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December 31, 2006
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Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship
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Pastor Brian Shimer
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"Zacchaeus"
Luke 19: 1-10
Pastor Brian asked me to come tonight.
I strenuously objected, saying, it was not right for me to come and speak. I mean, how would people take to a hated tax collector coming and speaking at this most holy season on this most holy night?
But then he insisted saying that you certainly would understand and give me welcome to your place of worship in this time of celebration of the birthday of the greatest of all men, the mightiest of all Kings, the truest of Lords.
Yes, I knew Jesus. I knew Him well. I could say he changed my life, but that would be too small a phrase for what He actually did.
But I am getting ahead of myself. My name? Zacchaeus.
You did not know I was so tall, you say? Well, I suppose I have grown in stature over these many years of walking with the Savior. But back in the days when I first met the Messiah, well, I was a small man, yes, I have heard your little ditty, I was a "wee little man!"
I lived in Jericho, on the Jordan River, the city of Palms it was called. I had been a tax collector all the years of my career, so was hated by the community. I was not as bad as the other tax collectors that gave us a bad reputation, charging only what was necessary for my commission above the tax collected, but some extorted their countrymen. Something like your Enron folk!
A tax collector was hated by the Jews. I was a Jew myself, but hated for I worked for the Roman government. They called me a "dog" just as they named the Gentiles. But, hey, it was my job. What else could I do?
So, for years I had collected the taxes myself, and worked my way up until I was a chief tax collector, so earned money from what others collected. My own little Amway empire! The pyramid system! People still spit at me, they still jeered at me, they made me responsible for their troubles, but I did not mind. For so long I had lived in Jericho, I had my friends, and just enjoyed life.
And I was a good Jew. I always observed Sabbath. I gave to the poor - such as Blind Bartemaeus who sat by the roadside on the way into the city. Whenever I passed him, I gave to him. I sought to obey the law and did not take more than was necessary for my income.
Yes I got to know Bartemaeus a bit - I would greet him: "Bartemaeus, greetings to you my friend!"
"And to you Zacchaeus! How's business?"
"Good. And how is yours?"
"Quite good today, and thank you for your generosity," he would say.
"Always willing to support a good cause," I would reply.
I had heard of Jesus.
Levi, one of my workers who lived in Capernaum, had left the business to follow this Jesus. It surprised me for Levi son of Alphaeus, whom others called Matthew, was always such a faithful fellow. I did not realize he had been influenced by this traveling teacher, until word reached me that Jesus had walked by his tax collector's booth which he had set up down by the lakeshore and said to Levi: "Come, be my disciple!" and the most astounding report: Levi upon hearing Jesus, simply got up and followed Jesus.
I heard about it because he left everything behind and had hosted a huge party at his house that same evening. He invited all his friends, fellow tax collectors, and many prostitutes and other known notorious sinners. The news of the party and of Levi leaving all he had to follow Jesus traveled like water at flood season to Jericho. I had to scramble to get someone to take over his district.
But since Matthew or Levi had worked for me, and because we were good friends, I heard through him much about the doings of Jesus. He wrote about the raising of the widow's son from the dead at Nain, how he reached out to people who were even Romans and other gentiles with grace and mercy. There was the Centurion whose servant was healed and the woman who daughter was delivered from demons. Levi wrote me of the stories that Jesus was telling - of a farmer who scattered seed and how that seed fell on some soil that was hard, some that was stony, some that was fertile - and then interpreted this parable as referring to the Word of God as it falls upon the human heart.
He wrote how what Jesus was doing was fulfilling Holy Scriptures. Having been raised memorizing many scrolls, we both knew the prophecies, how the Messiah would come and deliver us, how He would be light shining in the darkness.
The more he wrote, the more I became curious about this Jesus. It sounded to me as if he was truly the One promised. You know Jesus himself left no doubts about his identity. To the woman at the well at Sychar He declared that He was the Messiah.
To the disciples He continued to speak of Himself as the Bread of Life, the Resurrection and the Life, the Light of the World, the great "I AM". No Jew could mistake what Jesus meant - with that statement He was saying "I am Yahweh come in human form" I am "God with you".
And we knew the passage from Isaiah that promised that the Messiah would be Emmanuel, God with us.
So much I had heard. I had talked with Bartemaeus about Jesus when I would stop and give him some alms in the morning. He and I wondered with the rest of the people if this Jesus truly was what He claimed to be.
