Ready for Jesus? — Thaddeus Barnum

Good evening it's a joy to come back to Church of the Cross and to have been all these days alongside Mark and Mandy and and Alongside you we are stationed in Connecticut. And so not too far away but delight for us for me to have been here today with so many of the the team and The leadership of the church and delight to be here tonight.

Zacchaeus and Jesus’ Search for the Lost

I Want to pick up on the work you've been doing during Lent on these encounters with Jesus and if you've got Bibles with you, I would like you to go to this passage in Luke 19 and. And spend some time there tonight and and and look intensely into.

Into this moment with Zacchaeus. When you think of Zacchaeus, what's the first thing you think of? Short. He was short. Most times we hear this story in in Children's Sunday School most people know the basic message and I don't want to take away from that message that.

That here is a man who who a short man who? Clearly is marginalized by society and he climbs a tree and. And and by the time the story is done. He has invited Jesus into his home and into his heart. And so often that's the very simple message.

Taken away when you hear this story that Jesus comes to seek and to save the lost. That he's done that very work in the heart of Zacchaeus. 60 years ago this year a gentleman in Pasadena, California preached on this text and preached on in in conjunction Revelation 320.

I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door same kind of imagery of the Zacchaeus story. And that sermon later he became a pastor at professor at Fuller Theological. But that sermon later went to publication and to this day has sold over 10 million copies.

The man's name was Robert Munger. How many of you know that name? One. There is somebody who remembers his name. The little book was called my heart Christ's home. Billy Graham Association picked it up.

I mean it just went everywhere, but the idea behind it is are you ready for Jesus to come into the house? That's the point behind it. Are you ready for Jesus to come into your house today now? No no now.

Right now now. Today I'm gonna be at your house. Are you ready for him really and so what he does in the sermon? Which none of you have heard? Is literally he's coming into the living room he's coming into the kitchen he's coming into the recreation room.

He's coming into the closets. He's coming into the basement, and he's coming to the very things that we hide secret into our lives today. 60 years later he would come to our computers. Find out what's going on.

Are you ready to actually pray the prayer Almighty God to you all hearts are open all? Desires known from you no secrets are hid and that's the nature of this. By the time the sermon ended he literally No longer a guest into the house but the but the preacher signs over the title deed of the house and he becomes the guest and The Lord Jesus Christ becomes the the Lord of the house the Lord of the heart.

Are you ready to invite Christ? Jesus into your life today, and that really is really is messing with what we hold private. It's a and and and a good message during Lent as we reflect on the things that are are you ready for?

Jesus to come into the house into your life. Let me just say that in my world. Especially as I travel among clergy the answer sometimes is no. Because we are so into the image that we're not wanting to him to pierce through the image and see us the real us.

Authenticity Beyond Religious Image

So consequently in Stratton Stratford Connecticut the papers went wild last week because of the Baptist pastor. Who had been known for 16 years a loving man a good man a godly man a pastoral man? Somebody who works with us down at the Bridgeport rescue mission suddenly is arrested.

Why? Because he was embezzling funds. Now this is all alleged, but he handed himself in now. They're going through trial my friends. This is the point of it. Here's a man who's got the image right and now publicly now publicly.

Everybody knows is this man for real or is he not. Has he done something? He should never have done. So This is not just something that is for for those who who are outside. This is something for us inside.

Are you ready for Christ to come into your life in all aspects and do the work he alone can do? And so often I want to stay at that point of the message. But so much of what Luke gives us in this text takes us Also to a deeper message not to hide that or to actually actually shadow that away.

You know and and and find something else, but holding it up as well as underneath it. Luke does have another message undergirding this one. Specifically if you look at your text what you'll find back in chapter 17 and verse 11 that we've really begun a movement.

Jesus is moving. He's actually on the way to Jerusalem. And so what you begin to see in this story as it unfolds. It's the last journey. The last the last moment as his face is set for Jerusalem. And you begin to see a theme that Luke is bringing out here a theme where he's he's looking very intensely.

For example the ten lepers you'll find in chapter 17 in chapter 18. There's the story of the persistent widow a little later on. There's that story of the the Pharisee who's arrogant self-righteous and the tax collector who says Lord Forgive me a sinner highlighting as he often does.

Those who are marginalized are on the outside a little later. He'll say that it's the children you must come into the kingdom of God as a child. You must humble yourself as a child and then he tells us the story of the rich young ruler.

