JESUS AND THE TAX-COLLECTOR

Text:  Luke 19:1-10.

Purpose:  To show Jesus seeking, saving and serving. To inspire our audience to be like Jesus in these same activities.

Introduction

We frequently talk of "being like Jesus." What does it really mean? How did the Lord summarize His own lifetime-purpose? This context gives at least one answer. As Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die, two scenes are recorded in the vicinity of Jericho. In the first, the disciples are quarrelling over petty rank. Jesus' mind is on the fulfillment of the divine will. He passes through town. The people are watching. Suddenly He sees a man in a tree!

Zacchaeus was a chief among the publicans, or tax-collectors. Not surprisingly, he was rich. The Jews, like many today, included some who supposed that wealth was a sign of dishonesty, and, in the case of the publicans, they were often right. But Zacchaeus, for whatever he might have been before, impressed the Lord with his humility and faith. And Jesus, in the home of Zacchaeus, uttered the great summary statement of His own earthly life. "The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost" (Luke 19:12).

Body

I. Jesus came to seek.

   A. He was the Good Shepherd.

        1. This was prophesied by Ezekiel, who said that God would raise up a shepherd called "David," who would do what the shepherds of Israel (rulers and priests) had failed to do - care for the spiritual needs of the people (Ezekiel 34).

        2. Jesus Himself showed this concern, and He expressed it in His teaching (Matthew 18:12-14).

        3. He was the Good Shepherd, giving His life for the sheep (John 10).

   B. The word "seek" includes "see." To seek the lost is first to see the lost, to recognize the spiritual needs of those with whom we rub shoulders every day. Someone said that you need love only two persons at all times! God, and the person standing in front of you.

        1. Whom do you see? Only a woman drawing water? (John 4.) Only a man in a tree? (Luke 19.) Only fishermen mending their nets? (Matthew 4).

        2. Whom do you see in your daily life? A lonely individual? A person troubled by sickness or death? One caught in the bonds of sin? One trapped in religion - busy, studious, but with no assurance personally of salvation?

        3. Do not neglect the physical needs of others. Someone well said: "Your own bread is a physical matter. Your neighbor's bread is a spiritual matter (Matthew 25:31ff).

        4. The gospel is for the whole world, but we do not have to cross an ocean to find the lost. We might even begin in our own homes and church buildings.

        5. To view evangelism in this light is to see it as a natural part of the healthy Christian life. It is not simply for "visitation night"; it does not require special training or equipment; it certainly needs no great organization or promotion. It is simply one person who cares, sharing Christ's love with another in need.

II. Jesus came to save.

   A. He was the great Physician.

   B. Saving is God's work, but we can lead men and women to the Savior. The first question is ours: "Am I saved? Do I really know Jesus personally?"

   C. Jesus' seeking was in order to save. We should seek in order to save. We ought not to seek for less noble reasons: to break an attendance record, to impress other Christians, to proselyte in a sectarian zeal or pride. ("We're number One!")

   D. Jesus Himself came to save, not to judge. How much more should that be true of us (John 3:16-19).

III. Jesus came to serve.

   A. Service is the badge of greatness in the Kingdom of God. Self-seeking leads only to humiliation. Every carnal and worldly method of self advancement is possible for the Christian in the Lord's work, but we must reject them, just as Jesus rejected Satan's short-cuts to "success" in His own ministry (Matthew 4).

   B. To be like Jesus we must be willing to serve. "If I can do anything at all, just let me know," pleaded the lady to the elder. "Very well," he said, "we do need someone to clean the classrooms and wash the chalkboards." "Oh no," she replied. "I had in mind something a bit more noticeable."

   C. Mutual service for the common good is the basis for Christian inter-relationships (I Peter 4:7-11). Study this passage carefully verse by verse as a single context. "Ministry" in verse 11 is far wider in scope than is often imagined!

Conclusion

Jesus came to seek, to save, and to serve. Are you like Him? How can you be more like Jesus this coming week?

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