Little Man, Big Change

Luke 19:1-10

November 15, 2015 • Mount Pleasant UMC

Sermon Study Guide

It’s tough being a little guy. I’ve never been tall of stature, and though Christopher, my son, is taller than me now—tallest in the family these days—there was a time when he wasn’t so tall. I remember when we went to Disney World for the first time and we wanted to see all the parades. So we did what you do, we got there early and got him a seat on the curb. Then we watched as adults—adults!—pushed their way to the front to sit in front of the kids. Did they not remember this was supposed to be fun for kids? So I did what I often did in those days, I scooped Christopher up and put him on my shoulders so he could see the parade over the heads of the rude adults. It’s tough being a little guy.

In our Scripture this morning, we encounter a man who knew that truth. Zacchaeus, as many of us know from the Sunday School song, was a “wee little man, and a wee little man was he.” Luke says he was “short,” blocked by a crowd, but he wanted to see Jesus. And Zacchaeus is the perfect case study to wrap up this series on “Pocket Change,” because in so many ways, he exemplifies all three Biblical principles for the use of money. As we’ll see, Zacchaeus is sort of an expert at earning all he can and saving all he can—and by the end of the story, he also learns to give all he can. This little man is about to go through a big change.

We’ve been spending these weeks looking at the topic of money, at least in part because it dominates much of our lives, but also because we’re about to enter into a huge spending season. Spending this year on Black Friday is expected to be nearly $3 billion, which will be up 15% over last year. CyberMonday is expected to grow 12%, and it’s even predicted that people who are trying to stay away from their family on Thanksgiving Day will spend as much as $1.6 billion online that day, up 18% from last year. This in an economy where we are already in great debt—much of it from credit cards. Fortune magazine calls these predictions “insane,” not because they don’t believe them, but because the simply don’t make sense in our current economy. We’re addicted to spending, and our world needs good, solid, dare I say “Biblical,” advice when it comes to dealing with our money.

So we’ve been considering John Wesley’s advice to the people called Methodist, advice drawn from the Scriptures and originally given in his sermon, “The Use of Money.” And, hopefully you remember the first principle was this: “gain all you can.” God doesn’t discourage earning; we need money to survive in this world. But, as we gain all we can, we need wisdom to be able to handle it well, and that rather naturally leads us to the second principle: “save all you can.” That doesn’t mean pile it all up or save it all for yourself. It means to refuse to be wasteful in what we purchase. For instance, one of the “go-to” gifts this holiday season is supposed to be the Apple Watch. Prices for the watch range all the way from a “sport” variety that starts at $349 all the way up to an “edition” variety that tops out at $12,000. “Save all you can” would ask: do you really need a $12,000 watch? “Save all you can” might even ask if you need a $349 watch! I can also tell you that the ReBuild team is being intentional about following this Biblical principle as we assemble the details for the new sanctuary. We want a nice sanctuary, but we don’t need the most expensive of everything. “Save all you can” reminds us to be frugal and wise in our spending. When we follow those first two, we can, as Pastor Rick said last week, find great joy in “giving all we can.” John Wesley was a bit of a fanatic about all of this. Early in his ministry, he learned what he could live on and gave the rest away. By the end of his life, he was giving away nearly 90 percent of his income (Hamilton, Revival, pgs. 134-136). He believed in “saving all he could” so much that he even refused to pay someone to cut his hair; he did it himself. (From what I understand, though, several of his friends wished he had paid someone to do it!) Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.

