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Zacchaeus : a Story of Salvation I wonder if you have been following the economic woes of Greece at the moment. I gather that in that country hardly any one pays any taxes. This has been the case for many, many years. Under the Ottoman Turks the Greeks regarded it as their patriotic duty to avoid paying their oppressors any taxes at all. Their experience under this oppressive regime caused them to develop a deep seated distrust of government agencies which has continued even after Greece gained its independence. The upshot is that a tipping point has been reached whereby not paying tax is regarded as normal and tax collectors are hated because they are both feared and easily bribed. The truism being that Greece is a poor country filled with rich people. So we witness the Greek economy collapsing. As I read the Gospel story of Zacchaeus I am reminded of the state of affairs in Greece. In Zacchaeus’ time Palestine was ruled by the oppressive Roman Empire whom the Jewish people hated with a passion. They distrusted their colonial governors and loathed the tax collectors who were generally their own kind, Jews like Zacchaeus, hired by the Romans to take money off them. These tax collectors were seen as collaborators who made handsome profits from their trade and as such were pariahs of the society. It is thus safe to assume that Zacchaeus was not a well-liked man and probably did not even like himself. Here then was a man who needed to be saved from himself, from his life-style and saved he was…..because Jesus says at the end of his interaction with Zacchaeus. “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” The story of Zacchaeus comes as a final event in Luke’s long section detailing Jesus’ ministry on the road to Jerusalem. The journey to Jerusalem becomes a metaphor for the road to salvation.
Jesus replies “What is impossible with people is possible with God.”
All this talk about salvation begs three questions:
What is salvation? The basic meaning of this word is "to rescue from physical danger" or "to heal"; Extrication from danger or confinement; deliverance from specific sufferings. It also refers to "redemption" from sin and its effects. For Christians, salvation and redemption imply primarily, God liberating an individual or a society from destructive behaviour or thought patterns. Salvation is a general term for the positive contribution of God in Jesus Christ, to the fallen condition of humankind. It is the process by which we experience freedom from the bondage of sin and reconciliation with God, and the restoration of right relationship with our neighbours. Now here’s the thing, to some extent, the biblical answer to the question of salvation varies according to the audience addressed and its needs. So for the 10 lepers salvation was being healed from the suffering induced by their leprosy. This would end their social isolation and enable them to enjoy the fullness of life on earth. For the rich ruler it would have meant being freed from the spiritual danger of loving his wealth more than his soul. Had he accepted Jesus’ challenge he will have secured for himself the fullness of eternal life in the kingdom of God. For the man by the roadside it meant being liberated through his faith in Jesus from the confinement of his blindness. For Zacchaeus it means being delivered from the spiritual dangers of his sinful life style and career choice. Literally he was saved from his sins. Who deserves to be saved? The point here is you don’t get saved by mistake. You have to be intentionally looking for something else in your life. From the story it is clear that Zacchaeus was searching for something he believed Jesus could offer him. This is clear from his enthusiastic attempts to catch a glimpse of Jesus and from the alacrity with which he agreed to Jesus’ request to come to his house. The story does not actually tell us what he wanted from Jesus. However we do know that Jesus’ entire ministry was based around the healing, rescuing component of salvation. “The son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.” So, who deserves to be saved? Anyone who for any reason is emotionally, physically or spiritually lost, cannot find their way, is on the wrong path, can’t see where to go next; and turns to Jesus. We sense from the story that Zacchaeus needed to be saved from his sins. It would seem that simply desiring salvation was enough for Jesus to bring salvation into his home. The tug that Zacchaeus felt inside himself to see Jesus, was not about whether he deserved to be saved or not, rather it was the loving grace of God drawing him to his Son. How do we receive it? How are we saved? We don’t hear one word of what Jesus said to Zacchaeus while they were in the house together. We do know that Zacchaeus emerged from the house some time later, a changed man. Last week David reminded us that Jesus accepts us as he finds us but he doesn’t leave us as he meets us. This is never truer than of Zacchaeus. What happened? What did Jesus say? What did Zacchaeus do? We will never know. But we do know all we need to know and that is that Zacchaeus let Jesus into his house that day. In doing so he metaphorically let Jesus into his heart also. Jesus didn’t simply come into Zacchaeus’ house that day. Rather, Jesus got into Zacchaeus’ heart.
That’s what changed him. We learn from this story that when Jesus gets into
your heart, The fruits of that salvation for Zacchaeus included freedom from sin; restoration of right relationship with his fellow men and women; a new generosity and enthusiasm for life and a lifting of a negative spirit from his entire house. These are the fruits of the salvation that Jesus offers each of us also. Wherever we are in our walk and whatever our need Jesus will transform us and restore to a us a life that is worth living and one that lasts for all eternity. Will we choose to accept Jesus offer of salvation today? Will salvation come to our house as it came to the house of Zacchaeus that day? 'The Old Violin'. T'was battered and scarred and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while, To waste such time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile. "What am I bid, good people," he cried "who'll start the bidding for me? A dollar? A dollar. Who'll make it two? Two dollars who'll make it three? Three dollars once, three dollars twice going for three," but no! From the room, far back, a gray-bearded man came forward and picked up the bow. Then wiping the dust from the old violin, and tightening up the strings, he played a melody, pure and sweet, as sweet as the angel sings. The music ceased, and the auctioneer with a voice that was quiet and low said,"What now am I bid for this old violin?" as he held it up with the bow. "One thousand? One thousand, do I hear two? Two thousand. Who'll make it three? Three thousand once, three thousand twice, going and gone!" said he. The audience cheered, but some of them cried, "We just don't understand. What changed it's worth?" Swift came the reply, "The touch of the masters hand." And many a man, with life out of tune, all battered with brandy and gin, Is auctioned cheap, to a thoughtless crowd, much like that old violin. A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, a game, and he travels on. He's going once, he's going twice, he's going and almost gone. But the Master comes and the foolish crowd never can quite understand, The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought, by the Touch of the Master's Hand.
Anonymous
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