Interesting story only because here's somebody who's not marginalized by society yet, he's marginalized from the kingdom of God and Jesus who's got that pulse inside of him that scene that's on underneath it.

I've come to seek and to save the lost. You can see it. He's he's moving to Jerusalem and and that's his focus of it. And he no more finishes the ruler story then suddenly he is he is caught in that moment where he announces What's really going on?

He tells his own. I'm about to die. I'm going to Jerusalem. This is going to happen to me. They don't get it he gets it and Everything inside of me as I read this text. I want to say to Jesus Man, if I were you I'd take some time out.

I mean you're about to go to Jerusalem. You're about to suffer. Nobody's gonna take four weeks out. Prepare yourself, you know just breathe and rest and Somewhere inside of him even as this passage continues to move.

He does not stop being the shepherd. He never he so you can almost see a a selflessness selflessness a Sacrificial nature of our Lord. He's not stopping. He's got a mission right up to the last. He's got this mission.

He's going to seek and to save that which is lost and even though he says what's gonna happen in Jerusalem, nobody gets it and The story continues and now he's moving through Jericho. What's so interesting is you'll find that as the next piece goes on this next chapter of 19 is gonna bleed right into Palm Sunday.

So you've got this sense that he's really at the edge of the week when he lays down his life when the shepherd becomes the lamb and Yet his his pulse is there and everywhere he goes. He's got this crowd with him and the and the crowd going through Jerusalem.

The Crowd, the Blind Man, and Jesus’ Mission

Especially in the story of the blind man. They're not a kind crowd if you read the story of Luke in particular the account of the blind man. They're actually pushing the blind man down almost like they're stepping over him to get in the front.

So that doesn't front are pushing him down. And you get this sense of well with the other gospel recorders call a sense of violence. They they want to be up front. They want to see Jesus. They they maybe they want to be healed or something that they're always pressing to the front and Always our Lord is doing something different.

Isn't he? He hears the sound of the blind man. Well, it seems like as you break into 19, you've got the same story going on. This crowd is moving. They're moving through the Jericho and he's he's on his way.

He's entering he's passing through and and you get the sense of the crowd and the people and the Activity and the the buzz that's just going around Jesus as he's passing through that ancient town of Jericho and suddenly the the gospel writer.

He he all of a sudden like that great movie camera. He zooms in on this person named Zacchaeus the Unexpected. I mean you don't you don't imagine of all the people of all the dignitaries of town. He would focus on Zacchaeus.

But there we've got this short man. Interesting. We've actually got a rich ruler again because the way it's phrased in the text here is he's not only rich. But he's the ruler of tax collectors the chief.

He's different than the Luke 18 rich young ruler because the Luke 18 is obedient and he gives to the synagogue. But this one is rich and marginalized. Because he is known as a traitor. He is of the line of Abraham of the sons of Abraham and yet he has betrayed the people of Israel for taking their money getting wealthy on their money to benefit the Romans and.

This short man who is rich has no honor. No dignity. No integrity and the crowd that parts for the rich the dignitaries does not part for him. He is an outcast to them he does not get through and clearly he's given choice.

Is he gonna just say I can't get through and go home. Or is he gonna do his best to see Jesus? It's interesting the way it's phrased again. He doesn't just want to see Jesus the way. It's the way. It's intimated.

Is it he wants to see who? Jesus is and. So he climbs a sycamore tree. Now Are there any dignitaries in the room? How many dignitaries do you see hanging in a tree? There is a sense of shame that comes with this.

Now he is somebody who is the unseen of the community and obviously he does not care. But how many of you would like to see the mayor of Boston hanging up in a tree somewhere? Dignitaries do not do this.

Just climbing the tree. Shows you the shame that's in his life. Shows you the reality of how he engages with this culture and how the culture engages with him. I Cannot tell you how often I see these people who are in a tree.

Part of my work in my life is the pursuit of not not Affirming the image but trying to watch the Lord Jesus Christ touch the soul. Everything about our culture and our Christian culture majors in image.

When what he wants to do is get behind image to you. He does work that's in the soul and real. He doesn't master the outside. He masters the inside and we find our identity. Our identity isn't what we do.

Our identity is in him and if we place our identity in what we do what we lose what we do we lose our identity. It's the opposite. He he makes us his. Regardless of what we do regardless of how long our obituaries are when we're done.

Oh lord, just make me somebody faithful to you where my identity is rooted in who you are. I had a man come to me a schooled Educated pastor a man who is who is just debating between getting his doctoral work or going into pastoral ministry.

