So here you are doing your job at the Southwest ticket counter just finishing off your last electronic progression after all the outgoing passengers have boarded Flight 259 for San Diego and you hear quite a commotion.
As the commotion gets louder your walkie talkie goes off, and you hear from your fellow co-workers that U2 has just gotten off of an international flight and are headed your way.
As the commotion gets closer you think to yourself how great it would be, if you could somehow just catch a glimpse of Bono. Your mind daydreams one of their songs taking you all the way back to your high school days.
And if the darkness is to keep us apart...And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off...And if your glass heart should crack...And for a second you turn back...Oh no, be strong...
To your amazement, as you continue scrolling through your screens and then organize all the paperwork you just finished using, you see U2 and their security team come into focus and there is Bono.
Abruptly he comes to a stop and looks you straight in the eyes and walking over to your vacant section says, "Jack I have been wondering where I might find you. I am going to take you out to dinner tonight and we have concert tickets for you and 10 of your friends this upcoming Saturday at Yankee Stadium! Come here so I can get your phone number."
This is exactly what happened to Zacchaeus, but it wasn't a rock star who noticed him but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name, "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the crowds were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of this notorious sinner," they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this house today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man has come to seek and save those like him who are lost." - Luke 19:1-9 -
Jericho was a major trade center during that time with all sorts of buying and selling going on. And while Zacchaeus was an influential Jew by birth, by the nature of his work with the Roman Empire, he was shunned and disowned by his Jewish brothers and sisters.
For Rome was the occupier at the time and through those high taxes the Romans were able to build the colliseums, aqeducts and various other magnificient architectures that we are now able to view from a historical perspective.
Subsequently, the Roman Empire hired some of the Jewish in those occupied territories to collect taxes. All of them became very rich because they skimmed a percentage of the tax monies for themselves. And as a result the tax collectors lived quite lavished lifestyles and Zacchaeus was no different.
From a Jewish perspective, Zacchaeus was viewed as one who rejected his race, which resulted in his countrymen viewing him as one the greatest of sinners. In addition to being a traitor, the Romans on the didn't like him either because they looked down on the Jewish nation. They viewed him as a second class citizen and a sell out.
However, his occupation made him a very rich man nevertheless. And while he most likely had no friends (except for the few he bought) the fact that Jesus called him by name really shocked the crowd.
If I was to put it into contemporary terms the verse might have looked something like this: "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious drug dealer, prostitute, molester"...but as the passage continues something changes during the course of the encounter.
For Zacchaeus has a change of heart, changing his whole value system, ultimately resulting in Salvation coming to his whole house.
Looking closer at this passage, Zacchaeus demonstrates a couple of important points.
The first point he demonstrates is his commitment to getting closer to Jesus. For in verses 3 and 4 he runs ahead and climbs into a tree to ensure that he can see Jesus or that Jesus will see him. Regardless of the reason he demonstrates his commitment to getting closer to Jesus.
The second point is that Jesus invite himself into Zacchaeus' home. And while Jesus invited himself, Zacchaeus did not hesitate to go along and open up his home. And this is significant because Jesus is not inviting himself to a neutral site, but into Zacchaeus' inner world. And by having Jesus come to his home, he was letting Jesus see the real Zacchaeus.
And it is important as well for us to invite Jesus into our homes as well. So he can be a part of our marriages, our parenting, our financial decisions, our time, etc. For if you do then you are saying to Jesus, "I am committed to being close to you and no where is off limits to you.
The third point is that Zacchaeus called Jesus "Lord." Lord is defined as someone in supreme authority and Zacchaeus was only to happy to call him this, which happens when we agree to his promises and truth. And when this happens we have real freedom, an openness, because we know he loves us and has our best in mind.
Zacchaeus was pursuing real change. He desired a complete and radical change in his life vice only minor adjustments. He desired a complete overthrow of his internal government and installation of a new one. He was tired of his existence and wanted to have a real life.
The fourth point is that Zacchaeus responded in all-out passion. For in verse 8 he states, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
This resulted in Jesus making the remark, "Salvation has come to this house today, for this man has shown himself to be a Son of Abraham." Which is very significant when you consider he was born Jewish, disowned by his own due to his occupation and hated by those who hired him as well to do their bidding.
Now as a new creation, Jesus states, "This man has shown himself to be a Son of Abraham."
Maybe you don't know Jesus. But he knows you. He knows your social security number, what state you have a driver's licence with, where you live, what you like and don't like, where you spend your time, what is valuable to you, and what your favorite food is among other things.
But he loves you passionately and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. And he wants to be involved in your life.
v/r Captain Jack
