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THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL ASSURES SALVATION

Luke 19:2-10
February 1, 2009

The good news of the Gospel assures Salvation. The word salvation comes from the word salvage. It includes rescue, restoration and productivity. If the Gospel can assure us of these blessings, it’s truly good news.
But how does it do that?

Recently there was an article about a rock enthusiast in Tucson, Arizona, who paid ten dollars for a stone that turned out to be a star sapphire. It weighed in at almost 2000 carets and was valued at over two million dollars when it was cleaned and polished to reveal its true nature. The reporter wrote, “It took a real lover of rocks to see that gem under the rough outer surface of the stone.”

That’s exactly what Jesus did. It took a real lover of humanity to see the gem under the rough surface of a cheat and a traitor named Zaccheus. His invitation to this unpopular man illustrates his beliefs and teachings about acceptance and tolerance. Remember he said, “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too” (Matt. 5:43-45).

He also said, “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged” (Matt. 7:1).

Then when he associated with undesirables and was criticized for it, he explained, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor. Only the sick need a doctor. I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners” (Matt. 9:12b, 13).

Let’s consider Jesus’ encounter with Zaccheus: The Scripture says, “In Jericho there was a man named Zaccheus. He was a wealthy, very important tax collector. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but he was too short to see above the crowd. He ran ahead to a place where he knew Jesus would come. He climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus. When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and saw Zaccheus in the tree. He said to him, ‘Zaccheus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house today.’

Zacchaeus came down quickly. He was pleased to have Jesus in his house. All the people saw this and began to complain, ‘Look at the kind of man Jesus stays with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!’

Bur Zacchaeus said to the Lord, ‘I will give half of my money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay that person back four times more!’

Jesus said, ‘Salvation has come to this house today. This man truly belongs to the family of Abraham. The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them’ ” (Luke 19:2-10, edb).

Now what happened in this story?

I. FIRST, ZACCHEUS WAS RESCUED FROM ALIENATION.

As a Tax Collector for the enemy Romans, men like Zaccheus were hated and ostracized. Because of his occupation, Zaccheus was excluded from normal society. He was shunned and despised. Furthermore, he had become a very wealthy Chief Tax Collector by lying and cheating his fellow citizens. Then, being of small stature probably added to his feelings of worthlessness.

We don’t know why he was so eager to see Jesus, but we do know that he overcame the obstacles and risked embarrassment to solve his problem. This dignified businessman climbed up a tree. Such behavior was unusual, but he was rewarded for his resourcefulness. As a result, he had a personal experience with the Lord. He heard a call and received an invitation. He responded and his change was dramatic.

Paul was describing such a conversion when he said, “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (II Cor. 5:17, nlb); “You have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you” (Col. 3:9b-10, nlb).

It takes a new life to replace the old. Once when the frost killed leaves on an oak tree, some leaves still clung though they were dead. Then came the sharp winds of winter. But even these were powerless to break the hold of those old leaves. Still later came the snow and the sleet and the ice. Their efforts were equally futile. But one day, the gentle breezes of Spring got into the heart of that tree. The sap rose and the new leaves pushed out the old dead leaves.

The warmth of spring did what the cold fury of winter could not do. Likewise, Jesus’ kindness did what all the condemnation of others could not do. It rescued Zaccheus.

II. NEXT, ZACCHEUS WAS RESTORED TO WORTH AND RESPECTABILITY.

Suppose Jesus had paused under that tree, looked up at Zacchaeus, and called out, “You child of the devil? You who steal from the poor and turn orphans and widows out on the streets, how shall you escape the damnation of hell?”

If the Lord had denounced him in those words, we would never have heard of Zacchaeus. Instead of that, he spoke kindly to him and called him to come down, and actually went to his house as a guest.

When Zacchaeus realized and believed that Jesus accepted him and loved him, he began to view himself differently. He saw that being a thief and a traitor was not his real identity. He was a valuable human being. This changed everything.

Let’s imagine a game in which the object is to get your bucket full of food by begging, borrowing, or stealing from other people’s buckets. Since these other people also want full buckets, this game doesn’t produce friendships. Instead, it increases selfishness and greed.

