Sunday Messages

Jesus-followers must embrace the work of Christ on the cross as the supreme example of God’s picture of grace for our benefit and blessing.

God continues to disclose to us in his Word that Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. We desire to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

A man was riding a bus to work, and he overheard a conversation between a young women sitting next to him and her neighbor across the isle. The woman was reading Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled, the book that stayed on The New York Times Best-Sellers list longer than any other. “What are you reading?” asked the neighbor. “A book a friend gave me. She said it changed her life.” “Oh, yeah? What’s it about anyway?” “I’m not sure. Some sort of guide to life. I haven’t got very far yet in my reading.” She began flipping through the book. “Here are the chapter titles: ‘Discipline, Love, Grace,…” The man stopped her. “What’s grace?” “I don’t know. I haven’t got to Grace yet.”

We can think of that last line—“I haven’t got to Grace yet”—when we listen to reports on the evening news. Worlds marked by wars, violence, famines, economic oppression, religious strive, lawsuits, and family breakdown clearly hasn’t got to grace yet. Unfortunately, we may also think of that line from the bus conversation when we visit certain churches. Jesus-followers have spent enormous energy over the years debating and decreeing truth; every church defends its particular version. But what about grace? How rare to find a church competing to “out-grace” its rivals.

Grace is certainly Christianity’s best gift to the world, a spiritual nova—a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obscurity in a few months or years. Grace increases its output in our midst exerting a force stronger than vengeance, stronger than violence, stronger than hate. Sadly, to a world desperate for this grace the church sometimes presents one more form of a lack of grace.

As a pastor and handcrafter of weekly messages and bible studies, I work with words all day long. Sometimes I toy with them, listen for their overtones, break them open, and try to stuff my thoughts inside. I’ve found over the years that words tend to spoil. Their meaning rots away. If we would consider the word “charity,” for instance. When King James translators contemplated the highest form of love they settled on the word “charity” to convey it. Now days we hear the scornful protest, “I don’t want your charity!”

Perhaps I keep circling back to grace because it is one grand theological word that has not spoiled. It may be called “the last best word” because every English usage I can find retains some of the glory of the original. The word underlies our proud civilization, reminding us that good things come not from our own efforts, rather by the grace of God.

Even now, despite our difficulty of “getting to grace,” taproots still stretch toward grace. Let’s note how we use the word grace:

Many people “say grace” before meals, acknowledging daily bread as a gift from God

We are “grateful” for someone’s kindness

“Gratified” by good news

“Congratulated when successful

“Gracious” in hosting friends

When a person’s services please us, we leave a “gratuity”

In England, some address royalty as “Your Grace”

Students at a college “receive a grace” exemption from certain academic requirements

Presidents declare an “act of grace” to pardon a criminal

Teachers and mortgage companies extend undeserved “grace periods”

The many uses of the word in English convinces us that grace is truly amazing—truly our last best word. It contains the essence of the gospel as a drop of water can contain the image of the sun.

Grace =

“God’s kindness toward humanity, without regard to the worth

or merit of those who receive it, and without their deserving it.”

Grace comes from the Greek word charis, “graceful, agreeable.” Grace has been simply described as the gift of God, the “unmerited favor” of forgiveness given to sinners—an outpouring of God’s love. It is also used to refer to Christian virtue. Every heart’s desire is grace. We surely don’t want justice. If we got what we deserved from God for our sin, we would all be condemned. We want what we don’t deserve, and that is grace.

Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace. –Donald Barnhouse.

Paul describes this unmerited favor of God in Ephesians 2:8-9…

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

A man dies and goes to heaven and St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates. St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in." "Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart." "That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!" "Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service." "Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth a point." "One point? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." "Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says. "TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!" "That's right! Now you have got it!" said St. Peter.

God’s supreme act of grace is pictured in the work of Christ on the cross. Christ took our punishment for us. Sin created a great chasm between us and God. God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to make it possible for us to go to heaven. Jesus’ very purpose for coming in human flesh was to save sinners. God placed on his Son the sin of all humankind. Jesus served as the sacrificial Lamb of God: the perfect, sinless sacrifice to take away the sin of the entire human race. That is the heart and core and pinnacle of grace—the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross.

Let’s observe the words of the Gospel writer in John 19:17-18…

17 Carrying his own cross, he [Jesus] went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

John uses remarkable restraint in giving us his account of Jesus’ crucifixion. His language is lean. The facts are simply stated without embellishment. In fact, we have to rely on the other Gospel writers for more detailed descriptions concerning Jesus’ crucifixion. However, words here can in no way add to the meaning of God’s gift of grace!

Crucifixion was a dirty business and the Romans were experts at it. They did it all the time. It was their way of keeping the general public in submission. Still, it wasn’t for everybody; they reserved this most cruel punishment only for slaves and foreigners. Roman citizens were exempt. Dying on a cross was the worst thing that could happen to a Jew because such a punishment was associated with the curse of God that was pronounced in Jewish Law from Deuteronomy 21:22-23. It was the ultimate humiliation. You were stripped of your clothes, battered by soldiers, nailed to the cross bars, and hung naked, suspended between heaven and earth. It was a spectacle of blood, sweat, and tears!

The Cross: Benefit and Blessing

The work of Christ on the cross is a picture of grace that benefits us personally as Jesus-followers and brings blessings before God. The events that took place during Jesus’ crucifixion include the walk to the cross and the wrongdoers on the cross.

1. Benefit: the walk to the cross

17 Carrying his own cross, he [Jesus] went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

John records the fact that Jesus walked to the place of crucifixion carrying his own cross. However, prior to Jesus’ walk he was scourged or flogged. So severe was this beating—administered with a whip laced with bits of glass or metal—that it could kill the condemned man. It is likely that Jesus’ back had already been ripped open like raw meat before he ever walked to the cross.

In addition, Jesus had been beaten and mocked. The crown of thorns was jammed on his brow, and he had to carry the cross on his back. Soldiers prodded and beat him as he staggered through the streets of Jerusalem. The Via Dolorosa—the “Way of Sorrows”—was a narrow way lined with friends, foes, and strangers alike, all clamoring to see Jesus as he made his way out to the place of the Skull.

