Little man in a tree

Luke 19:9-10 Jesus said to him, “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 the lost.”

Zacchaeus was a traitor.  In the occupied nation of Israel, he chose to work for the enemy, the occupying force, exacting taxes from his countrymen.  The people hated tax collectors like him, and from his testimony, he was hardly upright even in siding with the Romans.  He ripped people off.

When Jesus came to his neighborhood, Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a view of the prophet as he passed.  He did not call out to Jesus, but Jesus called out to him, singling him out for a home visit (yes, Dr. Jesus makes house calls).  We don’t have the conversation recorded between them but if one questions the art and need for compassionate, confidential confrontation and counsel (hey look, 4 C’s) in ministry just know Jesus did it regularly.

As a result, Zacchaeus emerged from it promising to repay anything he had stolen times four (that would be good interest on one’s money) and to give half of his possessions to the poor.  He became thumbs up to the rich young ruler’s thumbs down (see Luke 18:18ff) regarding surrendering his goods to follow Jesus. 

Those looking on scoffed at the idea of Jesus visiting the short man, calling him a “sinner” due to his occupation and practice.  They were right.  Yet, Jesus’ statement that salvation had come to his house (a pun really because Jesus’ name means “Salvation”) and that he too was a son of Abraham advances a proposition that no one, NO ONE is excluded or shunned from saving grace.  His statement that He came to save the lost goes perfectly with his initiating street-to-tree contact with Zacchaeus from the outset.  It was intentional and absolutely consistent with His purpose.

Who do I exclude, calling names and placing him or her outside grace?  I’m dead wrong when I do that, because Jesus calls such a person out of their perch and into love.  What group does culture or political tribe say is untouchable by grace?  Dead wrong again, that group is the target and early recipients of grace.

How can we (and I) change from an individual who came into Christ as a beggar for mercy turn into a judge and/or soldier keeping people out of our bunker and inner circle?  We have no basis for exclusive pride, but only thanksgiving, because:

Romans 5:8 … God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There are neither gradients nor varieties of sin in that verse because without Christ, we are Zacchaeus up in a tree.

Promised faithfulness .. even though I fail

Leviticus 26:42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

Leviticus 26 is a list of rewards and punishments.  If the children of Israel were faithful to obey God and put into practice the law of Moses, things would be great, not just okay.  Every blessing would be bestowed upon them, every aspect of life would be prosperous and protected from harm.  However, if they disobeyed, progressive misery would befall them.  The list of horrible results worsened as they continued to disobey and despise the law they had been given with the final effect being banished from the very land God had given them, after going through starvation and utter destitution.

But the list of bad things didn’t end that way.  Even in their exile, God promised to be with them and restore them if/when they cried out to him in order to obey once again.  The verse above cited the eternal covenant – agreement – God had made with the patriarchs of the people of Israel.  It was on behalf of His faithfulness – not that of the people – that restoration was to be accomplished.

God’s promises are not like those of politicians, or even of the most faithful human.  They span generations, circumstances, mass movements of people and really all human affairs.  It’s not that humankind can’t sin its way into destitution; it has been proven over and over that it can.  It is that though it sorrows the Almighty to mete out punishment – really consequence to be accurate – His ultimate posture towards humanity is to prove that unlike them, He remains faithful to his promise.

But, the history in the “bad part” of Leviticus 26 takes generations to take place.  So there is no guarantee that a given generation will see the redemption promised, but only that redemption will happen if/when there is a turning.

I am not subject to the Law of Moses.  But I am subject to righteousness.  Nor am I looking across the ages with respect to the obedience of a whole nation as was the case in Leviticus 26.  No, I have one life to apply this too, though the effects of that one life will go on long after it ends.  At this writing, there is not only the nation of Israel hearing the law, but rather individuals – God’s kids – around the world.

My failures are well-known (by me at least) and my success is largely unheralded though the reward it yields is ever with me.   Yet even when my shortcomings cause consequences that would choke the life out of me, I can remember that God is faithful even when I am faithless (2 Timothy 2:13).  There are bitter valleys to cross in this life, but the destination remains shining and pure.  I don’t speak only of heaven, but of the good things in this life God has in store.  May I remember that during all that I go through.

Saving a miser from misery

Luke 19:9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

The people of Israel hated tax collectors, who worked for the occupying Romans. Not only were they compromised in their loyalty, but they used their power to extort more money than was truly owed. Everyone knew they were thieves, also.

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, so we can imagine, though not told, of a pyramid scheme of graft he utilized to acquire great wealth. He was also of short stature, such that when Jesus came by, he had to climb a tree in order to see. It must have been startling to hear Jesus tell him to get down because he had to spend the day at his house. Startling and scandalous, because to visit someone like that was thought to be an endorsement of their life and practices, perhaps to curry favor or gain wealth for oneself.