Most of us are playing just such a game. Worst of all, the scarce commodity we are fighting for is love. Everyone needs love and tries to get it from other people, but few have enough to give generously. Some people share up to a certain point, and then call a halt. Others share only when their love is sure to be returned. A few have no love to give and become parasites, trying to get love and attention wherever they can find it.

Obviously, for this game to succeed, we need a never-ending supply of food from an outside source. God is that never-ending supply of love. In fact, He is love! John said, “Love comes from God . . . because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8, edb).

He has loved you all your life, and will love you forever. God can give you enough love to fill your bucket. Once that happens, you can spend your life giving love to others.

This is what Jesus offered to Zacchaeus and it restored his worth.III. FINALLY, ZACCHAEUS BECAME A GENEROUS AND PRODUCTIVE CITIZEN.

His priorities and behavior were transformed. For the first time he had empathy and concern for others. He wanted to provide restitution to those he had hurt. He wanted to share his resources. He now had enough love and acceptance to offer help to others. When we become Christians, we care. Colonel John Gowans of the Salvation Army wrote a poem called, The Homeless, that ends with a challenge:

I care! Says Christ. I know what “homeless” means.
I’m with the hungry in the line for beans!
I know the pitted pavement of the street,
And skid row bears the imprint of my feet.
I’ve often had no place to lay my head.
At Bethlehem they borrowed me a bed!

You want to find me? Then you’d better come
And face the stinking of the city slum,
Where men live daily wishing they were dead
And give away their dignity for bread.

. . . And grasp this truth, for it could set you free:
All that you do for them, you do for me.

Peter said when we are given a gift of grace, we must share it. “God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you” (I Peter 4:10, nlb).

One author wrote: “The love for equals is a human thing . . . of friend for friend, brother for brother. It loves those who are loving . . . That’s easy. The world smiles.

The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing . . . It loves those who suffer, those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. This is compassion. The world approves.

The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing. . . to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the minority for the majority. The world is bewildered by such love.

But, then, there is love for the enemy . . . love for the one who does not love you, but instead mocks and threatens . . . This is God’s love. It conquers the world.
—adapted by Maralene Wesner

Jesus was able to extend such love to an unlovely person and it worked a miracle in his life. Zacchaeus became a generous and productive citizen.

CONCLUSION:

So the good news of the Gospel assures salvation. Zacchaeus was rescued from alienation. He was restored to respectability. And he was enabled to become a productive citizen.

Salvation is a life changing experience. Paul said, “Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart. For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed' ” (Rom. 10:8-11, nlb).

Jesus said, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:17).

Salvation has three parts. There’s a story about a violin that explains the process. The beat up instrument was found in a trash bin. Someone who believed in its value rescued it from the dump.

Then it was carefully cleaned up, restored and tuned.

Finally, and most importantly, a famous musician played it at a great concert and many people were blessed.
That’s salvation. We are rescued from the trash bin of a wasted life.

Then, when we realize our value, our false destructive attitudes and behaviors are abandoned and we are restored to our status as children of God and attuned to do His will.

Finally, and most importantly, we become productive instruments in God’s kingdom, and many people are blessed by our lives.

That’s what happened to Zacchaeus; and that’s what can happen to you! The good news of the Gospel assures Salvation.

It’s hard for us to understand the scandal Jesus caused by “eating with sinners.”

One hundred years ago, if a wealthy plantation owner had invited a few “colored cotton pickers” to come for Sunday Dinner and a Social Visit, the whole community would have been furious.

In the South, the caste system was absolute. Social and racial segregation was inflexible.

Well, in First Century Palestine the class system was absolute also.

First, it was legally forbidden to mingle with sinners who were outside the law: Eating with beggars, prostitutes and tax collectors (who were traitors because they were collecting taxes for Rome from their own people to get a kick-back) was never allowed.

The meaning of such meal sharing is unknown today; but in the Near East, to share a meal with someone symbolizes an equal relationship, shred life and an intimate friendship. That is what Zacchaeus heard with Jesus called him down from the sycamore tree, and that is why Jesus’ practice of “eating with sinners” caused such hostile responses throughout his ministry.

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Copyrighted 2009 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THIS MESSAGE IN ANY WAY YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE. The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in PUBLISHED works.

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