And he came into my office and I thought that was going to be his talk. But to put it in kind language if you don't mind just to guard safe ears. He was hooked by the things on the internet. And he couldn't get out.

And every part of his life was ensnared. He was the dignitary who was out front because his image was perfect, but his soul was up a tree. Locked into a bondage. A bondage that is stealing our present culture.

I met with a guy out of philadelphia westminster theological who's in the lead on Marriage counseling for ccef, which is the lead out of westminster theological. And I asked this marriage counselor. What's the one thing that you're seeing over the last five years that you haven't seen before.

What's the dominant pressing issue? What's the thing that's happening in marriages that that you're surprised at. What's your lead story today? And what's it been over the last few years? He said no question.

Absolutely. No question how to answer. It's the hooked on the stuff on the internet. That's got our men hooked. And I say men because it's probably both right just I deal with men. He said that's it. There are lots of souls that are up a tree in shame.

Jesus Sees and Names the Outcast

Which makes this story riveting because as the crowd is moving by. Everybody is looking at jesus. Everybody's pressing in everybody wants what they want and there is the dignitary himself. Passing by the sycamore tree.

You've seen it in parades. Haven't you that once in a while when suddenly the somebody that you want to see? And suddenly he Looks up into the city. He sees Zacchaeus his eyes. Look over to Zacchaeus.

Can you imagine being seen by the dignitary? But it's not just that he sees him his eyes. Stay on him. So much until Zacchaeus sees jesus seeing him. For some of us. That's the most dangerous look of all when jesus really sees us.

And the story doesn't stop. Jesus himself stops. Can you imagine all this crowd and all that sound and all the activity? And he not only sees him. But he actually stops and faces him so that he not only sees jesus.

Zacchaeus not only sees him but the crowd sees jesus seeing him. Couldn't you imagine the crowd saying? Oh. Somebody's got to give him the inside gossip on the man in the tree. He must not know. He must not know who that man is.

He must not have the inside on the man on the in the tree. Somebody tell jesus why not to look not to talk. That's not something that's not somebody we talk to. And yet jesus opens his mouth to speak to him and you almost want to hear what Zacchaeus always hears.

Look at him in the tree. Isn't that stupid. I mean look at him. He's in a tree. Always the mocking always that's always been the sound Zacchaeus has heard. Always from the culture pushing him down and now jesus is going to talk to him.

Will that be the tone? It's the tone. He always knows. But instead jesus does something that is if you read the gospels you're almost stunned by what he does. How many of you know the name of the blind man in luke?

Careful. You may know the blind man's name in mark. See you can't be careful here. Luke doesn't tell us his name. The leper that was healed of the ten. What was his name? The rich young ruler. What was his name?

The persistent window. What was her name? What's the name of the good samaritan? Do we have to call him the good samaritan for the rest of our lives? What was the name of the prodigal son? What was the name of the woman at the well?

Now what was the name of the centurion so many times we see the stories we don't know the name and there in jericho. He says it Zacchaeus. The shepherd knows us by name. Can you imagine the dignity given to Zacchaeus in front of anybody everybody at that moment when jesus Speaks his name in front of everybody publicly.

My friends in one way the story doesn't need to go on. He's done everything right there all the work that needed to be done. He knows him by name. And conferred upon him. Integrity and dignity of soul in front of everybody.

All he needed to do is say that man is a son of abraham. And press on his way or maybe like matthew he could have said follow me. But to be honest There's only a few days left and of course. He then does publicly.

Something that you've got to ask the question at the end of the day. Who really is this story about? Is it really about Zacchaeus? Yes, it is. But it's really about the crowd too. I love the fact that luke doesn't say it's the pharisees or sadducees here.

He's dealing with the crowd. He's dealing with the crowd that the culture the the mindset of the crowd that is that is disparaged and marginalized the man in the tree. And what he's doing now, he's doing publicly that everybody needs to grasp this and he does what you can't imagine.

My friends have you ever gone through suffering? Do you know what it's like to be sick? Did you amazing when when your world falls apart you lose your job? You don't know where your finances are coming.

How many of you love to think about somebody else other than yourself when you're going through things like that? You know what this stinks who can I bless today? It doesn't happen. Does it when I get messed up you're out i'm in.

You need to think about me, too. And yet look what our savior is doing. Look what he's doing this last week before he goes into the last week. Look what he's doing today. Today's Zacchaeus. I must stay at your house.