But Jesus had other plans. We do not know the conversation, but Zacchaeus emerged from their time together joyfully repentant. He would restore four times what he had gained illegally and give a full half of his wealth to the poor. In a short time he went from miser to benefactor.

Jesus’ proclamation that “salvation has come to this house” could have been seen as a pun, since Jesus’ own name – Yeshua – means salvation. But more vital is his inclusion of Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham. His restoration was something Jesus needed to accomplish that day.

So, do I look on crooks in high places with a condemning heart? It is certainly in vogue these days to do so. Are they hopelessly doomed to be bound in their own greed and pride? Or do I see the will of God that salvation would come to their house? Oh, let me drink that spirit in! Let me be strengthened with such grace that I could see my very oppressors saved, smiling and generously loving where before they were only using me and others like me. Is this enabling? Is it making myself vulnerable to new and even worse hurt? Not if my steps are ordained by the Lord.

Let me have a prophetic glimpse of what it means to include the wayward despot among the people of God. Let me make sure that person knows s/he is welcome in the family, that there is no condemnation awaiting his/her coming clean and coming to faith. And let me spend time as Jesus did, compelled to speak life to the cold and dead.

Roger Daltry sang the word “No one knows what it’s like to be the sad man, to be the bad man, behind blue eyes. No one knows what it’s like to be hated, to be fated to telling only lies.” Indeed. And no one knows what it’s like when salvation comes to his house.

Discipline without shame

Scripture:

2 Chronicles 16:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.

Observation:

Asa had been one of the most godly kings in post-Davidic Judah. His renown in seeking and following the Lord had caused defections even from brother-enemy Israel. But here he had slipped.

Asa had bribed Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, into breaking his treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, who had been besieging Asa. God then sent the seer Hanani to confront Asa for not relying upon the Lord but instead relying upon the Syrians. Asa’s reaction was not one of repentance but one of fury. He punished the seer and became cruel to his own people. And the story goes on that Asa – whose rule had been the picture of godliness – remained angry and alienated from the Lord the rest of his days.

With some introspection, it can be surmised that Asa looked upon his scheme using Syria as a successful one, at least in practical terms. It had solved a nagging problem. But God cares about the means of our solutions and Asa had not sought the Lord on this one. Or he had not followed godly counsel. And when counsel came – after the fact – he either disagreed with it or felt condemned. He could not or would not draw close to God on the matter, though grace and forgiveness were certainly available and he certainly knew that.

Application:

Do I allow God to expose my sins? It can be a shameful thing, but that kind of shame is the good kind because it leads to deeper righteousness and closer relationship with God. And this has sometimes – even often – been a stronghold in my life – the shame-casting of people has been louder in my heart than the grace-casting of Jesus.

Let me be sure to hear that this story is about the inability to receive reproof and repent. The shame that accompanies that needs to be quickly put down by a knowledge of the heart that receives the sinner – even the redeemed sinner. Those without grace extend none – that is arguably their job and they do it well. But those who know grace must learn to drink it in at the worst times.

There is no better example of the opposite of this than Christ on the cross, falsely accused and then mocked by haters. Yet he didn’t listen to the shame, he scorned it. I need to learn that, all the while receiving and allowing the discipline of the Lord to do its good and loving work.

Prayer:

Father I am found out by this story. I have my shamers but moreover I have a loving Father who disciplines those he loves. Let me receive that and none of the shame. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Not a fair fight

Scripture:

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Observation:

The beast had been revered by people by reason of its invincibility in battle (13:4), yet once the battle comes against Christ and the armies of heaven, there is no battle. The beast is simple “captured” and the battle is over. And his armies are slaughtered. There is no mention of their being even a fair fight. Such is the vanquishing of evil in the end. His sidekick, the false prophet, was likewise simply arrested and held. Then their punishment is carried out – to be thrown alive into the lake of fire. In both the captivity and sentence carried out, the intentions and end results of the work of the beast and the false prophet have come full circle. For it was their goal to put souls in prisons of fear and shame, resulting in addictive and debasing behavior that further bound them. And after that, to bring their followers into hell itself. Their desire was to take the God-granted gift of freedom and life and pervert it into slavery and death. So the Lord gave them exactly what they had wished on his creation.

Application:

Rather than look for a personal, historical beast – which may or may not be a valid exercise – let me ask – what is my beast? Am I held captive by any being or movement or organization or group that would blunt my freedom, won by Christ on the cross? Do I allow the person of Christ into whose image I am being molded, to be buried beneath some other image or likeness? The road leading to destruction has hundreds of such images, boasting very real and valuable earthly rewards. While awards and rewards do follow a righteous life, let the righteousness of God motivate me and not what glitters. May I receive commendation as His servant and only passingly as one commended by humans.