Author John Pollock describes the seen as the procession came to the city walls: “Passing through the Golden Gate of the city, the executioners and those who followed moved a little way beyond the walls to where the ground began to rise to the western hill overlooking Jerusalem. They stopped on a rocky outcrop with contours which fitted its name, Place of the Skull (Golgotha in Aramaic).”

As we reflect upon the walk to the cross, we can relate more closely with Jesus’ words to his disciples near the beginning of his ministry in Matthew 7:13-14…

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

These words remind us as Jesus-followers that the way of Jesus that leads to eternal life is called “narrow.” For Jesus, as well, walked through a narrow gate to the Place of the Skull. Jesus’ words do not mean that it is difficult to become a Jesus-follower, but that there is only one way to live eternally with God, and only a few decide to take that way. Believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven because he alone died for our sins and opened the way. Going Jesus’ way may not be popular, but it is true and right. Our walk with Jesus extends to us the benefits of abundant living now with the hope of eternal life in the future. Thank God for his grace—there is one way!

How have we decided to walk daily with Jesus—the narrow way or the broad way?

2. Blessing: the wrongdoers on the cross

18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

The narrative now moves on to the two wrongdoers. It was of deliberate purpose that the authorities crucified Jesus between two known criminals. It was deliberately staged to humiliate Jesus in front of the crowd and to rank him with robbers.

Only Luke gives us a deeper description in his Gospel about the two criminals in Luke 23:39-43. Let’s identify with the two responses by reading responsively:

Pastor: 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:

Left Side: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"

Pastor: 40 But the other criminal rebuked him.

Right Side: "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Pastor: 43 Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Both criminals have sinned and have been rightfully judged. But one repents while the other doesn’t. Our sin is not what keeps us from God. Our problem is our inability to respond to the love of God and to repent and change. Only one of the thieves responded to Jesus and repented. Here, as Jesus was preparing to inaugurate his kingdom through his death, the places on his right and left were taken by these dying men—criminals. Those who want to be close to Jesus must be prepared to suffer and die. The way to the kingdom is the way of the cross. Taking a stand for Jesus may invite suffering and pain, but Jesus will be there with us, through it all.

This narrative tells us as Jesus-followers that it is never too late to turn to Jesus. There are other things of which we may say, “The time for that is past. I am grown too old now.” But we can never say that of turning to Jesus. So long as a person’s heart beats, the invitation still stands. But there is only one choice with Jesus. The option of embracing Jesus and the cross, or we rejecting the person and work of Jesus on the cross for our rescue from sin. It is literally true that while there is grace there is a choice. Jesus extends to us the blessings of embracing him. Thank God for his grace—there is one choice!

How have we responded to Jesus on the cross today—embraced or rejected him?

Let the hammers ring! The steady crack of the hammers could be heard above the screams of the victims and the cries of their relatives. Each blow increased the pain. Each strike of the hammers told the condemned that there was no hope of release. But as the hammers rang out against the rocky cliff, one steady voice could be heard above the clamor and the pain.

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” –Luke 23:34.

Even in this awful moment, Jesus would rise above it all. Here at the Place of the Skull we see no squirming, squealing victim—no angry, cursing man. We see the Savior in all his grace—greatness, goodness, and compassion. We see Jesus forgiving his unsuspecting executioners. Let the hammers ring! For in their ugly sound we hear the grace of God shouting above them all. From the very throne of God, through the canyon of eternity, comes the one word of hope for all people—grace!

Grace that is greater than all our sin. Wonderful, marvelous, matchless grace, flowing down from the heart of God. Grace, reaching out across the cavern of time. Grace planned from the dawn of history before the worlds were ever framed.

This is the moment of divine triumph, the ultimate and final victory over sin. The Son of God himself was nailed to a cross, bearing our sins and taking the curse. Jesus had become the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world.

Max Lucado in his book, Facing Your Giants, writes… “Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take to offer the hope we cannot resist. His sacrifice begs us to ask this question: if he loved us, can we not love each other? Having been forgiven, can we not forgive? Having feasted at the table of grace, can we not share a few crumbs?”

Let’s picture Christ there on the cross if we can. Christ on the cross: a picture of grace. And let’s ask ourselves: Has there ever been anyone like him? Is there any other Savior who deserves our lives, our love, and our worship? Is there anyone who loves like he loves? Is there anyone who cares like he cares?

In 2002 a young lady was a youth ministry student at a Christian college in Missouri. The day came for the class to take their final exam. When Denise and her fellow students opened their papers they were astonished to find every answer filled in. At the bottom of the page was a message that read: "This is the end of the exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an A on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced ... grace." The course lecturer spoke to the students about the exam. He said "Some things you learn from lectures, some things you learn from research, but some things you can only learn from experience. You've just experienced grace. One hundred years from now, if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and accept the grace God freely offers you because of his Son’s death on the cross, your name will be written down in a book. You will have had nothing to do with writing it there. That will be the ultimate grace experience."

No wonder Isaac Watts wrote:

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!

So let the hammers ring! Something as ugly as a cross became the symbol of a dynamic new faith. Something so despised by the world became the “unmerited favor” of every Jesus-follower. Why? Because the cross was touched by Jesus’ presence, and from that time onward it was never the same. In so doing, Jesus transformed the cross from a symbol of shame to a picture of grace. Amen!

Jesus-followers must enthusiastically seek a right relationship with God by seeing Jesus, hearing his voice and coming down from our unruly ways of life.

God is disclosing to us in his Word that Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. It’s time to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is nothing more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

The prayer of every Jesus-follower must be: “Change me, Lord!” If we will allow God to change us, he will provide the tools for our transformation. The Holy Spirit also helps us to move forward toward the perfect wholeness God intends for our lives. However, the process of moving toward spiritual maturity in Jesus doesn’t happen nearly as quickly as we hoped.

Many of us assume that Christian perfection is an outer work we have to do—a cleaning up and purifying of our character, our conversation, and our conduct. If we can just be good enough and do the right things, then we would please God. But in our heartfelt desire to serve and honor the Lord, we may fall prey to the same lie that deceived the Pharisees so long ago.

We have been following the encounters of Jesus through the Gospels to help us wake up and see Jesus. In many of Jesus’ encounters the people, especially the Pharisees, had difficulty accepting the God-man from Galilee. In fact, the opening verses from our last message in the context of Luke 15 state…

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:1-2).

