want short Zacchaeus ‘round there.
His business was oppressing them. His professional energies and talents were spent working out how to squeeze more money out of them. And they certainly didn’t expect what happened when Jesus came to town.
For when Jesus comes to town, the first will be last and the last will be first. Little Zacchaeus hears Jesus is coming through Jericho. So now is the time of action. Like the blind man, now is the time to get up and run. And that’s what little Zacchaeus does. He’s a shorty, nor does he have platform shoes. So he anticipates where he will be able to catch a glimpse of Jesus, he sees a tree and climbs it, in the hope of getting a look. I imagine this was all a bit undignified for the rich chief tax collector, just like running was undignified for the father of the prodigal. But Zacchaeus’ efforts are rewarded. For Jesus looks up, and urges Zacchaeus to get out of his tree, because Jesus is going to lodge with him that night.
Imagine if someone special comes by. It might be Princess Kate or Prince Harry, or the Queen. It might be Nicole Kidman, or Hugh Jackman, or Barack Obama, or the Pope. And imagine that there was in your midst a wretched criminal—Martin Bryant the Port Arthur murderer, or Mr Bubbles the paedophile, or Man Monis the Lindt Café Terrorist, or the Anita Coby murderers. And the special person chose one of those people to spend their limited and precious time with. And you miss out.
I’m sure you would say, ‘Why is she going with him?’ Doesn’t he know who he is, and what he did?’
Of course the people of Jericho would complain when Jesus singled Zacchaeus out for an exclusive dinner party. And you and I would be jealous and angry too. We would complain and feel ripped off. Of course we would—unless we knew that Jesus loved us too, and promised to spend an eternity with us so that we knew that we wouldn’t miss out, and that Jesus never would let us miss out. We would whinge and complain, unless we were assured that Jesus loved us and wanted to spend time with us forever. Then we could perhaps put up with it.
But there is something more important than the important person spending time with us, if we are not lost anymore, but have been found. It is important for Jesus the good shepherd to search them out the lost sheep. This is why Jesus says it was necessary for him to stay at Zacchaeus’ house. Because Jesus is all about seeking and saving the lost. That’s Jesus’ job. Jesus is the friend of tax collectors and sinners, who eats with them, so that they too can be saved.
In Luke 15, the older son didn’t understand this, and so he didn’t understand his father’s joy. In Luke 18, the Pharisee didn’t understand this either, for he was so glad he wasn’t like the tax collector that he forgot to ask for forgiveness, and so he didn’t get it. And in Luke 18, the Rich Ruler didn’t understand it, because he thought he was good enough and had kept the law … but not really, because he asked the question in the first place.
Usually, someone inviting themselves over is either the height of rudeness, or a mark of familiarity. But none of us mind if it is someone we really want to come over. Jesus as creator of the universe has every right to invite himself over to our homes and into our lives. At the very least, it is the landlord coming to inspect our care of the house of our lives that he has kindly let to us. But it is more than this. It is an invitation to relationship, a relationship that brings real life, and fulfilment, and salvation. What it really is, is the creator and sustainer of the universe wanting to spend eternity with us, and so he starts in the here and now. So precious are we to him, that Jesus wants us to eat with him forever .
Jesus inviting himself over to Zacchaeus’ house is a picture of what Jesus wants to do with everyone, and indeed, with each of us here. For the risen Jesus Christ says:
Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens up the door I will come in, and eat with him, and he will me. (Revelation 3:20)
He wants you and me to accept him as he invites himself into our lives. Have you? Have you invited Jesus into your life. He is knocking. He wants each of us to open up, as he invites himself into our lives. And as he invites himself over, he only wants good for us. For that is why he has come.
For Zacchaeus will be changed as a result of the encounter. The Rich Ruler met Jesus, too. He met Jesus, but went away sad. The encounter didn’t transform the Rich Ruler.
