“For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”
~ Luke 19:10
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you have a favorite Bible story? Have you ever sung a song about a wee little man? This wee little guy’s name is Zacchaeus. The story of Zacchaeus is one of your grandpaa’s favorite Bible stories. Why do you think that the story of Zacchaeus is one of your grandpaa’s favorite stories in the Bible? Jesus saved Zacchaeus. Do you know how Jesus saved Zacchaeus? Luke 19 tells you. If you had the chance to meet one guy or gal who is presently living on planet Earth, who would this guy or gal be? Why would you want to meet this guy or gal? What if a well-known guy – such as the President of the United States or the Pope or . . . , was to walk Rt. 40 from Elkton, Maryland to Bear, Delaware – would you want to stand alongside Rt. 40 outside Frenchtown Woods where you are living with your ma and dad to see this guy walk by where you live? Your grandpaa thinks that there are a lot of guys, gals and kids who really get excited when they get the opportunity to see and to even meet a famous guy or gal. Why do you think that Zacchaeus wanted to get a look at Jesus? Your grandpaa thinks that Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and what Jesus had been doing. Your grandpaa thinks that Zacchaeus really was not happy – even though Zacchaeus had an influential job and all the money that he needed to live comfortably. Why do you think that Zacchaeus might not have been happy if he had everything that he needed? Your grandpaa has been blessed with lots of opportunities over the past twenty plus years to preach and teach. When your grandpaa has preached or taught about the life of Zacchaeus, your grandpaa will sometimes ask the guys and gals who are listening to him to jot down three reasons why Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. What do you think those three reasons were? You know that Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus. Zacchaeus would not have climbed up into a sycamore tree if he had not really wanted to see Jesus. Zacchaeus was Jericho’s chief tax collector. This meant that all the guys and gals living in Jericho probably knew Zacchaeus. Why do you think that Zacchaeus climbed into a sycamore tree? It seems that all the guys, gals and kids living in Jericho wanted to see Jesus. Word had gotten out to the guys and gals who were living in Jericho that Jesus was going to be walking through their town on His way to Jerusalem. The guys and gals who were living in Jericho probably had been hearing a lot about Jesus. The guys and gals who were living in Jericho wanted to see Jesus. The side of the road or street on which Jesus would walk on through Jericho was so crowded with guys, gals and kids that Zacchaeus could not get next to the road or street. Because Zacchaeus was apparently a very short guy, Zacchaeus’ only option was to climb a sycamore tree that was next to the road or street so that he could see Jesus.
When Zacchaeus climbed up into a sycamore tree, Zacchaeus showed to your grandpaa how desperate that he was to see Jesus. It had to have been really humbling for Zacchaeus to have to climb a tree in order to get a chance to see Jesus. What does a guy want from other guys – and gals? Guys want to be respected by other guys – and gals. A guy is usually respected if he has a lot of money and/or if he has a good job. Do you think that Zacchaeus was respected by the other guys – and gals, who were living in Jericho? Zacchaeus knew that he did have the respect of the other guys – and gals, who were living in Jericho. If the guys – and gals, who were living in Jericho respected Zacchaeus, the guys – and gals, would have let Zacchaeus stand in front of them to see Jesus as He passed through Jericho. Zacchaeus probably walked around to begin with with a chip on his shoulder as he was probably shorter than most of the other guys living in Jericho. What does a guy, gal or kid who is living in Latin America desire to have? Guys, gals and kids who are living in Latin American pursue friendships. Do you think that Zacchaeus had friends? Your grandpaa does not think that Zacchaeus had friends. If Zacchaeus had friends, your grandpaa thinks that Zacchaeus’ friends would have helped Zacchaeus find a place along the street or road where he could easily have seen Jesus. What was Zacchaeus’ ethnicity? Zacchaeus was a Jew. Zacchaeus would think that in order to get to heaven that he would have needed to have faithfully followed the Jewish law. Do you think that Zacchaeus had lived by the Jewish law that God had passed on through Moses to His specially chosen guys, gals and kids? Your grandpaa thinks that Zacchaeus knew that he was not going to heaven – as he had stolen from guys by overtaxing them. Your grandpaa thinks that Zacchaeus did not have any hope left in his life. Your grandpaa is quite certain that Zacchaeus was desperately looking for hope. Your grandpaa thinks that these are the three reasons why Zacchaeus humbled himself by climbing up a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Your grandpaa is sure that Zacchaeus was just as surprised as any guy, gal or kid who had been waiting to see Jesus when Jesus told him to come down from the sycamore tree that he was in – that He wanted to go to his house to eat. Zacchaeus took Jesus home with him.
Your grandma and grandpaa recently heard a preacher speak in the church that they attend here in Guatemala. The preacher was from a church in the United States. One of the things which this preacher said was that the church is a place for the lost. Do you think this preacher was correct when he told maybe 1500 guys, gals and kids listening to him that a church is a place for the lost – when Jesus said in verse 10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”? In the previous verse, Jesus had told some very upset guys and gals that salvation had come to the house of Zacchaeus. There are guys, gals and kids today who feel that they are not respected, who have no friends and who know that they are sinners. The best place to find these guys, gals and kids is in houses and not in churches.
Luke 19 (100)