We have many things in common with the Pharisees in our unrepentant state as Jesus-followers. The Pharisees were godly men, at least on the outside. Their sole purpose in life was to obey all of God’s commands, so they made up hundreds of rules and regulations to help them follow the original Law God had given. The summary of those rules is known as the Mishnah. Translated into English, it is a book of almost eight-hundred pages. Later, Jewish scholars added commentaries on how to fulfill the Mishnah. Known collectively as the Talmud, these commentaries fill at least twelve volumes.

So the Pharisees were famous for their scrupulous observance of the Law. Yet even the Jews recognized the hypocrisy that sometimes accompanied the Pharisees’ pious attempts at religious perfection. The Talmud itself distinguishes seven different kinds of Pharisees.

Shoulder Pharisee – meticulously followed the Law but wore his good deeds on his shoulder to be seen of people.

Wait-a Little Pharisee – always able to offer a valid excuse for putting off doing a good deed. He spoke, but he did not do.

Bruised Pharisee – were so intent on avoiding evil that whenever a woman approached, he would close his eyes and therefore run into things. He then displayed the bruises to prove his piety.

Humpbacked Pharisee – determined to look humble that he bent completely over, shuffled his feet…and often tripped over obstacles.

Ever-Reckoning Pharisee—forever counting up his good deeds in the belief that each one put God further in his debt.

Timid Pharisee – always in dread of divine punishment, constantly cleaning the outside of the cup and platter in an attempt to escape God’s wrath.

God-fearing Pharisee—defined by Jews themselves as one who truly loved God.

Only one out of seven was admired as a man who found delight rather than drudgery in obeying God’s law no matter how difficult it might be.

To be honest, we’ve been all of these Pharisees to one degree or another, with most of our time spent acting out versions of the first six. For no matter how pure our intent, the only result of making outward purity our goal has been an unhealthy self-obsession and a self-worth that swings wildly between feelings of inordinate pride or overwhelming failure—depending on how well we think we’ve done that day. True repentance seems out of reach when desiring to make outward purity something we can muster up on our own before God.

So let’s now move deeper into this message. God is going to disclose to us through his Word the life of Zacchaeus in his encounter with Jesus. Zacchaeus was one of those despised tax collectors who tried to live life by his own agenda. We will see an unrepentant sinner come to know Jesus personally through a personal encounter with the life-changing Jesus.

The story of Zacchaeus is recorded in Luke 19:1-10…

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

The story of this rich, chief tax collector, who climbs a sycamore tree to look at Jesus, is lodged in Sunday school curricula more often than in a pulpit. True, Zacchaeus seems tailor-made for a Sunday school lesson: every child in the room can relate to someone short in stature that has to climb a tree (climb a tree! Wow!) in order to get a look at what is happening inside a crowd gathered on the streets. But even in the hands of a really good Sunday school teacher, the story of Zacchaeus is usually greatly simplified.
However, Zacchaeus has a lot to teach us grown ups, especially about true repentance.

Today is the Sunday of Zacchaeus, one of Sundays that immediately precede the Lenten Season. This is a Sunday that we begin to speak of things specifically to prepare ourselves for Passion Week. Why would the Holy Spirit select this reading to prepare us for Passion Week? Well, it is the story of a man who repents. It is a story of how a soul converts. It shows us how a soul changes. Isn't that the purpose of our lives? It is to change, to become like Jesus, to become pure. The Lenten Season is the time of the year when we must focus more diligently on repentance.

Zacchaeus changed, through the agency of the God-man, Jesus Christ, and also through an application of his will. Zacchaeus is a case study in how to live the Christian life, how to decide to change, how to struggle to change, and how, after accepting God's mercy, to resolve to continue to amend and become better. All these elements are in this story.

Public Enemy Number One Repents

Zacchaeus was socially somewhat of an outcast. He may be described as “public enemy number one.” First, he was a rich man, and the implication is that he became rich by collecting taxes with rather too much commission, that is to say he was corrupt. Therefore he was probably not well liked. Secondly, he was a man of short stature, so short that he found it necessary to climb into a tree in order to see Jesus, because the crowd around Jesus blocked his view. Zacchaeus was probably more surprised than anybody when Jesus stopped under the tree and honored him by inviting himself to be a guest in Zacchaeus' house. Let’s note a changed life in three stages:

1. Greed: a corrupted life of dishonesty

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

His name is Zacchaeus, an abbreviation of Zechariah, meaning "the righteous one" -- a big name to live up to. The name is out of place for Zacchaeus, he is the chief tax collector in Jericho, and tax collectors were notorious for cheating the general public to fatten their pockets. They would assess a tax, and if the person refused to pay or called it unfair, Herod's soldiers would threaten him. Regions of a kingdom would be divided up into districts, and a tax collector would become responsible for collecting a certain amount of tax and passing it up the chain to the government. Whatever he collected over the amount required was his to keep. A chief tax collector would employ tax collectors under him to collect taxes in various parts of the district.

As chief tax collector, Zacchaeus was probably responsible for collecting tolls on goods coming into Judea from Perea, a main trade route. This business had made him rich. The word for "wealthy" is a Greek word which means, "pertaining to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience; 'rich, and wealthy.'” But despite his riches, or perhaps because of them, Zacchaeus is hated by the people. They see him as a Jewish crook and a traitor, who works as a spy for the Roman oppressors in order to take their money and give it to the occupation government, and on to Rome.

2. Treed: a challenged life of disadvantage

3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

Zacchaeus is wealthy, and hated. But he is short or we might say “vertically challenged.” However, Zacchaeus is also curious. He hears that Jesus is coming through town into Jericho and is determined to see him. He runs ahead and climbs a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus. The word "wanted" is the Greek word which means, "to devote serious effort to realize one's desire or objective, 'strive for, aim (at) try to obtain, desire, wish (for).'” One evidence of his earnestness and purpose is the fact that he runs ahead and anticipates where he knows Jesus will pass. He finds a large sycamore-fig tree, and therein establishes a scouting outpost where he will be able to see Jesus without attracting unwanted attention.

