Word of Salvation – Vol. 35 No. 40 – October 1990

 

Are You Satisfied In Life?

 

Sermon by Rev. K Moerman on Luke 19:1-10

Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Proverbs 19:1-8

Singing:  H.9, 424, S.42, 413, H.828,

 

Boys and girls, young people, congregation of Jesus!

Johnny is 14.  Year nine High School!  The teacher asked the boys and girls to write half a page on, ‘What do you believe?’

Johnny wrote, “Some people believe in God and go to church for Him.  I do not know what I believe.  Sometimes I think that He exists and that He is a sort of superman; at other times I think, ‘it just can’t be such a man in the sky’.  I do not really know.  My father and my mother want me to believe, and I do go to church but if you ask me honestly…!’

Can you identify with that?

When you get older and want to stand on your own two feet, then often the faith you have been taught as a child comes under fire and we start to doubt.  .And not only that but we are also challenged with another question: what do I really want out of life?  Am I satisfied with my life?  What do I expect in life?

We are going to have a closer look at these questions and use the story of Zacchaeus for that.  We call him Zacchaeus because that is the name we find for this man in the Bible.  But it could well have been just any Tom, Dick or perhaps Mary.

Zacchaeus!  Of course, when he was 14 or 16 or perhaps even 20 years old, he had expectations.  He dreamed of the future – as all people do at times.

When Zacchaeus was young, he probably believed ‘what his parents taught him’.  Maybe, when his parents went to church, he went to church; when his parents prayed, Zacchaeus prayed, but it did not mean much to him.  And when he got older he no longer knew what to believe.  But he knew what he wanted.  He wanted to get rich; to travel; to enjoy life.  He wanted to get into the money business and get stacks of it.  To make a million; a man with power, money power.

And after Zacchaeus left school, against all advice of parents and maybe the church, he found a job as an apprentice tax collector.  That meant he went to work for the Romans, for the enemy: to do their dirty work, to collect their taxes (and he himself could pocket part of it).  But that really meant he had an eye for fat living by fleecing his own people.

And all the real values of life which he had been taught by his parents went out of the window.  Zacchaeus, a Jewish boy, a covenant child!  And now he only had one principle: ‘I am number one; I am Mr. Important; I have to look after myself.  I am on my way to get rich.  I am the smartest’.

He got his house (and what a mansion); and his garden (like a park) and a Rolls Royce, and perhaps soon a second one; an inbuilt-heated swimming pool and servants to look after him.  Life is good for Zacchaeus!!  He is in the fast lane.(and in our terms: overseas trips and fine food, and who knows, wine and women?)

And who then thinks about God, and all that old fashioned stuff?

Would that have been a true picture of Zacchaeus?  But only Zacchaeus?

He had it made!!!

But was he really satisfied now?  Did life bring him what he expected?

He was still a loner.  Others did not like him.  No true relationships.  Sure, plenty of ‘fair-weather friends’, but no true friends.

And then he starts hearing about a man called Jesus.  And rumours flying around of a friend of his, Levi, who was in the same money business.  That fool had started to follow Jesus, and had given up his profitable business.  Why did Levi do such a stupid thing?  What does that man Jesus have that his friend Levi had not?

Perhaps Zacchaeus started to feel he had not made it to the top after all.  He was not happy.  Perhaps, some pangs of conscience.  Words and thoughts of the teaching of mum and dad coming back.

Maybe there is more to life than just money and riches and food and fun.  Maybe, that man Jesus has something to give that he is lacking.  Maybe he is not on the right track of happiness in life.  Missing out on real and lasting satisfaction.  Sort of running around in the wilderness and getting nowhere, even getting lost.

Does Jesus know a better way for him?

And people or no people, he wouldn’t mind seeing that Jesus.  Jesus is coming to Jericho, his home town.  He wants to find out!  And what did Zacchaeus expect from Jesus?  What do you expect from Jesus?  Does Jesus know a better way?

Zacchaeus notices that it is busy around Jesus.  He can’t even see Jesus.  He is only a short fellow.  Too many people crowding around Jesus.  Too many journalist and photographers and television crews.  People blocking his view of Jesus!

Maybe, it will be wiser for Zacchaeus to go home, and look for Jesus ‘on the news’.  Maybe they’ll show him there (if there is not more important news.)

Isn’t that what still happens today?

Jesus is very often ‘hidden’ behind all other things?  Sometimes ‘hidden’ behind things going on in church?  We’ve gone out to see Jesus but what we often get to hear or see is man-made rules and sterile doctrines or matters of finance or social affairs.  Perhaps the: be-kind-to-one-another-sort-of-a-thing.  And arguments about who is right or wrong.  But we do not see Jesus!