We're having lunch today you and me. I. I wish I could frame this a lot longer than we have time wise. But what jesus is doing here is so significant because it's a community event. It's not just an individual event.

Jesus’ Welcome and the Church’s Refusal to Marginalize

It's a community event. Do you see that? That he's actually saying we don't have permission to marginalize. That doesn't mean we condone the behavior we don't have a permission to marginalize. I have come to seek and save that which is lost and crowd i've come for you.

You have no right in doing to him what you've done to him. Pushing him down. Pushing him out. He is a son of abraham today. I'm coming to his house. Sometimes in the broad expanse of the bible. I'm amazed because where did the lord show up into jericho when he showed up in jericho the first time we hear about jericho.

What house did he go to in the old testament when he went into jericho's house? Rahab. He went to rahab's house now. He's going to Zacchaeus. Does anybody get a message here? Are you listening? Can you hear?

Do you know how do you know rahab? Do you know the story of rahab? Let me just finish it for you. Her name is written in matthew 1. In the genealogy of our lord. Jesus christ. You will find the name of rahab.

Isn't that stunning? And now of all the people he could have blessed in jericho guess who he's blessing today you know. The thing it's amazing about this because most of us I wonder how you'd react. How would you react to know today right now?

Jesus is coming to your house right now. How many of you would like to say i'm in? Make it about eight. All right, she's gonna do some cleanup before you get there. How many of you are ready now? That's the thing about Zacchaeus.

That's so amazing and all of us guess what he does. He jumps out of the tree little little guy. He comes down. He's ready. And that is part of the joy of this message. The man is ready. Are you ready?

Are you ready for him to bulldoze into your life? I don't mean bulldoze. Yes, I do. He's coming now now. Are you ready for him now every aspect of your life? Is it true all things uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account?

And Zacchaeus says yes. And welcomes jesus into his house and you actually see the mark of salvation. That salvation came to visit and you know it because the mark is inside of him. How do you know the mark is there because generosity becomes just it just pours out of him.

Mercy comes into his heart and generosity to the poor and to all i've defrauded suddenly. So he doesn't care about being right with the community right now. He cares about being right with the lord with jesus and he and he and he has mercy just comes Straight into his heart.

Suddenly it explodes out of him. This stuff with money the stuff with all that i've done I'm going to give half of what i've got to the poor and i'm going to go to the people I've defrauded and i'll up it four times what i've done to them and jesus just.

He stands there and says. Today salvation has come to this house. This is a son of abraham. The son of man has come to Come to seek and to save The lost. And he no more says that than the story that follows right after in 1911 it's one and it just moves and as he was saying this for the people He tells the story of the ten talents.

What have I? entrusted you with. And when the talent story is done We've got palm sunday. My dear friends the message underneath this text is strong. Yes, it's about jesus coming into our house. But his message to the crowd the message to us all is we pass by nobody.

Humility, Mercy, and Generosity as the Fruit of Salvation

We pass by nobody. Underneath as he's going to the cross the one thing he's saying to us. The thing he's been saying all through this from the leper to the persistent widow to the the tax collector to the children.

Only the children to enter the kingdom of god. We must humble ourselves to the rich young ruler to the to the blind man now to this man named Zacchaeus. My dear friends we pass by nobody. This is supposed to be the heart of the church.

That we are those who go out does not mean we condone behavior. But what it does mean is that we take the compassion that christ jesus has for us while we were still ungodly. Still sinners and and take that compassion and let mercy Explode through us in the city of boston.

In our own families to our own wives and husbands to to our own friends and neighbors. Mercy explodes because salvation has come to this house. This house and when it's come to this house We see people in sycamore trees.

We see the people that are pushed down and cast out. And especially the ones that we as a church push out and cast out. Because we love with the mercy with which we've been shown. We love with the grace with which we've been shown.

And this really becomes the message undergirding Behold our savior. Encountering a man who through the man teaches the crowd and teaches us all. We pass by nobody. The grace that has been shown to us.

We give the mercy that we've been shown we give. It starts in the heart. Are you ready for jesus christ to come do work in your life? Let him Come to the table tonight and let him do the work inside you that needs to be done.

And when he's done You'll know it. Because mercy and generosity Will fill your soul. And you'll wake up tomorrow. And you will see the people That you have not yet seen. Even though you may see them every day.

And you will give as has been given to you. This is the repulse underneath the Zacchaeus text. We pass by Nobody in jesus name. Amen.