The sycamore-fig tree is a robust evergreen tree that grows to about 40 feet high, with branches spreading in every direction. Their many branches that are low to the ground make them easy to climb. It is springtime, and new leaves have appeared among the old foliage on the tree. It is interesting to see what "sycamore tree" means. It means a "wild and unruly fig tree." It has fruit that is kind of silly looking, and entirely useless. It does not bear fruit. It bears garbage. So Zacchaeus climbs up in a wild and unruly tree. We should think of our human nature when we contemplate this tree. Our nature is wild and unruly, but somehow, with God's help we can tame this unruly nature, and we are able to elevate our thoughts to heavenly and important things. This is what Zacchaeus did. He climbed up in a tree, elevating his thoughts to Jesus. He took his nature and used it for godly purposes, instead of squandering it. We must take the nature that God gave us and use it for godly purposes, instead of wild living, or fantasy about what we wish our lives would be, or pride, or despondency or all those other things with which we indulge ourselves. Instead, we must contemplate God, desiring to live like Jesus, and the fulfilling of the commandments.

Let us too climb up a sycamore tree and elevate our thoughts. Let us also, while elevating our thoughts, fix our concentration carefully. While Zacchaeus was up in the tree, he certainly was not examining the bark or the leaves. He was looking intently, shading his eyes, and watching to see when and where Jesus would appear. He was also being ridiculed. We can imagine that such a man who was chief among the tax collectors certainly ate fine food, and was a bit portly. A little fat man in a tree would be a very funny thing to see.

We as Jesus-followers also feel exposed in our unruly fig tree. The world tells us that what we are doing is foolish. Even other Jesus-followers may jeer at us and tell us what we are doing is foolish. Even we torment ourselves by asking: "what is the point, what is the use?" We war against ourselves, others war against us, the demons war against us, and sometimes we wonder who is on our side, when we forget that the whole host of heaven with Jesus Christ is with us. We are like Zacchaeus in sin, so we should be like him in virtue. We should climb up into the tree, and fix our thoughts and gaze on Jesus, and not be unduly concerned about the other things that are going on in our life.

3. Freed: a changed life of deliverance

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

When Zacchaeus heard the people around him grumbling that he was a sinner unworthy of having the Lord as his guest, then "Zacchaeus stopped". He didn't scurry away from his accusers. He stopped, and he faced up to his sin before them all. Zacchaeus didn't try to justify himself in the face of this public condemnation. Instead, he allowed Jesus to change him. He "put off the old" Zacchaeus of corruption and he "put on the new" Zacchaeus of deliverance, "created according to God in righteousness and true holiness.”. This turning, this change, is called "repentance" which means to undergo a change of mind that brings heartfelt sorrow, resulting in a change of ways. That's what Zacchaeus did.

Car batteries have positive and negative terminals. If only one of the terminals is connected, the car will not work; both terminals are absolutely necessary. Biblical repentance works the same way. The negative terminal is the ending of sin. The positive terminal is embracing God's way. When repenting, we must not only stop committing and turn away from the sin, but also replace that action with something positive, thus embracing God's way. If we were to stop the sinful action without replacing it with good, a void remains. The unfilled void must be filled. If we do not fill it with goodness, we may inadvertently fill it with the same or another sinful act. Just like the car battery, repentance requires both a positive and a negative terminal.

Let’s notice that Zacchaeus did not say, "Well folks, I'm going to start with a clean sheet. I am forgiven, and you all have to forget about the evil I've done." No, Zacchaeus did not try to get out of making amends for his wrongs. Nor did he try to minimize his responsibility. Zacchaeus announced that he would pay half of his riches to the poor, whom he had neglected. With the other half, he would pay back all the money he had taken wrongly, giving back four times what he had taken, to return not only the stolen money but also the profit he had made on it. Zacchaeus did this joyfully, because he understood that the grace of God does not excuse us from doing all that we can to right our wrongs. That's the Zacchaeus principle of repentance.

To the average listener or reader of Luke’s community, the notion of Zacchaeus’ repentance must have been almost beyond imagination. This is one reason why Luke gives such a wildly exaggerated account of the chief tax collector’s promise or vow of repentance and reimbursement. First, Zacchaeus says, “half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor.” The ordinary limit imposed on charitable giving was about 20% of one’s possessions, and Zacchaeus vows a lavish 50%. Secondly, in the matter of required reimbursement to those he has defrauded and harmed, instead of the statutory additional 20%, Zacchaeus vows a massive 400%. This enormous and virtually immeasurable response only makes sense if we realize how enormous and immeasurable is the mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance of God towards the repentant sinner. We are in the presence of abundant generosity here, the overwhelming abundance of God’s acceptance, and the overwhelming abundance of the sinner’s thankful response.

Jesus said that Zacchaeus was saved because he was "a son of Abraham". This had nothing to do with him being a Jew, or another of Abraham's descendants. It is having the "faith of Abraham" that makes one a son of Abraham (Gal 3:6-7). It is true faith that is behind the repentance of Zacchaeus. People whose faith is living and true, and who are justified by their faith, are those who make personal sacrifice in order to devote themselves to righteousness. Salvation came to Zacchaeus because he acted in faith. This faith also extended to his family God’s salvation as well.

We have an advantage that Zacchaeus lacked. He did not know for sure what the outcome of his seeking Jesus would be. We do. The church tells us all the time. God will receive our repentance if we try to make a heartfelt effort. So any of this that goes on in our head, things like "I am not doing enough, it is not worth it even to try. I broke the fast today, so the rest of the day is shot," those kinds of thoughts are strictly the evil one trying to further dishonor us and bring us down, down, down. We must be like Zacchaeus. He knew he was a great sinner, and yet he still welcomed the invitation to relationship with Jesus.

I was told this many times, and I have already lost track of how many times I have said it myself—the Christian life is likened to a marathon, not a sprint. There are many days that we feel we make no progress whatsoever, but our perseverance will award us the prize. That is the truth. It is a truth that is obscured by the world, but it is the truth. Zacchaeus had his time when the Lord told him to come down. He assured Zacchaeus that He had received his repentance, and would make him a new person. We have our times as well. There are thousands of these times in each of our lives, when God enlightens us and helps us in some way. We must increase our vision because this happens all the time and we do not notice the change.

Zacchaeus is joyful, and brings the Lord to his house to have a great feast. Now, there are some people, there are the Pharisees no doubt, that are still muttering. “What in the world is Jesus doing with such a sinner?” Well, we cannot see inside a person, which is reserved for God alone. God saw the repentance of this person, who was still a short fat man with many riches, at that moment. We must be careful. We have all judged someone too many times.