As I mentioned, I think we can see these three rules played out in the life of this wee little man. Zacchaeus, we’re told, was a “chief tax collector” (19:2). Now, tax collectors were hated because they were Jews who worked for the Romans. And that made them, in the eyes of many, traitors to their own people. Zacchaeus is wealthy in a culture of poverty; he may very well have had the largest, best-furnished home in Jericho. It was the custom of the time for tax collectors to not only collect what Rome required, but a tax on top of the tax that they themselves would keep. In other words, let’s say Rome expected $50 per person. As long as Rome got their $50, the local tax collectors could collect $75 from each person and keep the extra $25 for themselves. And Zacchaeus has been so successful at his job that he has risen through the ranks and become a “chief tax collector,” which means he is sort of a “District Manager.” He is in charge of other tax collectors, and how do you think he makes his money? Rome wants $50, so Zacchaeus tells each of the tax collectors under him they have to pay him $75, and he keeps the extra $25, which means if his workers are going to make any money, they have to raise the tax even more. It’s a pyramid scheme, in many ways, and it appears Zacchaeus was good at it. He is “wealthy” (19:2). He is also hated by the people of the city. He is, in the words of one commentator, a “slimy, good-for-nothing thief. And he knows he is” (Card, Luke: The Gospel of Amazement, pg. 212; cf. Green, NICNT: The Gospel of Luke, pg. 668; Wright, Luke for Everyone, pg. 222).

Earn all you can? Check. Zacchaeus is all over that one, and the best thing is, he doesn’t really even have to work very hard at it! Sure, he may not have many (or any) friends, but he’s got his money and that’s what matters. He’s got a nice home and nice stuff and is on good terms with the government. Save all you can? Well, mostly. He’s spent some money on what were considered lavish surroundings to the people around him, but he had to keep up if he was going to keep his job. He had to be able to entertain the dignitaries if they ever came to town. But he didn’t become wealthy by wasting what he had. Zacchaeus earned all he could and saved all he could.

Then Jesus comes to town. Now, for Jesus at this point in Luke’s narrative, this is a critical time. Way back in chapter 9, Jesus “set his face” toward Jerusalem, which is Luke’s way of saying he was determined from that moment on to go to the cross. But Jesus has also been geographically making his way to Jerusalem, and Jericho, in many ways, is the last stop on the journey. Later on in this chapter, Jesus will arrive in the holy city, so he is not coming to Jericho to stay, but to “pass through” (19:1). Jericho is considered by some today to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, its history going back some 10,000 years. It’s also on the main road from the desert to Jerusalem, so with twenty-three miles to go before the holy city, Jericho is a natural place to stop for provisions and water. It was also known as “the city of priests” in Jesus’ day because so many lived here who would “go up” to serve in Jerusalem. Jesus comes out of the desert, at the height of his popularity. The crowd is always with him, listening and celebrating, so much so that for anyone to get close to Jesus was next to impossible (cf. Card 211).

Zacchaeus hears that Jesus is coming. Maybe he hears a racket being made on the main street, or maybe he’s hanging out in the coffee shop when the crowd begins to form. Somehow he learns it’s the prophet from Nazareth who is coming through town, and Zacchaeus develops this sudden, desperate desire to see Jesus. Actually, Luke says he wants to “see who Jesus was” (19:3). He doesn’t just want to take a snapshot of Jesus; for some reason, he wants to know more about Jesus. Could it be that Zacchaeus has learned that his lifestyle of simply earning and saving is empty? Could it be that he’s been looking for something more? Could it be he’s been afraid to admit that desire, that quest, even to himself? But now Jesus is coming through and he’s heard about this prophet, this rabbi. Maybe if he could get to know Jesus, he could ask him why this life he has dedicated himself to is just not proving to be all that was promised (cf. Green 669).

How easy, though, do you think it’s going to be for this short tax collector, hated by the people, to get a look at Jesus? I imagine it’s like a kid trying to see around the adults at Disney World. He can’t get through, and I also imagine more than a few people pushing him away. “We don’t like you, Zacchaeus. Go back to your mansion.” But Zacchaeus is not about to leave until he has a chance to fulfill this desperate longing in his heart. So, nearby, he finds a sycamore-fig tree, a common tree with low-hanging and wide branches (New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 5, pg. 410). It would have been easy for a vertically-challenged man to climb. If you visit Jericho today, there is a sycamore tree in the middle of town that the city reveres as the tree Zacchaeus climbed. It probably isn’t, but nevertheless it gives us an idea of what it might have been like for this small man to find a perch in its branches. So try to imagine this first-century millionaire, a dignified man, suddenly having to hike up his robes and climb a tree. Not an easy feat, to be sure, and yet again there is this desperation to see Jesus. We don’t know how long he was in the tree or even if he was settled in before Jesus reached “the spot,” looked up and saw Zacchaeus. What began as Zacchaeus’ quest for Jesus turns into Jesus seeing Zacchaeus (cf. Green 670)—which just reminds us that when anyone begins, even in the smallest way to look for Jesus, he finds them. He finds us. He finds Zacchaeus in the tree before Zacchaeus can see him because Jesus is always on the lookout for a heart that has turned toward him.