At times there are people standing between Jesus and me.  I only see people… not Jesus.  And, perhaps, because the people are nasty or sharp of tongue I do not see Jesus.

And the church turns me off.  Because I see people and they do not reflect Jesus.  They even block my view of Jesus.  People in the church (part of the family of God) please never stop other people from seeing Jesus in you…. in your actions or in your words.

Zacchaeus had to climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus.  That must have been ‘something… for such an important man.  Imagine… climbing a tree.

Yes, Jesus must be worth something to you; you must be willing to go out of your way to find Jesus.  He got a good spot from where he could see Jesus coming from a distance.  There he comes.  ‘Jesus!’

And now Zacchaeus sees Jesus, but what’s more: Jesus sees Zacchaeus.  And that’s going to produce headline news: ‘Jesus meets Zacchaeus’.  2000 years later they are still talking about it.  The two look at each other.

The one whose slogan in life had always been, ‘I get as much as I can’, and the other, Jesus, whose love and work had been, ‘I want to give as much as I can’.  And now they meet as two opposite poles drawn to each other, and then sparks are flying.  The sinless one and the sinner.

And then Jesus calls.  Jesus takes the initiative.  (Jesus always takes the initiative – as long as we have ears to hear): ‘Zacchaeus, come down!’

The one who always ordered others around is now told to come.  Zacchaeus gets a shock.  Jesus knows my name!

To Jesus I am not a nameless one; not despised, but a person; I am a somebody –and Jesus knows me and calls me.  And Jesus was first.  ‘Zacchaeus come!!’

If you are sitting here in church today, and as a child perhaps you were baptised, but, so far you have really done nothing about it, remember: Jesus knows your name and he even called you by name.

‘Zacchaeus, come down, and quickly, right now.’

It’s as if Jesus were saying: ‘You have waited so many years already; lived for money; for yourself; for your career; for power, come now, immediately!  Stop wasting your time, Zacchaeus.  Your career, your purpose in life, your priorities will need to change.  I want to talk to you, Zacchaeus, privately, a man-to-man talk.  Let me into your house.’

Jesus always wants to talk to us privately.  Jesus never hangs the dirty linen of my life on the washing-line.  ‘I want to talk to you privately, for I care for your soul, for your happiness, for your life.’

We don’t know what they talked about.  But meeting Jesus is a life-changing experience.  For Zacchaeus changed.  Completely.  Radically.  When Jesus walks into your life, your life changes altogether.  No longer money, but love; no longer to get things but to give yourself; no longer fame and power but humility and service.  No longer weighed down by the enormous load of sin and guilt.  For if you are sorry and confess your sins, he will take it all away.  My final destination is no longer hell, but heaven.  No longer do I live for myself, and let the rest of the world go to the dogs but: How can I serve you, O God and your world, and the people around me?

If we allow Jesus to walk into our life, the changes take place.  In my marriage; sure, if it has gone sour and now you want Jesus to take over and be your marriage counsellor, it will go from bad to better to best; it will go from rain to sunshine; from unhappiness to mutual enrichment.

Changes take place in my money matters.  No longer is my bankbook the most important book in my house, but the Word of God.  Changes in my work.  In my relationships to others.  And things will start to happen.  For things go better with Jesus!

If and when you let Jesus speak to you (and you listen) and give yourself to Him, then things start to happen.  People even start to recognize you as one who walks with Jesus.  And no longer will you block the view of Jesus but pass on ‘his’ light.

But beware!  It may well change your life.  For no longer can you live as a tax collector, just for the money; no longer will payday be the most important day of the week.  But how can I use my money, and my time to God’s glory and how can I help others?  No longer do I live as number one, Mr. Important, but I live for God and for my neighbour.  And that gives satisfaction.  Yes, it even gives life, eternal life, and you’d better be in it.

And you do not have to climb into a tree.  You can talk to Him right now.  You can ask Him to come into your heart, into your life.

If you have never done that, now is the right time.  And even if you gave your life to Jesus long ago, you can do it again.  You may re-dedicate your life to Him.  He softly calls you too: ‘Zacchaeus come down!’; Mary, David, Graham, Ann, come down, climb down.

Never forget that those who did climb down from the tree of their life and followed Jesus never regretted this.  For life with Jesus fully and utterly and completely satisfies.  Do you want to meet that Jesus?  Again?  Step out of your tree, or rather bow you head in your pew and dedicate or re-dedicate your life to Jesus.  Now is the time, and this is the day.

‘Zacchaeus, Joanna, Martin, Keith, Man, Woman, come down, for I want to talk to you NOW.’

Let us bow in a moment of silent prayer and tell Him that we need Him and therefore we come, as we are: ‘weary and worn and (sometimes) sad.’

Let us bow in prayer.

AMEN