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SEEK AND SAVE WHAT WAS LOST

Luke 19:1-10

Key Verse: 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

  On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus met a born blind called Bartimaeus, who cried out for the Messiah’s mercy. Jesus didn’t pass him by. Jesus demonstrated the Messiah’s compassion by healing the man’s eyes.  Through this event we learned that Jesus shows his mercy to those who cry out for his help.

  In today’s passage, Jesus meets another person in Jericho named ‘Zacchaeus’, who was a chief tax collector and rich man. Let’s see how Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus changed his life and what Jesus became to him and becomes to all of us.

First, a man named Zacchaeus.(1-4)  “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” In these verses, we know what kind of a person Zacchaeus was. Zacchaeus was a short but able man. Zacchaeus overcame his physical inferiority by standing in the top position among tax collectors. In Jesus’ day, being a tax collector was competitive since it was one of the quickest and easiest ways to become rich, regardless of social reproach. Zach worked harder than anyone else and became the most successful tax collector of his day. He overcame his shortness with worldly success.

  However, we see that Zach was not truly happy with his life. It was because he came to realize that money was not everything in life and that he could not buy happiness with money. He always felt he was missing something in his life, a void which money couldn’t fill. St. Augustine said that God made man with an empty void that only God can fill. Until we meet God personally, we are restless wanderers trying to fill that void with other things. Zach had a big hole in his heart, which only God could fill. He was thirsty for the truth and hungry for God.

  Not long ago, Levi, one of his promising and able employees, had quit his job and followed Jesus. It was a shock to Zach and made him considering why Levi, such the promising tax collector left his position and followed the poor carpenter, and what had motivated Levi to do so.  There was a promising and award-winning journalist in the Chicago Tribune, who had the newly born-again wife. The journalist wondered how his wife was changed and became a different person from a woman of despair to a woman of joy, from a woman of anger to a woman of peace. He found something mysterious which he couldn’t understand with his intelligence and reason. So he began to investigate with a journalistic attitude Christ Jesus who changed his wife’s life. This was the reason Lee Strobel began to meet numerous theologians, pastors, and professors until he completed his book, ‘The Case for Christ.’

  Look at verse 3a. He wanted to see who Jesus was…”  It did not mean that Zach wanted to see what Jesus looked like, but rather, he desired to know who Jesus really was. He desired to make sure of all the news about Jesus, his miraculous signs, his compassion, teachings, power, people, and fellowship, and he hoped to experience a part of his ministry if possible. He might have expected that he could get an answer from Jesus for his life so that his empty void might be filled. For whatever reason, Zach was eager to see Jesus. However, on coming back to his senses, he confronted an obstacle, the huge crowd around Jesus. At that time, tax collectors were despised and condemned as traitors by their own people. Zach was the chief tax collector. Zach knew more than anyone else that he would not be welcomed by his people. In the past, to the eyes of Zach, people looked like walking money. But now, they looked like a huge mountain. When he approached to the company of Jesus, people recognized Zach and intentionally blocked his access to Jesus. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they did not to give any room for Zach to see Jesus’ parade. Zach began to jump to see Jesus, but failed because he was a short man. For the first time of his life, Zach’s heart was broken, and he felt abandoned and helpless.

   But, Zach did not give up. He did not abandon his desire to see Jesus. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus, since Jesus was coming that way. (4) It was not easy for a short man like Zach to climb up in a tree. Sycamore-fig trees have short trunks, which makes them easy to climb compared to other trees, but this was not the case for Zach. The short man with a pot belly had hard time to wrap his arms around the trunk to shimmy up. He failed several times even to hold onto the tree. But, he did not give up. He ran again and jumped to stick to the tree like a spider man. He might have bruised himself and torn his fancy clothes. But, it did not matter to Zach as long as he could see Jesus. He was desperate to see Jesus.