Can we discern three aspects of repentance now?

a person develops a conscience, and then he or she strives to find Jesus, in the midst of the crowd.

a person accepts that God will receive him or her. Zacchaeus came out of the tree, and was joyful. A repentant sinner came down, and felt the love of God, and accepted that God could save him.

A person has the resolve to continue to live the Christian life even when troubles occur. Zacchaeus does us the great favor of showing us repentance in microcosm. Let us all learn something from him.

Can we learn the lessons of a changed life now?

No one is beyond redemption and repentance, even those whom we see as gross sinners. They are all susceptible to sensing Jesus' love for them.

Love changes people. Acceptance and openness which were Jesus' modus operendi and must become ours, too.

We disciples must not be overly concerned about tarnishing our reputation. Yes, we are to be wise and discrete and avoid the appearance of evil. But we must not be more concerned about ourselves than we are for the lost. We need to be willing to take the shame of their sin upon us, as it were, so that we might bring Jesus' love to them.

Our Master's mission is active, not passive. Jesus doesn't wait for people to come to him. He actively seeks the lost in order to save them.

God can give us both natural and supernatural insights into people so that we might help them.

Our ministry to others may require boldness, an edginess that calls on us to be hospitable if that is what is required.

Jesus-followers are no longer enamored with earthly riches, but with Jesus and his righteousness.

I have heard so many people say to me “I don't see any change in my life, and I don't feel anything." The way we find change in our life, and the way we see and feel God is by struggle, and by time. There is no other solution. The church knows nothing else, but toil, and prayer, and hope. We must fix ourselves in the way of Jesus, and elevate our thoughts; God will come up to our unruly tree, and will touch us, continually, over and over. Eventually, Jesus’ touch will be so real to us that everything else will be as a phantom. May God help us to struggle and persevere, in the midst of all our trials and difficulties, so that when God calls to us, we will see Jesus, hear his voice, and come down from our unruly ways of life, and Jesus will abide in us. Amen!

Jesus-followers must show heartfelt sorrow over sin before experiencing genuine revival by humbling ourselves to dig out the root of sin in our lives.

God is disclosing to us in his Word that Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. It’s time to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is noting more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

Jesus-followers experience an integrity problem today. Some believe that they can still see Jesus and follow him when they can add Jesus to their lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without change in behavior. It is revival without reformation, without repentance.

Repentance =“A change of mind resulting in a change of behavior”

The essence of repentance manifests itself in a three-fold process:

• recognition of sin for what it is
• followed by heartfelt sorrow
• culminating in a change of behavior

Counterfeit Repentance. Two counterfeit forms of repentance are often passed off as the real thing. One of them goes something like this: “Lord, I’m really sorry I got caught.” The other sounds like this: “I’m really sorry I sinned. I certainly hope I can do better next time.” Both of these counterfeit forms are prompted out of guilt or embarrassment, not a heartfelt sense of remorse or sorrow over the fact that God has been grieved. Usually, these people who pass off counterfeit repentance have no intention of changing. They are attempting to get God off their backs.

Genuine Repentance. Genuine repentance involves several things. First of all, confession. Not just, “Lord, I’m sorry for my mistake.” Confession acknowledges guilt. Second, repentance involves the recognition that the sin was against God. “Lord, I have sinned against you.” All of us need to recognize that our sin is primarily against God. Third, repentance includes taking full responsibility for our sin. Whenever we catch ourselves blaming someone else for our sin, our repentance is incomplete. Regardless of the nature of the temptation, we are ultimately the ones who make the decision to sin. Last, repentance requires total honesty with God. We are so transparent with our sin that the by-product of true repentance is a change of behavior—away from the sin and face to face toward God.

“Repentance is not a thing of days and weeks…to be got over as fast as possible. No, it is the grace of a lifetime, like faith itself…that is not true repentance which does not come to faith in Jesus and that is not tinctured [colored] with repentance. –Charles H. Spurgeon.

One of the scariest movies of all time was Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. The movie tapped into our fear of sharks, and of the greatest killing machines of them all, the Great White. The movie was based upon the book Jaws, written by Peter Benchley in 1974. What’s interesting is the change in Peter Benchley since he wrote the book that became a famous movie. He has become a campaigner for the preservation of Great White’s and says he could never bring himself to write Jaws today. In Bentley’s novel the hero is the man who tracks down the Great White and kills it. Bentley is now somewhat ironically a campaigner against that very type of figure. He has become probably the most vocal figure in the move to conserve Great White’s. Why? Benchley realizes that when he wrote his novel in 1974 we knew very little about Great White’s. Since then we’ve discovered that they’re not in plentiful supply and that the shark deserves a fair go. Benchley has been through a process of repentance, in his case in relation to Great White’s. A new understanding of the Great White has changed his mind about the shark and consequently changed his behavior. This is the essence of repentance.

“Repentance has a double aspect; it looks upon things past with a weeping eye, and upon the future with a watchful eye.” –Robert South.

So the sure test of the quality of any supposed change of mind will be found in its permanent effects upon the character of our lives. Repentance is incomplete unless it leads to confession and restitution in cases of injury; unless it causes us to forsake not merely outward sins, which others notice, but those which lie concealed in the heart; unless it makes us choose the service of God and live not for ourselves but for him. There is no duty which is either more obvious in itself, or more frequently asserted in the Word of God, than that of repentance.

Most Jesus-followers desire to lead lives that are pleasing to the Lord. However, repentance demands humbling ourselves to dig out the root of sin in our lives. It is a difficult process. We have a tendency in our sin nature to experience the risk of relapse. We fall back into old pathways and puzzles when buffeted by the problems and perplexities of this life. So, we can claim the certainty that all Jesus-followers are at risk.

Let’s examine the Parable of the Prodigal Son that demonstrates this risk of relapse in Luke 15:11-24. We will begin by placing this parable into the proper context in verse 10… “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'

20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son follows two shorter parables in which something that was lost [coin and sheep] is searched for and found, followed by a celebration. Each of them is intended to illustrate the truth of rejoicing in God’s presence over one sinner who repents. The Pharisees had grumbled about Jesus' attention to the "sinners" and tax collectors; Jesus' response is that God delights when these lost ones, even in the midst of relapse, repents and turns to him.

