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One final word stands out about the story of Zacchaeus.  A word from the story that I’d never paid much attention to before.  After all, the song ends on the statement “for I’m going to your house today”, and that’s all we get.  The emphasis, when we usually hear it told, is on the fact that Jesus would even desire to go into such a mans house.

It hits harder when we read the literal translation from the Greek of verse 5, “..come down, for today in the house of you it is necessary for me to remain.”  In verse 9, Jesus doesn’t simply announce that Zacchaeus has experienced salvation.  He announces that “salvation has come to this house”.  This entire story offers a vital reminder and encouragement for our homes and families.

We hear that Zacchaeus was “happy to welcome him”.  Next, we hear that “all who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”  From there, it jumps right into Zacchaeus living as a transformed (made new) creation.  Giving half of his possessions to the poor, and paying back what was stolen 4-fold.  But that leaves us with a very important unknown:

What happened in the home?  What did Jesus say/do that led to such a change?

Pastor Gerry pointed out, not having this in the story could be the work of God’s Spirit. After all, if we knew what Jesus said, it would lead to: 1. us making an equation/method out of it.  Basically we could say _____ brings about salvation.  2. Us being able to say, “well, those words were meant for Zacchaeus specifically…not for me and my life.”

Instead, we are left with this: God desires what happens in our homes to be about Jesus bringing transformation and announcing our identity as His children.  The words of Jesus come to us just as clearly as to Zacchaeus, “in the house of you it is necessary for me to remain.”  Our homes need to be places where our children receive their identity as God has given.  Where they experience the presence of Jesus, and are changed in a way that brings a genuine difference in how they relate to others and to the poor.  Extend that out, knowing that homes in those days often held multiple generations under one roof.  God desires an experience where Grandpas and Grandmas, Aunts and Uncles, Cousins and Siblings, all become part of receiving God’s identity/calling as a family that is “made new”.  In a way that says “God wants what has happened here, to continue happening in places where He is unknown”.

How is that happening in our homes this week???

A second word that comes from the story of Zacchaeus, if we’re willing to listen, is one of “salvation”.  Toward the close of this passage, we hear Jesus announce something pretty important.  Verse 9 says “Jesus said to him…” but he speaks in a way that suggests even though his face was turned toward Zacchaeus, he was saying it to the benefit of everyone around him. 

This moment contrasts the first few verses completely.  Yesterday we talked about how Zacchaeus saw himself.  The identity that he claimed as he ran, and climbed a sycamore tree.  Today we hear the identity Jesus announces over him.

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Here we have Jesus, actually talking specifically about this thing we often get confused and grapple with, “salvation”.  He talks about salvation, and doesn’t say anything about “from hell”, or “going to heaven”.  What has happened here?

We see Zacchaeus offering to give half of his possession to the poor, and paying back those he stole from, 4 times as much as he’d taken.  But Jesus doesn’t say, “salvation has come to this house because this man is giving back a whole lot of stuff, and experiencing a healed relationship to the poor and those he’d previously taken advantage of.”

What reason does Jesus give for the salvation that is being experienced?  “..because he too is a son of Abraham.”  It has to do with being claimed as a child of God.  An identity that is offered not just to those who have grown up in church, or have never made mistakes…but to all.  An identity, that when embraced, transforms who we are and how we live in relationship to Jesus AND humanity.

Zacchaeus has been saved from a life of neglecting God, and taking advantage of his fellow man. A life focused on self, that treats others with little value, and aims to please Rome (a power/principality…remember, “our struggle is not with flesh and blood”), only leads to death and brokenness.  Jesus announces freedom from these things, and finishes the entire section in verse 10 by saying this is what He is all about.  To find people like this, who have been pushed to the side and forgotten; who the religious world finds no value in…and announce their own True identity to and about them.

Besides “not going to hell”, and “going to heaven when you die”, it asks the question in our life…”what would my verse 8 say?”  What has changed, or changes about my life that would make Jesus announce that these are the result of salvation having arrived?  Am I living as the “child of Abraham” that God proclaims me to be?

In Luke 19:1-10, we read an all too familiar story about Zacchaeus.  Even someone unfamiliar with much of the Bible has probably heard this story of a “wee little man…who climbed up in a Sycamore tree…etc”.  But in studying the scripture this past week, 3 new words from the story emerged that I’ve not paid much attention to in the past.  The first word (words) I want to flesh out a bit are the words of Jesus in verse 5, “come down”.

Jesus is looking up into the tree at Zacchaeus.  The description we have of Zacchaeus includes: Chief Tax Collector, rich (wealthy), and short.  Being a tax collector in general, he was viewed as a “traitor” by his Jewish community, for tax collectors were employees of Rome.  They could add amounts to the taxes they were required to collect, and they were allowed to keep that extra funding for themselves.  He was not simply any tax collector either, he was a Chief tax collector.  Which meant, he had several collectors working under him.  Let’s just say, he was not a welcome guest at very many parties.

The scripture tells us he was “trying to see who Jesus was”, but how he was trying to do so tells us a lot about how he viewed himself.  Verse 4 tells us that he “ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree”.  Imagine a short man running in what was most likely a long tunic.  Yes, “ἀναξυρίδες” (trousers) had been invented by then, but were often seen as clothing of the barbarians.  So tunic it was.  Probably having to “hike up” the edges as he ran, it was not the way a dignified man would carry himself.  Then he goes right into climbing a tree.  Men who wear tunics should not climb trees in the first place.  But this isn’t just any tree.  This is a tree that was guaranteed to be empty in that area.  A sycamore fig tree bore fruit that was most often fed to the pigs, and so the tree itself was even considered to be “unclean”.

Zacchaeus knew how people saw him.  A tax collector didn’t have confusion as to how the consensus felt about him.  He figured, they couldn’t think anything worse of him for running, and climbing a sycamore tree, eh?  Jesus approaches this man who has revealed his self-claimed identity through his actions, and begins by saying “hurry and come down”.

How often do we approach Jesus, already holding onto our identity firmly?  We know who we are.  We know how people think of us, and how we think of ourselves.  Maybe we’re the complete opposite of Zaccchaeus, feeling pretty good about ourselves and proud of what we’ve accomplished.  Perhaps we find ourselves climbing the sycamore right beside him, desperate to know more about this Jesus.

Wherever we find ourselves receiving our identities from this week, Jesus begins his words to us with “Hurry, come down…”