Second, I must stay at your house today. (5-6)  How did Jesus respond to Zach’s effort? Look at verse 5. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Previously, Jesus heard the man born blind’s outcry for the Messiah’s mercy. Jesus did not pass him by. Jesus stopped and healed the man by giving him his sight. This time, Jesus did not pass by Zacchaeus. He heard Zach’s inner outcry for salvation. Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem. It was his last trip to Jerusalem and he had many things to deal with and finish before his death. However, Jesus didn’t ignore Zach’s outcry. He stopped to see Zach. Jesus cared for him. This picture shows us that Jesus is the good shepherd, who cares for his sheep to the end. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11)

Jesus called Zach by name. It reminds us of the good shepherd Jesus, who said, “He (the good shepherd) calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…”  (John 10:3, 14) Jesus never met Zach before. But he knew his name and his inmost desire. Jesus knew who Zach was, why he was hanging in the tree, and what he really needed. Jesus knew that Zach longed to know who he was. So Jesus said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.” This tells us the urgency of salvation. Zach did not need to hesitate or delay for his salvation. To him, knowing Jesus had become the most important and urgent matter.

Jesus invited himself to Zach’s house by saying, “I must stay at your house today.” Jesus knew that Zach desired to have personal relationship with him. While Jesus was staying his house, Zach would have chance to talk with Jesus, listen to his teachings, and learn what kind of person Jesus really was.  In Jesus’ time, eating at the same table indicates mutual acceptance. Regardless of racial, cultural, ranking, and gender differences, staying a person’s house unites the hosts and guests. Having personal fellowship with Jesus was what Zach really needed and desired.

Look at verse 6. “So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” Zach must have been shocked by Jesus’ omniscience. More than this, he was moved by Jesus’ shepherd heart for an unworthy sinner like him. In fact, tax collectors were regarded as public sinners along with robbers and prostitutes. Among them, Zach was the chief, the worst sinner of all. He was known as a notorious penny pincher and exploiter to his own people. People thought that Zach was the last person who could be saved. However, Jesus accepted him and wanted to stay his house. Jesus is the God who forgives sins and invites sinners to his kingdom. Zach was moved by Jesus’ forgiving love and mercy for a chief of sinners like him. Finally, Zach understood why Levi had left everything and followed Jesus.

Third, I came to seek and to save what was lost.(7-10)  What was the people’s response to this? Look at verse 7. “All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ People did not understand Jesus’ shepherd heart. They did not know Zach’s eager desire for the Messiah, either. They were spiritually ignorant because they did not know who Jesus really was and why he came to this world. Zacchaeus heard what the people said. But, he didn’t mind because Jesus was with him. The Bible says, “If God is for us, who can be against us.” (Ro 8:31)

  Since Zach tasted true love from Jesus, he was changed. His thinking was changed. His desire was changed. His viewpoint on life was changed. He came to realize that money is not everything, but Jesus is everything. He desired to repent. Look at verse 8. “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything. I will pay back four times the amount.”  We remember how the rich ruler responded to Jesus’ invitation. Jesus asked the rich ruler to sell everything he had and give to the poor and follow him in order to inherit eternal life. But, the rich ruler went sad because he did not want to give up his money. But, Zacchaeus was different from this rich ruler. He proclaimed publically to share the half of his possession with the poor and to pay back four times the amount for restitution. His repentance was real. He didn’t say, “I will do it tomorrow” or “I will wait until God allows.” But, he said, “Here and now”.  This shows the presence of repentance and salvation.

In Luke’s gospel, there are many adverbs of urgency and presence such as “at once, immediately, now, today, and so on.”  In the angel’s message about the Messiah’s birth, it reads, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Lk 2:11)  Jesus said, “I must stay at your house today.” (5) On the cross Jesus accepted a criminal’s repentance by saying, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk 23:43)  The word “today” means “here and now.”  God wants us to come to him here and now. God wants to save us here and now. God does not put off until tomorrow. Here and now God invites us, and here and now Jesus saves us. 

This is the reason why we should not put off our coming to Jesus. Here is the reason why we should preach the word of salvation here and now. One day Rev. Billy Graham was asked by Larry King in a TV show about the most disappointed time in his life. Without hesitating Rev. Graham answered. “I received a phone call from the President John F. Kennedy who asked me about the rapture of the believers. The president said that he was a Catholic and doubted about the rapture because he had never heard about the rapture from the priest in his church. The president was not sure of his salvation and about his future. So he asked Rev. Graham to visit the oval office and to teach him more. At that time, Dr. Graham put off the president’s invitation because he caught cold and was under the weather. He promised to visit him a couple days later. However, Dr. Graham never got another chance to visit the president. A few days later, the president was assassinated and never heard about the rapture of the believers. Dr. Graham deeply regretted of his delaying visit to one lost soul who was hungry for God. There is no tomorrow in repentance. There is only today. There is no next time for salvation because we don’t know what will happen to us in the next five minutes. Like Zacchaeus, here and now we come to God, and here and now we invite lost sheep.