The Footloose Itch

God's joy is seen at the repentance of a lost and wayward son. This is the story of God’s unlimited love for us. The happy ending is a surprise to anyone who has ever relapsed away from God or from responsibility. It is also a surprise to any who stayed home and thought they were being “responsible.”

Let’s observe a three-fold sequence from relapse to repentance to renewal:

1. Relapse: glamourville becomes hog trough

11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

The son is sick of home. The three characters are introduced at once: a man with two sons—a common enough occurrence. What was very uncommon was the youngest son’s request to inherit his share of the estate prior to his father's death—and the father's willingness to grant his request. The father is depicted as a wealthy farmer, with servants and lands, so that his sons would have enjoyed privileged status in the community. But the youngest son isn't satisfied with his lot. He wants everything that will be his, and he wants it now. In some ways he fits the Middle Eastern stereotype of a younger son, "lazy, irresponsible, covetous, and greedy."

Inheritance laws in Israel were designed to favor the older son, giving him a double share (probably with the purpose of keeping a family's land holdings together and preserving the family farm intact; (Numbers 27:8-11; 36:7-9; Deuteronomy 21:17). If there were four sons, the older son would receive two shares, with each of the other three sons one share apiece. Typically, the older son would be the executor and assume the role as family head after his father's death. Sometimes an older son would decide not to split up the family holdings between the brothers (Luke 12:13). Dividing up a father's estate before his death was known but frowned upon. In this case, the property would pass to the sons, but the father would continue on enjoying the right to utilize and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another so long as the property is not damaged or altered.

The younger son’s footloose itch quickly took him away from home. With lots of money in his pocket, the younger son sets out on a journey to a distant land—distant from his father and his values, distant from his older brother, and distant from any sense of responsibility and moral restraint. So long as his father is alive, he has a responsibility to support his father with his share of the family wealth, but he ignores this and spends it all on himself. He is far-away from the father. He squanders his money in wild living.

The Greek word implies, "scatter, disperse" and in our passage "waste, squander." His focus is "wild living.” The Greek adjective implies "dissolutely, loosely.” The English word "prodigal," which we often use to name this parable, comes from a Latin word meaning, "to drive away, squander." No doubt the Prodigal Son enjoys wine, women, and song until his funds run out.

It probably takes him several years to go through his third of a wealthy father's money. But it doesn't last forever. Finally it is gone. His friends desert him, his Ferrari is repossessed, he is evicted from his penthouse apartment, and he is destitute. Not only is he broke, but there was a prolonged famine that puts everyone, even average farmers, on the edge of survival. Where he might have gotten a job in normal times, now few are hiring. Crops have failed, and in the agrarian economy of the First Century, the landless are out of luck.

Remember, this is a story, a parable that Jesus is telling. But he paints it well and his hearers can imagine the son's desperate situation. They are waiting to see what happens. But his situation gets even worse. He finds a job, but the job requires him to feed carob pods to swine—and he can't even eat the pods he is feeding the pigs. Only the very poor would eat such food. Rabbi Acha (about AD 320) remarks, "When the Israelites are reduced to carob pods, then they repent." What would it take for us in our economy of the Twenty-First Century to bring us to repentance?

Not only is his food almost non-existent, his job of feeding swine is considered unclean, since swine were unclean animals for Jews. For a Jewish man, nothing could be lower! There isn't even anyone to help him by giving alms. He is in a "distant country" and the practice of almsgiving was little observed among the Greeks and Romans." The picture Jesus paints is of a man reduced to the lowest of the low. Stage one—relapse is complete: glamourville becomes hog trough.

2. Repentance: pigpen becomes think tank

17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'

The son is now homesick. Before—sick of home; now—homesick. Perhaps we've been this low and hopeless. Perhaps we know how it feels. The one advantage of this position is that there is no direction to go but up. It's amazing how complex issues can suddenly become crystal clear. The son compares his own condition with that of his father's hired servants. He is starving and they have food to spare. And he is probably aware that the famine doesn't extend to his home area. He begins to compose a confession to say to his father.

We know, of course, how hard this is for him. It is his father and his father's way of life that he is rebelling against. He has snubbed his nose at his legal and moral obligations to his father. He has asked for his inheritance so he doesn't have to beg to anyone. He went away rich and affluent, but must now come home with his head down and heart broken. The very person he was so conflicted with he must now apologize to. There is no other way. How difficult this must be! How humbling!

His apology includes four essential points:

He confesses sin against God—expressed in Jewish fashion as "against heaven"—for his moral failures and sinful lifestyle.

He confesses sin against his father for squandering property that legally and morally should have been conserved to support his father.

He renounces any legal claim to sonship. Though he is a son by birth, his father would need to use his older brother's resources to support him, since his father has already divided the property. He recognizes that he has no legal claim to the rights of sonship.

He asks to be hired as a servant at the estate. While his father no longer legally owns the estate, he is still running it, and will do so as long as he is physically able.

The Prodigal has rehearsed what he will say and how he should say it. When we have to eat crow, rehearsing exactly what we need to say is important. So many apologies are not apologies at all; they are half-measures designed to admit some responsibility but keep one's dignity and pride intact. To his credit, the Prodigal Son works out a full apology. Stage two—repentance is complete: pigpen becomes think tank.

3. Renewal: rehearsed speech becomes trumpet fanfare

20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

The son, sick of home becomes homesick, to the point where he is now coming home. The father has been longing for his son's return for many years. His eyes often turn to the road coming into the estate. And this afternoon he glances up to the road as he has thousands of times before. Far down the road is the figure of a man coming towards the house.

We don't know whether the son was dragging himself slowly home, or walking more quickly as he saw the house. But the father recognized his characteristic walk when he was far off. It is my son! Compassion floods his heart, burying the pain and hurt of rejection. The old man gets up and begins to run to his son. On the one side is the son, rehearsing his speech, coming with fear and trepidation that his father will not receive him, moving at an uncertain pace toward the house. And on the other side is the father running, his robes blowing behind him as he hurries to his son whom he has longed for.

This is no stiff, awkward meeting. The father throws his arms around his son in a happy embrace, and kisses him as a sign of welcome and love. We can sense though in the son a kind of stiffness. Things aren't the same as when he left. He has failed. He has sinned. He has changed. Will his father accept him if he knows the extent of it all? And so he begins his rehearsed speech about sin and lack of worthiness, but the father stops him. The father has heard reports. The father knows what the son has done. The father doesn't seek to salve his injured psyche. He is just glad his son is home. He is overjoyed—overflowing with joy.