From a public relations standpoint, what Jesus does next is a disaster. He invites himself to dinner at Zacchaeus’ home, and the people begin to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (19:7). Jesus has followed this man they all hate home. Can you imagine the talk, the rumors, even the outright nasty comments that might have been thrown their way as they walked toward Zacchaeus’ house? There’s still a crowd on the road; that crowd still knows the kind of man Zacchaeus has been. I don’t picture them being quiet. They could probably be sued for slander if Zacchaeus had the inclination.

But something has happened in Zacchaeus’ heart. In that moment that Jesus found him, that Jesus looked his way, something changed. Zacchaeus stands up right there in the street and makes two promises to Jesus and in front of the crowd. The first promise: I’m going to give half of my possessions to the poor. And the second promise: I’m going to pay back four times what I cheated anyone out of. Can you imagine the conversation that must have taken place later with his wife: “You promised to pay back HOW MUCH?!? And HOW MANY people heard you say that?!?” But something has changed in Zacchaeus; it’s no longer enough to simply earn and save all he can. As he responds to Jesus, he knows he is also called to give all he can.

Now remember: Zacchaeus is a Jew. And, as such, from childhood he has been taught the requirements of the religious law, which includes not cheating others and giving to the poor. He knows what he should be doing; he’s just not doing it. So in many respects, Zacchaeus takes our place in the story, doesn’t he? How often do we know what we should do, especially in terms of extravagant generosity, but we don’t do it. It’s not a secret that the Bible talks about a tithe—giving ten percent of our income back to God. But rather than giving, we argue about whether than comes out of our gross income or our net income. It wouldn’t matter if we were actually giving ten percent of either. The average American Christian today gives 2.5 percent, and that’s down from 3.3 percent Christians gave during the Great Depression. When we had less, we gave more. We know what the Bible says but, like Zacchaeus, we don’t do it. Now, some will argue that tithing is an Old Testament concept, and that is true. But the New Testament treats the tithe as only a beginning point, not an ending. Paul encourages believers to give beyond that, and to do it joyfully, not because we have to. Here’s what Paul told the Corinthians: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). Zacchaeus knows what he should do, and when his life is changed by Jesus, he makes an effort to do it.

And how that happens revolves around what Jesus says about salvation. Once Zacchaeus makes his pledge to give all he can, Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house” (19:9). Wait a minute—there has been no preaching of the Gospel, no call to repentance, no altar call and no sinner’s prayer. How could Zacchaeus have been saved? Maybe salvation means more than the narrow way we usually define it. Luke is reminding us that salvation is about more than going to Heaven when we die. Salvation is a reordering of our priorities and what’s important to us in the here and now. And it seems to start in our wallets. As Pastor Jim Harnish puts it, “Salvation is, of course, about a lot more than money, but it is never about anything less than money, especially in a culture that is compulsively driven by the power of money” (Earn. Save. Give. pg. 106), or in a culture where money has become a god. Salvation should transform every area of our life. As a line from a modern hymn puts it, “Not what you give but what you keep is what the King is counting” (Getty, “Simple Living”).

