The Impossible becomes possible!

The wealthy Zacchaeus was transformed when
he took action, climbed a tree, and sought out Jesus. 

Scripture:

Luke 19:1   He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ² A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 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.” ⁶ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷ All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” ⁸ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹ Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Observation:

This story, which many of us have embraced from childhood, is not just for children, but carries with it themes central to our understanding of the gospel. It also ties together much of what Luke has already shared in this gospel. 

The rich ruler came to Jesus asking about being saved. The disciples came away sad after Jesus told them that it was just as hard for a rich man to get into heaven as it was for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. And yet, Jesus said that while this appeared to be impossible, it was possible for God. Now, Zacchaeus becomes the possible. He is the rich man who comes to Jesus — and the likelihood of him coming to Jesus is much lower than it was the man who appeared to be “righteous.” 

In chapter 15 Luke brought us the three parables of the lost sheep, coin and son. Just before Jesus is to enter Jerusalem, at the end of this journey, we find the prodigal son returning home. Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham, and this is affirmed by Jesus. Just as the Father in the story of the prodigal, so Jesus has come to “seek out and to save the lost.” 

The mission of Jesus Christ is on full display as we embrace the reality that with God all things are possible! 

Application:

If all of this teaching in Luke is about mentoring a group of disciples, then the challenge of this story is for us to understand what it means to be engaged in the mission of Christ found by participation in the kingdom of God. We take away several principles. 

1. Believe that the impossible is possible! If Zacchaeus could become a follower of Jesus Christ, then the gospel has the power to transform anyone. Hope is offered to any and all sinners and there is redemption through Jesus Christ. 
2. A recognition of our participation in a life of sin is necessary for repentance. The problem with the rich ruler was that he thought that he was a good man and failed to see his own sin. Zacchaeus examined his own life and realized that he needed to repent in order to follow Jesus. Far too many people today no longer think that repentance is necessary. Instead of taking responsibility for our own choices, there is a sense that we’ve been handed a particular fate, and because of that, there is no need to repent. In other words, everything becomes someone else’s problem. Therefore, there is no freedom from sin, but rather, an encouragement to continue living in the way that they have in the past. 
3. Not only is there repentance, but also restitution. Zacchaeus is willing to make right his wrongs. He’s willing to take responsibility and pay for the consequences of his action. It’s in paying for his wrongs that he can now live a life of freedom. The bonds of his sin are released when he sets right his relationship with not just God, but his relationships with others. 
4. We are to join Jesus is seeking out and saving the lost. The world is full of people like Zacchaeus today, and they need us to be on mission, bringing them good news that will set them free. Allowing people to continue living the way in which they have is not kind nor is it compassionate, but is instead, selfish because they will not know the freedom they can find in Christ. 
5. Sharing table hospitality with people that others might look down upon is part of discipleship. We are to create welcoming spaces where the sinners of this world feel that they are welcomed into the presence of Jesus. Recalling the story of Mary and Martha — we must also remember that it was not Martha that served the best dish in the house, but Mary. Jesus was the best thing to share with others, not the finest food. 

As we follow Jesus on this path toward Jerusalem, our eyes our continually opened to the challenging truths of discipleship. A life of discipleship takes us on mission with Jesus where the impossible becomes possible. Thanks be to God. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for taking a story from my childhood and filling it with so much teaching. I want to know You more! Amen.