The father breaks into the apology and turns to the servants excitedly: The son may need to say his speech, but for the father it is irrelevant. He has already accepted the boy back. For years he has longed for this day—hoped against hope—and now it has come. What is necessary now is a proper celebration of the father's joy.

The best robe. He honors the son who has dishonored himself.

A ring. He lavishes on the boy a sign of his love and wealth.

Sandals on his feet. His boy is destitute, barefoot. The father is quick to clothe him and care for his needs. Sandals were the sign of a freeman as opposed to a slave.

The fatted calf. A man of the father's station would have a calf that had been specially fed in order to be ready for a special occasion such as this.

The father calls for a feast and a trumpet fanfare of celebration. It is only fitting considering the joy and magnitude of the occasion: The father expresses his joy in extravagant language. Dead, lost. That's the way it had seemed from the father's perspective. But now his son for whom he had despaired of hope was now alive and found! Stage three—renewal is complete: rehearsed speech becomes trumpet fanfare.

So we don’t give up in the midst of our wandering from our Father. We count upon God who loves us more than life itself. Let’s note the words from the song:

“You are Loved (Don’t give up). Everybody wants to be understood / Well I can hear you / Everybody wants to be loved / Don't give up / Because you are loved.

Carrying blessings and burdens. There is an old legend about three men and their sacks. Each man had two sacks, one tied in front of his neck and the other tied on his back. When the first man was asked what was in his sacks, he said, “In the sack on my back are all the good things friends and family have done. That way they’re hidden from view. In the front sack are all the bad things that have happened to me. Every now and then I stop, open the front sack, take the things out, examine them, and think about them.” Because he stopped so much to concentrate on all the bad stuff, he didn’t really make much progress in life.

The second man was asked about his sacks. He replied, “In the front sack are all the good things I’ve done. I like to see them, so quite often I take them out to show them off to people. The sack in the back? I keep all my mistakes in there and carry them all the time. Sure they’re heavy. They slow me down, but you know, for some reason I can’t put them down.”

When the third man was asked about his sacks, he answered, “The sack in front is great. There I keep all the positive thoughts I have about people, all the blessings I’ve experienced, all the great things other people have done for me. The weight isn’t a problem. The sack is like sails of a ship. It keeps me going forward. It brings me home. The sack on my back is empty. There’s nothing in it. I cut a big hole in its bottom. In there I put all the bad things that I can think about myself or hear about others. They go in one end and out the other, so I’m not carrying around any extra weight at all.” What are we carrying in our sacks?[1]

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a story, a wonderful story where a relapse turns to repentance to renewal. A son humbles himself to dig out the root of sin, and returns to his Father. The son also carries two sacks. The sack in front reminds him of the unconditional love of his father and all the blessings awaiting him. The sack on his back is empty; all the bad things are left behind in a pigpen.

We as Jesus-followers must do the same. For Jesus told this story to illustrate the Father's joy at the repentance of his lost children returning from the risk of relapse. But it is more than a story of a lost son. Jesus lived out this seeking and rejoicing day by day. He sought out those who were wandering and gave them hope. He treated the lost and shunned of righteous society with respect and love. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:9-10). We will see the reality of a changed life, touched by Jesus, who seeks out the wandering in our next message.

Father, this story touches me on deep levels, probably because I can see myself in the Prodigal Son, I can see you in the father, and I marvel at your love and willingness to forgive. I am amazed at your eagerness to restore to sonship those of us who do not deserve it. Father, you truly live beyond our own sense of right and righteousness, for you move beyond judgment to forgiveness, full forgiveness that never looks back. Help me to have your love and a willingness to show mercy rather than a tendency to judgment that is Pharisee-like rather than God-like. In Jesus' name, I humbly pray. Amen.

Jesus-followers must deal with sin as God prescribes by honesty examining ourselves before him, being open to removing blind spots that distort clear eyesight.

Waking up to see Jesus is a worthy endeavor. It’s time to study Jesus with fresh eyes, laying aside for a time what we already know—or think we know—about him. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. Christian living, in its purest form, is noting more than imitating him who we see. To see Jesus’ Majesty and to imitate him…that is the sum of Christianity.

Over the past week I've read about an inordinate amount of accidents. I’ve personally heard of an accident just last weekend with one of our members’ son who by the grace of God escaped death in a seven-car pile up. Some accidents appear to be pretty serious. As we pass these accidents we should pray for the people involved. Then, we must slow down and pay more attention to our own driving. It seems like there's something inside us that's filled with care when we see or hear about the worst possible things come to be—like fatal crashes. Why can't we remember this all the time? We wonder if that would change the way we drive, not to mention the way we live. I don't know if you've been in an accident, but I've found that most happen because of blind spots. Some of these blind spots are typical -- we don't see a car either to our side or behind us, and we hit it with our car. Yet, there are other blind spots that can occur while we drive—the metaphoric kind.

Cars are not the only victims of accidents. We can have relational, vocational, emotional, and social accidents due to the blind spots of brokenness in our lives. We can experience life-accidents and these too are due to blind spots—blind spots that come when we live out of step with the Lord. These blind spots can create all sorts of brokenness in our lives; brokenness that is hard to remedy. Oh, if we could only remember these blind spots before the moment of temptation or trial. How might it change our living? What might we avoid if we could remain sensitive? O God, make it true.

Blind Spots =brokenness that impairs our vision so we cannot see

Blind spots are hurtful ways we treat people, ways we say things, ways we act when we’re busy or tired, ways we abuse the truth or people’s feelings or some biblical boundary. Some of our most entrenched blind spots are often sins we cannot see very well. We are so used to doing things a certain way that we will never see some sins without the help of someone else.

God does not want our brokenness—blind spots—to remain there, because he knows they can make us crash. So God puts mirrors with two legs into our lives. Do we have some two-legged mirrors in our lives? They are fellow Jesus-followers who love us enough, or maybe even dislike us enough, to tell us the hard truth about ourselves.

Conversely, if we are going to be a good mirror to other people, we must be sure that we show them strong points too. Many times, we are blind to what is good about us as well as what is bad. We need to make sure there is praise as well as constructive criticism that says, “I love you enough to tell the truth.”

