Text: Luke Chapter 19 verses 1 – 10
When Ivana Trump stood on the steps of the Trump tower in New York and proclaimed taxes are for the little people’ she was stating what we all know to be true anyway. There are ways round paying taxes, you can put your money in an off shore account, you can decide not to declare any earnings, or even to declare more liabilities than you have to get the money back in tax.
But we know there are two certainties in life, death and taxes. In the end not even Ivana Trump managed to evade the tax man, she was caught; as some day she will be caught by death the other certainty. Now some bright spark in this country came up with the ultimate torture for taxes, self assessment. Not only do the government take a chunk from your wages they ask you to work out how much you owe.
Where did they get the idea from? It could have been the Romans. They never actually paid anyone to gather their taxes. Instead they appointed a tax collector and would then tell that person how much they expected him to raise. The person then decided by what methods they raised it; what taxes they would levy. Also their wage came from the tax levy so they increased the amount they charged over what the Romans asked for.
Now this is what you call power, having the ability to create a tax for anything at your merest whim. If someone displeases you, tax them into the ground. If someone is being too successful draw up a new tax. Need money for that new extension? Tax the people. All this left that person totally hated and despised by the general populace.
Whoever they were, they were the cutting edge of Roman occupation and they were the people who implemented Roman oppression. Although rich they lives were in constant danger from nationalists and if ever caught unawares all they could expect was a swift death by stoning.
Zaccheus was such a man was. Over the years his wealth had increased while those around him became poorer. He ate the very best foodstuffs while they fought over a crumb. His wine flowed like water while for them it was a luxury. Everything about him spoke of wealth and spoke of the contrast between him and the people. Rich , powerful and utterly alone.
Would you like to have all the money in the world? Would you like to have power beyond your imagination? Even at the expense of all your friends? This poor man was to be most pitied because that was the choice he made. What a lonely existence his life was fated to follow.
Zaccheus wanted to see who Jesus was
Until that day when Jesus walked into his life.
Now there’s no getting away from the fact that when Jesus came to town everything and everybody wanted to see him. People who were crippled and diseased to be healed, the authorities to see what he taught, if it was blasphemous and against Caesar. Joe Bloggs wanted to see what he would do, he was the best show in town. Not even Zaccheus was willing to miss it.
He was short and he was hated, the last thing he needed was to be among a hostile crowd so he found a tree to climb up for a better view and also to get out from the crowd. If you were at a football match and you saw hundreds of the opponents team coming down the street, you’d make a swift getaway. So did Zaccheus.
But the thing to note is that he didn’t have to go and see Jesus. There was no legal requirement to hear this person. They were a rabbi, a teacher who moved around so there was no tax going to be taken from him. In fact Zaccheus had no professional reason to search out Jesus. So the reason he went to see him must have been personal. He must have wanted to see Jesus.
Was it at this point then that he became a Christian? With the desire to see Jesus? No it wasn’t. Luke chapter 23 verses 8 says When Herod saw Jesus he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had wanted to see him. Yet we know from Herod’s subsequent actions that he did not become a Christian. Ghandi once said ‘I’d become a Christian if I ever met one.
Interest in Jesus is good but its not enough on its own. Interest in the church is good but again its not enough on its own. Don’t be interested in the medium but in the message and he whom the message speaks about.
Imagine a priceless diamond which sparkled in the light, its beautiful. This stone is encased in a band of gold. Now which holds your interest the stone or the gold? Why it’s the stone of course , the gold is merely used to show off the stone. In the same way the church is here to show off the jewel that is Jesus Christ. Sadly many, many people come here , they sit from week to week, yes possibly even year to year and yet there is no interest in the jewel only in the band.
Having an interest is not enough.
Zaccheus welcomed him gladly
What motives Zaccheus had for accepting Jesus invitation we do not know. He could have been doing it to spite the Pharisees. In your face, Caiaphas, Jesus is coming to tea with me. It may have been that because he was a lonely man with no real friends he welcomed the chance to share company among his own people. Whatever his motives he welcome him gladly into his home.
In knowing this we must realise that this was not only Jesus turning up it was him and his disciples and perhaps one or two hangers on as well. Maybe the chief priests too so they can keep an eye on him. It was a huge undertaking at such short notice. Would you like it if the Queen said she was coming to dinner, and then you realised that meant her , her personal assistant , her maids in waiting, her security details, the lot? You’d be happy but you’d also be afraid because lots of different questions are going through your mind.
First one is how does he know my name? What does this person who comes from Nazareth want with a Galilean tax collector? Second what does he want with me, third do I have enough food in? Even with all this he welcomed Jesus gladly into his home.
This is a stage beyond interest. Zaccheus was happy to take Jesus in and to be seen by him. He was comfortable with him being in his home, his personal space. So was this when he became a Christian? When he let Jesus into his own space?
No. Lots and lots of people are happy with Jesus. Its easy to believe in Jesus, anyone can believe in Jesus. Until the going gets tough and then you find out what he really means to you. In the parable of the sower Jesus talks of seed that falls on rocky ground where the earth is shallow. Its grows quickly but when the sun comes up it withers because there is no root there.
This is so true. After Lady Diana’s death thousands of people crammed into Hyde Park and mourned her. They all gathered together saying the Lords prayer, yet they had no idea what they were really praying for. Thousands of people all praying for God’s will in their lives and yet when they left the park they carried on those same lives as if they had never ever prayed.
They were comfortable with God in that setting, yet not comfortable in their everyday life. Which is so often the same as us. It’s easy to believe in Christian company, its easy to believe while sitting here but what about out there? Do we take Jesus out there with us? IF we never take Jesus with us into our worlds then it probably will not last, because there is not real attachment there.
Zaccheus changed his lifestyle
What was Zaccheus to do though, he was happy with Jesus in his home, the chief priests were fizzing. People were amazed at these events. So now caught up in the feast he makes a pronouncement that whatever has taken from the Jews he will give back 4-fold.
Notice that this is a tax collector admitting that he has defrauded the people. If ever they needed a reason to lynch him they had it. Also he had just made his job much harder because these people were the same people he taxed and they now knew he was taking them too much. After Jesus left Zaccheus was in for a very hard time indeed.
Was it here he became a Christian? Yes it was, when Jesus stopped being comfortable and became life changing that’s when he showed that Jesus was in his heart. Its only after he makes this pronouncement that Jesus says salvation has come to this house, only then.
Conclusion
Can you and can I make the same sacrifice as he did? Do you think Jesus can say of your house that salvation is there, and does having him there make any kind of impact on you? What would happen tomorrow if Jesus had never existed, how would it change your life?
Zaccheus having met Jesus saw someone who offered a totally different way of looking at things. Totally alien to every instinct he ever had and you know it drew him like a moth to a light. That’s the trouble when we let Jesus past our comfort zone into our lives, our lives will never be the same again.
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and not tried. So said. G. K. Chesterton.
Were you to listen to our society they would tell you Christianity is dead. A thing of the past but no more. They couldn’t be far more wrong, for the power of Christianity comes in its ability to change people inside and out, and to draw them together in close bonds of fellowship in Christ.
Do you share those bonds of Christ today or are you interested in Christ. I pray its more than interest.