Zacchaeus’ repentance was not just lip service, but real practice. It was immediate and decisive. As John the Baptist urged, Zach produced fruits in keeping with repentance. (Lk 3:8) It moved Jesus’ heart. Jesus saw the genuine repentance from Zach’s words. So Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (9) This is God’s proclamation of salvation for Zach’s family. “Today salvation has come to this house.” In the past, Zach was called, “a sinner” or “a traitor” . But, since he met Jesus, he was called “a son of Abraham”, which means ‘a covenant people’, ‘a child of God’, and ‘an heir of God and co-heir with Christ’ in Paul’s terms (Ro 8:17). Since Zach met Jesus, his identity was changed from the enemy of God to the child of God. Since he met Jesus personally, his destiny was changed from hell to heaven. Since Zach invited Jesus to his house, salvation came to his house. Indeed, where Jesus is, there is salvation. Where Jesus is, there is the kingdom of God.

Let us read verse 10. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” This verse is known as the key verse of the whole Luke’s gospel. Luke the author focused on Jesus who came to this world as the Savior who seeks and saves the lost. Jesus himself compared God to a shepherd who seeks for the lost sheep and to a father who waits for the return of his lost son. (Lk 15:4-7, 11-32) To seek and to save what was lost–this is the reason why the Son of Man came to this world. This is the purpose of Jesus’ coming to the world. This is the reason why we have to make a decision to come to Jesus here and now.

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to talk with a skeptical man. He said to me, “If God is almighty, and he knows everything, and has already chosen his people for heaven, I don’t have to do anything for my salvation.”  In other words, if his future is predestined by God, his effort for salvation is useless. His words sound reasonable and attractive to people’s ears. However, he does not know that God gave us freewill as his gift. We use our freewill for our salvation. God did not make us robots which are programmed and set up. No! He created us in his own image and in his own likeness. We think, appreciate, decide, and judge as God does because we have his image. However, freewill requires responsibility and accountability. Zacchaeus chose to become a tax collector, deceiving his conscience. He paid the full price of his decision. Later, he came to realize that he’d made a wrong decision and desired for a right direction for his life. He began to seek God. He desired to see who Jesus was. He could have given up or delayed his encounter with Jesus. However, he overcame all obstacles and met Jesus. After meeting Jesus, he made a decision of faith to repent and to live a new life in Christ. In the past, he was lost, but now is found. (Lk 15:32).  Before, he was a lost sheep. And now he has been found by the good shepherd, Jesus. Likewise, God reveals himself to those who earnestly seek Him. Deuteronomy 4:27 says about this, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  God does not want us just to sit down and complain. God wants us to seek him diligently and persistently until we find him like Zacchaeus, like St. Augustine, like Lee Strobel, and like me. Psalm 14:1-2 says, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”

In the past, I was lost in sin. Since one of my friends died young, I began to think about my life, about its meaning and purpose. At that time, even though I became an honor student in my art college and enjoyed all human freedoms, I was not happy. My heart was always empty and thirsty. I felt something was missing in my life, but I did not know what it was. I envied some Christian friends who had conviction of their salvation. One day I decided to know the truth which would answer all my life questions, and I journeyed into a deep mountain. On the top of the mountain, I cried out to God for his help and for his answer. I wanted to see God’s salvation. I wanted to know the truth. God never ignored the outcry of the one who sought him with all his heart and with all his soul. That year I was invited to one UBF Summer Bible Conference and met Jesus Christ personally as Zacchaeus did two thousand years ago. Since Jesus came into my heart, my empty void is filled. Since Jesus came into my life, my wandering is over. Now, in Jesus I’ve become a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  Indeed, Jesus came to seek, find, and save what was lost.

In today’s passage we learned how Jesus met Zacchaeus and how Zacchaeus was changed into a new person. Do not hesitate to come to Jesus. Here and now invite him into your heart and have fellowship with him. Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20) Today may the salvation of Christ come to this house and to all of you. Amen.

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