Also, may I do everything I can to win freedom for those whose lives I can truly grace. Let them be energized towards liberty of being – avoiding that which is blatantly sinful and thus, binding in its result. Let me preach Christ with love, mercy and wisdom, including the judgment that follows walking away. In that, let me also grant forgiveness over my own inflicted punishment. For my anger is not as God’s and the sentences I would pass fall far short of his long-suffering mercy. I will throw no one into a lake of fire or even a too-hot hot bathtub. But I can love those who hurt people (even me) and pray for those who have chosen darkness – so far.

Prayer:

Father, You alone can judge for eternity. And You alone can capture Your enemies – the real ones. Let me walk in holy fear and righteousness that comes from You through Christ. Amen.

Gracious sobriety

Scripture:

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action,and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Christ.

Observation:

This exhortation is one with goals, with end-results. The first one is action – a walking out of faith that accomplishes love, caring and helping others. Peter knew well the actions of Jesus – in Peter’s own words from Acts 10:38: “… He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”  

That action comes from a prepared mind. It’s a mind that is sober – not from wine and strong drink or substance abuse – but sober from the pride, anger, envy, greed and malice of the world we live in. A focus on Kingdom work cannot coexist with focus on those passions. The hope – both future hope and present reality with confident assurance – is to be directed towards grace. In an earlier verse (v 5), Peter talked about salvation being in the future – likewise here. The revelation is yet to come. But since we know of His grace and salvation, the instruction and exhortation is to bring it forward (and pay it forward) into present life.

Application:

This verse militates against both complacency and laziness on one hand and being drunk with the passions of the world on the other. That is, I can be so taken with leisure that I sleep through the call of God. Or I can be so taken with worldly issues, conflicts and intrigue that I get busy with the wrong motives and/or thus, do the wrong things. I need instead to be governed and motivated by grace and love. Hope can be set on lots of things – this year’s project at work, growth in power or advancement of all kinds with material, relational, prestigious and other kinds of reward. If any of that should come, so be it, but they are not the focus. No, that is the Kingdom of God, as Jesus himself demonstrated. So the questions come quickly and pointedly. How can I live counter-culturally like this, taking in the words and passions of my day and not changing mission? How can I give of myself to project the love of Jesus? How can I think, speak and act out of that love to the people in my life? Let me never stop seeking and learning more about grace and salvation, for there is always more to learn, other application to make and more to come.

Prayer:

Father, this is your doing. If I am your child – and You say (and so I believe) that I am – it is your work and calling that has established that. Grant that I might make adjustments of focus and concern. Give me wisdom graciously that I might love and heal as Jesus did, where and how you have called me to live. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Cut to the heart – Acts 2:37 (October 13, 2014)

Scripture:

Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Observation:

It was Pentecost, the Jewish feast denoting the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai 50 days after the exodus from Egypt (aka Passover). Jews from all over the Roman world came to Jerusalem to celebrate, to meet and worship in the temple in the spiritual center of the Jewish faith. The apostles, along with other believers in Jesus, had gathered in the upper room of the house nearby and a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit took place. There was the sound of rushing wind, a visible sign of tongues of fire resting on each one and the sudden ability to speak in the languages of all the Jewish people gathered, as they praised God. They were accused of being drunk but many were deeply puzzled by what this meant. The Apostle Peter stood and gave an explanation of the phenomenon, saying it was the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He spoke of the death of Jesus, slain by the very people present, of Jesus’ real identity – God the Son and of the need to embrace Him by faith as Lord. The same Holy Spirit that caused the manifestation gave power to the words of Peter, and those listening were deeply moved (“cut to the heart”) and asked “what shall we do?” Peter would direct them to be baptized and believe and to begin a life of faith in the Jewish Messiah, Jesus.

Application:

The death of Christ did not write a dark chapter in the love story of God for His chosen people. It was the greatest expression of love God ever had for them. Peter was talking to those to had shouted “Crucify” on the hill that day, but God was extending His saving grace to them all, both at the crucifixion and now at Pentecost. If I dare hold onto grudges, even for murderers and bloodthirsty people, I have established a higher standard of acceptance than God Himself. The message that Peter gave had no denial of the crime they had done; but it presented a generous, glorious heart of grace to those who had declared themselves bitter enemies of Jesus. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, it hit pay dirt in their hearts, bringing deep remorse and a desire to make things right. Let this be my message, not avoiding the topic of sin and the twisted heart that commits it, hating God and His Son and any form of righteousness that does not produce personal gain. Yet guilt turns to conviction when salvation is offered. For there is a strong and redeeming answer to “Brothers, what shall we do?” Indeed there is a whole life to be lived in the light of the truth, light that allows believers to let down their defenses and serve in humility and in loving community. There were 3000 added to the church that day through faith in Christ and there would be millions more. May I be faithful to the message.

Prayer:

Father, this is Your Word. It is the purpose for which I have believed. You never stop loving, never stop reaching and drawing people. Let me be part of that I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.