Luke 19:1-10
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd, he could not, because he was small of stature.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
5 And 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.”
6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:1-10
Our Assistant Pastor preached a message on this passage last Sunday. His focal point was on how God does care about how we look at and use our money and possessions. He pointed out that the Lord knew Zacchaeus had truly changed in his heart, since he was willing to restore his financial mistakes and part with a great deal of his ill gotten gains. Our Pastor also pointed out that everything we have is God’s anyway, and how once we realize that, it is easier to part with our money to be used for God’s glory, and not our own advancement.
BUT – while it was a GREAT message, from which I drew many valid points, I also got a little sidetracked by something the Pastor mentioned in passing. He said it was a testament to Zacchaeus’ urgency to see Jesus that caused him to climb the tree and inch along its branches. He said it showed how humble Zacchaeus was being, especially since he was a rich tax collector who probably got everything he wanted and didn’t usually have to climb trees to get them.
Well, I’m not so sure about that. I think Zacchaeus’ climbing of the tree shows someone who could think on his feet and who (at the end) DID get the best seat in the house. In fact, it made me start thinking about all those rich (and often short) people who buy box seats to events. Could Zacchaeus be the precursor to those men? Should we credit Zacchaeus with inventing the box seat? Just curious.
It was a little side thought. Those come to me occasionally in the middle of the message, and it can be difficult to get back on track. Sorry, Pastor!
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