Grace gets there first

Pentecost 24 year C Sermon Luke 19:1-10

Title slide

Jesus has entered Jericho...as he passes through...
he wines and dines at the home of a Jewish outcast...
an unclean sinner...named Zacchaeus

Blank slide
He’s branded this way...because as a tax collector ...
Zacchaeus has made himself wealthy...
conspiring with the Roman occupiers...
to extort money from his fellow Jews.

During the meal at Zacchaeus’ home...Jesus announces
for all to hear...‘Today, salvation has come to this house.

[pause]

Jesus is on his final journey to Jerusalem...
all along the way... in parables...
and deeds of healing and inclusion...
Jesus foreshadows the new Israel he’s creating.

To fully understand what happens in when Jesus enters Jericho...and how it relates to Israel’s story...

Exodus slide

we have to go back... to the Exodus from slavery in Egypt...
and remember who God tells Moses to appoint as his successor...Yehoshua...Joshua...in English

Its Joshua who leads the Israelites into
the promised land...it’s Joshua who enters Jericho

Larger slide
and with his army...massacres all the men and women there... young and old...the Bible says...even the oxen and sheep and donkeys[i]. In Israel’s story the slaughter is a kind of victorious genocide.

Jesus slide

And everyone knows Joshua is Jesus namesake...for his name is...Yeshua...

So now in the 1^st century... we have a charismatic leader on his way to Jerusalem...whose name identifies him with the Joshua of old...whose forces violently eliminated...
one enemy after another...

With all its expectations of Jesus... as a possible Messiah... it’s not surprising the crowd  gets tetchy...
when Jesus invites himself to tea...
with an enemy collaborator...

The Jewish crowd knows how Israel’s story goes...
and how little tolerance Jesus’ namesake would’ve had...
for traitors like Zacchaeus.

So this Yeshua...this Jesus can’t just "pass through Jericho"...without raising expectations. Particularly when the Messiah they’re longing for...
should enter Jerusalem... triumphant...to reclaim the throne of David...and defeat the Romans along the way.

So with Israel’s history in mind...
let’s listen again to Luke’s account...
of Jesus’ entry into Jericho...

Jesus enters Jericho...the cities’ chief tax collector wants to get a good look at this famous teacher who’s attracting a crowd... but Zacchaeus can’t see a thing through the mob ‘cause he’s too short. So he runs ahead of the procession...and climbs a tree to get a decent view...

Zacchaeus slide

When Jesus gets to the tree with his entourage...
he looks up at the wealthy little traitor...and says
"Zacchaeus, climb down here in a hurry; because I’m inviting myself to your house...

Zacchaeus is overjoyed...at Jesus’ initiative.

And then Luke tells us...everyone who sees what’s going on...starts grumbling about Jesus inviting himself to a sinner’s house. This kind of behaviour is very disappointing...

But Zacchaeus himself...is so overwhelmed by Jesus willingness to come to his house...what does he do?

[ask congregation...wait for responses]

What does Zacchaeus do?

He turns his life around.

Zac’s house slide

He stands up and says "Look Master...
I’m going to give half my possessions to the poor;
and if I’ve defrauded anyone of anything,

I’ll pay them back four times as much."

And it’s at this point...when Zacchaeus has responded to Jesus grace with repentance...Jesus announces for all to hear that

word slide

‘Today salvation has come to this house...even he is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man...
comes to seek out and to save the lost.’

Jesus entourage

During the three years of his roving ministry...
Jesus retells Israel’s story...and here in Jericho...
instead of sacking and burning the traitor’s house...
Jesus announces his salvation.

And we are to understand from the way things unfold in this story...that in God’s true kingdom...
grace comes before repentance.

Grace gets there first.

The love of God... revealed and embodied by Jesus... comes toward Zacchaeus...I’m coming to your house...

and in response to this grace...
Zacchaeus turns his life around...

Did you notice that when Jesus announces salvation he counts Zaccaeus among the children of Abraham...who will be numbered like the stars. Strangers and outcasts and sinners and even those who collaborate with Israel’s enemies are being added to the family of the new covenant...who will be next?

Religions slide

Today three major religions trace a common origin to Abraham. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam account for half the world’s population. Each has its own stories of conquest and genocide... like the destruction of Jericho.

Judaism regards itself as the religion of the descendants of Jacob, grandson of Abraham, direct descendant of Shem, favoured son of Noah, who founded the human race after the Great Flood.

Christianity began in the first century...as a sect of Judaism... and rapidly evolved into a separate religion with distinct beliefs and practices. Most notably...
the belief that in the rabbi and prophet Jesus of Nazareth... God is revealed and counts as his children...
all people...not just the Jews.

Seven hundred years after Jesus lived...
Islam was founded by the prophet Muhammad.
While retaining the universalism of Christianity Islam replaces our understanding of God...Father Son and Holy Spirit... with a definite monotheism...and asserts
Jesus was a prophet not God incarnate.

Bible slide

The sacred texts of all three Abrahamic religions...the Bible and the Quran...contain many of the same stories and heroes...though sometimes playing different roles.

Jesus entourage

Yet we are the ones who name Jesus as Lord...Yeshua Nazarith...who by his behaviour in Jericho toward the traitor Zacchaeus...demonstrates in God’s kingdom you will love your enemy...and their collaborators...
and maybe then in response they will turn their lives around...who knows...
but let God’s grace make the first move

Of course Jesus’ way... was wildly unpopular with the religious and political authorities of his day. For Jesus there was no such thing as a Holy War.

Some Jews like the Zealot party wanted violent overthrow of the Romans. Others like the Pharisees and the Essenes at Qumran...believed legal, ritual and ethnic purity was the only answer...

unclean sinners...like Zacchaeus...and pagans like the Roman occupiers... were to be kept at a distance...and definitely out of the Holiest Places...

Which way will bring about the Kingdom of God on earth...which way will lead to more injustice and suffering?

All are waiting for the Messiah... Emmanuel...God with us. The question is...when he comes...will it be as conqueror of Rome or as peacemaker bringing salvation to Israel and its enemies alike.

In a few weeks we will enter a new year in the Church’s calendar... Advent...which celebrates the coming of God... And the story we will tell is about God who comes among us offering grace and forgiveness...
and makes himself vulnerable... to our violence.

---

[i] Joshua 6:21