Unlike the other trouble makers who had claimed to be something but were not, this Jesus, He was different, He seemed to really be who He said He was - the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Indeed, did you hear when they were crossing the Sea of Galilee in one of those small boats that a furious squall came up on the lake and threatened to drown them all, but Jesus stood up in the boat and spoke these words: "Peace, Be Still" and it was calm, the sea became smooth as glass.
So, I had heard and I wondered and then the day came when Jesus was coming through our community. I could have missed out on seeing him in the town had it not been for Bartemaeus.
You see as Jesus was coming into town, Bartemaeus heard that it was Jesus and he knew that if anyone could give him sight, Jesus could. So, he began to yell, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Those around him shushed him: "Be quiet," they told him, Jesus is teaching as he is walking along.
But he yelled the louder and Jesus stopped right in front of where he was and called for him. Then those around him said, "Hurry, he is calling you!"
So, throwing off his cloak that marked him as a blind beggar, he ran forward and fell before Jesus.
Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
And Bartemaeus had said, "Lord, I want to see."
At that moment with a word from Jesus, he could see. He who had not seen since birth, who had begged his entire life was granted sight. The news spread through the community. And Bartemaeus followed Jesus praising God and then thought of me.
He ran ahead, "Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus, I can see! I can see! Jesus healed me," he shouted at my door. I opened it and could not believe my eyes, my dear brother could see me as I had always been able to see him.
"Zacchaeus, come quickly. Jesus is passing through town. You must see him."
We ran toward one section of town and I could not see through the crowds lining the streets, for I was short. So we ran ahead of Jesus a bit, and I climbed up a Sycamore tree beside the road, Bartemaeus giving me a push to get me up in the tree.
There I was in the branches, hidden from view by all the leaves and could get a plain view of Jesus. He looked ordinary and extraordinary simultaneously. There he was walking along the road, speaking to those around him, people cheering for him, and more than anything now that I could see him, I wanted to meet him. I don't know why and knew there was nothing I could do.
But then Jesus as he was just under my tree stopped still. All the people stopped and everyone wondered why Jesus had stopped. Above him, I froze. Then he looked up right into my face and said,
"Zacchaeus! Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today!"
Imagine my shock and surprise, I nearly fell from the tree. First, he had called me by name. I had heard about Jesus, but how had he known my name? And Second, he had told me what to do: come down from that tree! And Third, he had addressed me as an old friend. In my culture to share a meal means you are a friend for life.
I scrambled and nearly fell from the tree and stood before Jesus looking up at him. I was filled with such excitement and joy as I led the way for Jesus to come to my house. Around me people were grumbling and growling. "Why is he going into that house! Zacchaeus is a notorious sinner!"
But Jesus was not listening to them, for he was talking to me, and listening to me. Before we reached my house, I knew He was the Messiah. I had to do something so, there in the street, I stopped and said to Him, "Lord, I will give half my wealth to the poor." People heard me say that and were shocked, I heard the shock go through the crowd around me. Bartemaeus cheered! And then I added: "If I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much."
I could say that for, as I told you, I sought not to overcharge people. But I wanted to clearly say that if I had, I would repay them four times what was taken.
Then Jesus said, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I the Son of Man have come to seek and to save the lost."
I knew He spoke of me, I had been lost. Even with my wealth, I had been an outcast from my people, I had lost hold of my identity as a son of Abraham, a son of the Faith of Israel. Like a sheep that has strayed from the flock I had tried to earn my salvation through my good deeds and had neglected or denied the call to trust God and know God. Jesus saw all this in me. He had said that salvation had come to my house that day.
All this because I climbed down out of my tree. Some of those I know are still in their own trees. They want to look at Jesus, come to a time of worship to look at Jesus from far off, and then go away without encountering Him. When what is needed is a willingness of heart to get out of the tree. Some are in trees of wealth - you have everything you need - or so you imagine, but you need to climb down and meet Jesus.
Others are in trees of belief - you have decided that Jesus could not have been who He claimed to be, however, you have nothing to prove this. You have climbed up into your own belief tree. "It's all a lie," you may declare from the safety of your tree, but you are denying the claims that Jesus made of Himself, and the proofs of His life testified to over these 2000 years since I met and was saved by Him.
What is your tree? Have you climbed away from Jesus to see Him yet not have to encounter or follow Him? Perhaps you could do what I did, and climb down from that tree this Christmas season and meet the living Lord and God, the King eternal who came as a child, grew as a man, died to set us free, rose from the dead defeating death's power over us and ascended into heaven. Meet Jesus this Christmas - the best gift possible is to give Him your heart.
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