Luke 19:1-10 "Jesus Meets the Bad News Bears"

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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.

Luke 18 · chapter mention

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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information

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at

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