Salvation is about more than a moment in time when we allow Jesus into our lives. It’s that, to be sure, but so much more. Eternal life begins in that moment, and then it begins to mess with everything we thought we knew. In other words, salvation is about transformation that takes place over time—over the length of our lives. We’re never “there,” we’re always on the journey to become more and more like Jesus. Jesus transforms our morality. He transforms our time schedules. He transforms our families. He transforms our priorities. And, yes, he transforms our relationship to money, calling us more and more toward extravagant generosity. I don’t know what your opinion or viewpoint is of the offering that happens here at church, but if it’s just about paying the bills, I hope you’ll allow Jesus to change that viewpoint. What we do in the offering is more about us than it is about the bills. Yes, the bills have to be paid, but more than that, we need to have the power money claims over us broken. I remember the first job I had: detassling corn. It was a nasty job, and when that summer was over, I couldn’t wait to put my application in at the IGA store so that I never had to detassle again. But I made good money at detassling, more money than I had ever had to my own name at that point. And I remember going to church after I had gotten my final payment, and the pastor talked about giving. I can still tell you where I was sitting in the sanctuary that day, that’s how impactful that day was on my life. I did some quick figuring of what 10% of my summer income would be, and that was a lot of money in my mind. I refused to respond that day, and I remained with that attitude until after Cathy and I were married.

We were at Asbury, and there was not a lot of money coming in. Cathy had a job at the college, and I was doing work-study, but in the midst of my Biblical study, I had my heart changed. I realized we needed to start giving 10%. Cathy and I talked it over and, though it made no sense on paper, we began to do that. And I can’t tell you how it worked, just that it did. We always had what we needed. We didn’t always have what we wanted, but we had what we needed, and even enough to keep our junky car running. Now, I’m not saying that giving any certain amount is a magical formula to fixing any financial struggles you may have. Some of those may take a lot of time, work and sacrifice to fix. What I am saying, however, is that when we give to God and God’s work first, it reorders our priorities. I try to make the first check I write every week be our gift to the church because, as one author put it, “Giving is not just a reflection of [our] faith; it is also a means to greater faith and deeper love for God. Our giving is an expression of worship, but also a means to deeper worship” (Hamilton 136). Zacchaeus learned that: earn all you can, save all you can, so you can give all you can.

Relevant magazine estimates that if American Christians were tithing, there would be an additional $165 billion for churches to use and distribute. What would we do with that kind of income? Well, $25 billion could relieve global hunger, starvation and deaths from preventable diseases in five years. $12 billion could eliminate illiteracy in five years, and $15 billion could solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, so that everyone could have clean water. $1 billion could fully fund all overseas mission work and that would still leave $100-$110 billion for additional ministry expansion. Those are some amazing numbers (http://goo.gl/LNquNW). As Dr. Bob Long reminded us in a pastor’s gathering this week, in the American church “we don't have a money problem, we have a vision problem.” But surely we do better than the average here at Mount Pleasant, don’t we? I’ll let you judge the numbers for yourself. At the last report in July, our average giving was $53 per “giving unit” (which is usually a family) per week (and that does not include ReBuild money; that’s just for the general budget of the church). A family of four in Indiana living at poverty level, if they tithed, would give $47 per week. So, how do we measure up?

Now, the goal here is not to feel bad or feel guilty but to ask the question that Zacchaeus’ experience puts before us: how are we doing in moving further into our salvation? We cannot “get there” in just one moment, especially if there are financial things that need to be taken care of first. So, wherever you are in learning to “give all you can,” what’s the next step? If you’re just getting started, learn to become disciplined in your giving so that it’s a regular thing, just like any other budgeted item. If you’ve been giving but you’re not yet doing it joyfully, then perhaps a change in attitude is what is needed and that’s only going to come through prayer and allowing God to work on it, allowing God to change the priorities and values that have filled your life to this point. And if you are tithing, what is your next step toward extravagant generosity? The promise of Proverbs is clear: “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:24-25).

So, this morning in your bulletin you will find a pledge card for 2016. I’m going to invite you to take that out and prayerfully fill it out and, in just a few moments, you’re invited to bring them to the altar. I have people ask me why I both pledging, and for me, it’s about accountability. I make a promise to God and to my church that I will give at least this amount, and so when other things come up, I don’t have to think about it. I have already made a promise for this amount, and that’s non-negotiable. Remember last week when Pastor Rick talked about 10-10-80? 10% to God, 10% to savings and live on 80%. That’s a good plan, and it in many ways makes our financial lives easier to manage. So this morning, you’re asked to make a promise, to God and to the leadership of this church, of what you intend to give in 2016 for the general ministry of this church. How is God calling you to give in this coming year? Let’s be in prayer as we seek God’s direction for our lives.