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I was asked to
preach a shorter sermon for this service, and this is quite
short. In many cases it is said that brevity is good.
Advent is a time
for us to prepare for Christ’s coming. We anticipate and get
ready for the time to celebrate. Though we know the story
well, and as we wait patiently for Christmas morning, we still
focus on preparing for Christ’s coming to celebrate his
birth. The baby Jesus is the hope and salvation of the world.
We know the story well. In him come salvation, freed lives to
live for God’s kingdom and righteousness, and a day when he
will return in final glory. And though we feel we are
welcoming Jesus into the world, which we are in making way for
him and proclaiming him to the world, it is Jesus who is
actually calling us to him to worship, adore, love and follow.
Christ’s coming is God’s invitation to us to enter into a
right relationship with God. And we have been reconciled with
God as Christ’s disciples. In preparing for Christ’s
coming in the baby Jesus and in his second coming, are we
prepared for Christ to come and enter into the places of our
lives where he says he must stay?
Jesus had special
ways of ministering and relating to people during his last
three years on earth. Jesus and his disciples did not travel
with camping gear or reservations for housing as they traveled
to many of their destinations. After reading this passage of
Zacchaeus and Jesus, I thought of what it would look like if
we used Jesus’ method of ministry by inviting ourselves to
people’s houses, strangers or friends. Well, if you travel a
lot, maybe you already do that. But what if Christ’s Great
Commission included the command: Go and invite yourselves to
stay at people’s homes as I did. Or what if we decided that
all the pastors of this church would begin staying at
different homes throughout the year instead of having a
parsonage? That would be fun. Who’d like to be the first to
host the Hook family of six?
That would be very
interesting, to say the least. I’m sure we wouldn’t
receive the same kinds of reaction or reception that Jesus
did. Or would we?
When was the last
time someone invited him/herself over to your house? Or when
was the last time you invited yourself over to someone’s
home, saying, "I must come over to your place." That’s
fine between friends. But if it’s someone you’ve just met
or hardly know, it can be a very uncomfortable position for
the potential host. Of course, it depends on who it is that’s
asking to be welcomed.
I know sometimes
children and youth will ask newfound friends to come over or
to be invited over to each other’s houses without any
hesitation. You may remember asking as a child or having heard
someone ask, "Can I come over your house?" or
"Ask your parents if I can come over." And sometimes
there’s some motivating factor to going over to a friend’s
house. That sometimes included a delicious meal or dessert,
the latest video game or movie, or a special activity.
Well, Jesus
usually had special reasons to visit someone’s home other
than food and a place to sleep. In today’s Scripture
reading, we can see more of Jesus’ purpose for coming and
how we can prepare and respond. Let us look a little closer at
this story.
Jericho was known
for its warm climate and abundant trade. And living there was
Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector who was hated by his
fellow Hebrews. Hebrew tax collectors were unpopular because
they often cheated others on taxes. Also, Hebrew tax
collectors were seen as traitors because they worked for the
Roman government that forced these taxes and other rules on
them. Zacchaeus, along with the people living in Jericho,
heard of Jesus’ coming and crowded around Jesus as he walked
along the streets. Zacchaeus, being short, climbed a sycamore
tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He may have only wanted to
get a glimpse of Jesus. Or he may have wanted to meet and talk
with Jesus, being concerned about his spiritual condition.
Regardless, he desperately wanted to see Jesus. Jesus knew and
called Zacchaeus by name. Jesus said that he must stay at
Zacchaeus home. People were surprised that Jesus chose to stay
at a "sinner’s" house, though they all were
sinners. And though Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus, we
quickly find that Jesus was actually looking for him. Jesus
came to seek and save the lost. Zacchaeus was moved by Jesus’
unconditional love. Jesus showed to everyone crowded around
that Zacchaeus was accepted and loved no matter his state.
Zacchaeus was moved by Jesus’ acknowledgement of his
presence and decision to stay at his house. He could hardly
believe it. He accepted that love and Jesus into his home and
into his life. He was changed at that moment. Zacchaeus gave
half of his possessions away and gave back four times what he
cheated from others. Jesus said salvation came to his house,
not because of what Zacchaeus did, but because of what he saw
in Jesus and believed.
In a sense, as
Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus, we do our
climbing during this season to see Jesus and make him seen in
our worship, celebrations, decorations, gift giving and
receiving, and other meaningful Christmas activities. But as
we do so, I ask you to see where Christ is calling you at
places in your life to let him be present.
Let us be prepared
with our hearts and lives for his acts of love and care where
he wants to enter, where he knows we need him most. So prepare
your heart for his call upon you. For as a disciple of Christ,
we are to grow and be transformed by the renewing of our
minds. We prepare by remembering we are loved by God
unconditionally. In the places of our lives where we feel
hurt, ashamed, broken, hopeless or grieved, we should hear
Christ gently saying that he must be there and stay to comfort
and heal.
Well, this is
where I had planned to put in an illustration to drive a point
home. It doesn’t always work out the way you plan. But I ask
you to take a moment and look at your own lives and see if
there are places you need God’s presence that you feel
Christ wants to enter and comfort, heal and even rejoice with
you.
Be prepared for
Christ’s coming with the knowledge of his unconditional love
for you and that he has sought you out and found you who were
once lost. Zacchaeus knew he was accepted. And he was not only
touched by Jesus’ love, but transformed by it. He gave of
himself and reconciled himself with those he cheated. I’m
not saying that you must give half your possessions away or
repay your…well, you should repay your debts, but not four
times the amount. Know that when we see and take into our
lives Christ’s unconditional love, we are going to be
changed by Christ. With joy, we find ourselves generous with
our possessions, our entire lives, and the same forgiving and
unconditional love Christ has for us. Do you hear Christ
saying to you, "I must stay at your house today"?
Listen and see where those places in your life may be.
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