But it's different with Zacchaeus. For with Zacchaeus, we see the power of accepting Jesus’ offer of friendship. For the mere invitation brings repentance to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus knew exactly what he had to do. He had been stingy and a cheat. He had ripped off his own people. But Jesus’ random act of kindness drew from him his own thankful kindnesses. Jesus showed kindness, and then Zacchaeus showed kindness. And Zacchaeus’ immediate plan is both both generous and just.
He made donation and restitution. I will freely and generously give to others who aren’t as well off as I am. And I will return with 400% interest what I’ve wrongly taken from others.
Meeting Jesus, and understanding his kindness and compassion, means we too can be compassionate and kind. For he who has been forgiven much loves much. Perhaps that’s our problem, if we are stingy. Perhaps we don’t understand Jesus’ love for us. Perhaps we are too much like the rich ruler, who thinks he has to be good enough by keeping the law, but is rightly afraid that he hasn't done enough. Perhaps we are too much like the Pharisees, because we think ourselves righteous, and look down on everyone else. Perhaps we are like the older brother in the parable, who believes his father is a harsh and stingy slave driver who never gives us anything good.
If so, we need to become like Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was both a conspicuous sinner and a notorious penitent. And we need to confess publicly both our sinfulness and need of being saved, and boldly run to get a glimpse of Jesus, and then take hold of Jesus’ wonderful offer of friendship to us when he invites himself into our lives.
For in Zacchaeus, the camel has gone through the eye of the needle. The very hard thing, nay, the impossible thing, has happened. A rich man has been able to give his riches away. He has been able to do it because of the love of Jesus first shown to him. And it is merely the invitation that Jesus gives which empowers it. What the rich ruler was unable to do—leave his possessions—Zacchaeus did, because knowing that he had cheated his neighbour, he rejoiced in the love and acceptance of Jesus.
So for you and me to become like Zacchaeus, and give away our money and pay back what we owe to others, we need to welcome Jesus into our lives. He has invited himself over. Let’s rejoice, and hurry to him, and take him home, into our lives and families. And then we must allow him and his love to loosen our love of money and all of the things that made us the lost sinners that we actually are. Maybe if the Rich Ruler did that, he too would have entered through the eye of the needle, and entered the kingdom.
Healthy people don’t need to line up at the medical centre. That is why Jesus made a bee-line for Zacchaeus. It was necessary for Jesus to come over because he came to seek and save the lost. And when he rejoiced at the offer of friendship that Jesus gave him, money lost its mastery of Zacchaeus, and salvation came to him.
Lostness is not just found in fictitious parables. Lostness has a name, and children, and neighbours. Lostness was epitomized by Zacchaeus. But not any more. Because Jesus found him.
What about you? Are you lost? Then Jesus is knocking at your door.
Have you heard Jesus’ knocking at your door. Then open up and let him in.
Have you let Jesus in. Then rejoice, and in that rejoicing, let go of your riches. Others need them. You have Jesus.
Let’s pray.
1And when he came in, he travelled through Jericho. 2And look, [there was] a man named Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3And he was trying to see who Jesus was, and he was not able to because of the crowd, because he was small in stature. 4And running ahead to the place that was in front of Jesus, he went up a sychamore tree, that he might see Jesus, because he was about to pass by. 5And as he came to the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry, come down, for today I must stay in your house. 6And he hurried down and welcomed him, rejoicing. 7And when they saw [this], they all began complaining, saying ‘he is going to stay with a sinner’. 8But standing up, Zacchaeus said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor, and if I have cheated someone something, I will pay back four times the amount. 9And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because also he is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man cam to seek and to save the lost.
[1] http://bibleresources.americanbible.org/resource/from-jerusalem-to-jericho.
[2] Written by Randy Newman • Copyright © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing.
[3] ἡλικία, ας, ἡ here, stature.
[4] Καταλύω, here, I find lodging.
[5] ἡμίσιά (hēmisia), half.
[6] συκοφαντέω, I accuse falsely, inform against, extort money.
[7] Matt 18:11; Luke 15:4, 6.