In our last message we saw that God’s renewal in our lives is birthed as a result of certain kinds of brokenness. Brokenness produces a kind of living, if we will, that's both sensitive to God and to the realities of the moment. When we live this way, our blind spots are revealed and more easily averted. But there's more. Brokenness doesn't simply keep us from blind spots, but it enables us to experience transformation and growth. This is our desire.

The words of Jesus are filled with wisdom that helps us not only see our blind spots, but transcend them. We've been considering the words of Jesus in this series. These are words that matter; they help us to see Jesus.

The Gospel writer records Jesus’ words concerning a spirit of criticism or an arrogance that leads us to assume we have a right to arbitrate the hearts of others in Matthew 7:3-5:

3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye.

It’s hard to believe that Jesus said these words with a straight face. The comparison is humorous. Let’s picture a person with a large plank of timber in his eye stooping down to perform minute eye surgery on a person with only a sawdust speck in his eye. Yet that is what we do when we try to correct others without careful self-examination and surrender so God can cleanse our own lives. Jesus calls those who are quick to correct others without correcting themselves "hypocrites," and enjoins them to take the plank out of their own eye first.

The central theme of this passage isn't merely about criticizing other people, or clearing up misperceptions, or trying to determine what's most valuable in life. It's not that these ideas are unimportant in light of the passage, they are. But without the heart of the passage animating these ideas, we're doomed to misuse these words. The real aim of this passage is the reality of reciprocal returns. We use phrases to help us describe this giving of reciprocal returns.

• What we sow we will reap;
• What goes around comes around;
• Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• The Reality of Reciprocal Return

Jesus uses humor here in this passage to show what happens when a person is not able to see his or her own blind spots, but is more than willing to reveal the blind spots of others. “…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye” ring words that are familiar. How can a person with a plank in his eye see the speck of dust in his brother or sister's eye?

These words take us right back to the heart of blind spots. For in fact, a plank in the eye creates two kinds of blind spots.

1. Blind spots magnify the speck in our neighbor’s eye

A blind spot magnifies the speck in my brother or sister's eye, and it keeps us from helping another person with his or her faults. In fact, instead of helping others with their blind spots of brokenness, a beam in our eyes creates in us a critical attitude. How ironic! The beam creates the illusion that we’re right and everyone else is mistaken, misinformed, and in need of correction.

This part of the message in the phrase "take the plank out" means if we want to help another, we must first transcend our own brokenness. The plank or beam represents all that keeps us from our own sin and shortcomings—the blind spots. How easy it is to be a flaw pointer or picker. It's so easy to point out what's wrong with others without any desire whatsoever to help them. But—and here comes the reciprocity in this phrase—if we’re willing to deal with our own vulnerability to brokenness, we’ll then have the compassion and authenticity to help others with their issues. Yet, without this kind of self-awareness, we’re doomed to pick at other people without the desire to see them change. In fact, we don't really want them to change because then we'd have nothing to complain about.

2. Blind spots shrink the beam in our own eye

A Blind spot shrinks the beam in our own eye. Let’s think about our own life. Are there planks that we need to transcend? There are planks in each of our lives. Perhaps the most insidious planks are the ones we called out in our last message: stubbornness, pride, willfulness, and independence. These planks will convince us that our planks aren't all that bad. We will then see them as a speck when in fact; they are planks of large prominence. Or, even worse, unbrokenness will convince us how good we are at helping others with specks, but that we don't need any help ourselves. Ouch! This is why Jesus encouraged his listeners to look inward, before turning to help others. Honesty with self and our blind spots of brokenness creates the possibility of extending compassion to others. Without this honesty, our "help" is too often a veneer to pick at the flaws of others, or show our own flaws to be so small by comparison.

So one of the purposes of identifying blind spots is to prepare us to serve others. Jesus-followers are obligated to help each other grow in grace. When we do not take inventory on ourselves, we not only hurt ourselves, but we also hurt those to whom we could minister. The Pharisees criticized others to make themselves look good. But we should self-examine ourselves so that we can help others to look good. There is a difference!

Using beam research uses a symbol of the eye because this is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. The picture of people with a two-by-four stuck in their eye, trying to remove a speck of sawdust from another person’s eye, is ridiculous indeed! If we do not honestly face up to our own sins, and confess them, we blind ourselves to ourselves; and then we cannot see clearly enough to help others. The Pharisees saw the sins of other people, but they would not look at their own sins. This proper removing of the plank in our own eyes helps us to have a spiritual outlook on life. We should examine their actions and attitudes, but we cannot criticize their motives—for only God can see good work with a bad motive.

Using beam research also teaches us another truth: we must exercise love and tenderness when we seek to help others. There must be extreme tenderness when doctors perform eye surgery. Like eye doctors, we should minister to people we want to help with tender loving care. We can do more damage than a speck of sawdust in the eye if we approach others with impatience and insensitivity. Two extremes must be avoided in the matter of beam research. The first is the deception of a shallow examination. The second is “perpetual autopsy,” where we get so wrapped up in self-examination—pointing out the blind spots—that we lose our focus or perspective of the situation.

Jesus is emphasizing the truth that beam research is honestly examining ourselves before God, and being open to remove those blind spots that cause us to see clearly. Then we can help one another in our times of brokenness. But if we know there are sins in our lives, and we try to help others, we are hypocrites. In fact, it is possible for ministry to be a device to cover up sin! The Pharisees were guilty of this; Jesus denounced them for it.

The Lesson: the failings—blind spots of brokenness—that bother us in others mirror our own failings. We criticize others for their failings (specks of sawdust) even as we overlook our own considerable larger ones (planks).

• Let’s try Jesus’ insight on ourselves.
• What bugs us about other people?
• Do we, in some way, do the same thing?
• Does it bother us when we see someone insensitive to another person?
• Have we ever been uncaring toward another person?

[We can act out with someone in the congregation using a PLANK. This is a hilarious image, but it also makes a profound and convicting point. When we are in conflict, our natural response is to focus on the other person's offense, and to make their admission, retribution, and change the condition for reconciliation. Our moral sense is highly developed toward how we've been treated. Jesus' counsel is very counter-intuitive.

“Notice the plank that is in your eye" - Focus primarily on your part in the conflict. It is a "plank"--not necessarily because it is relatively more serious morally or because you did it first--but because it is what you are responsible for and it is what you can correct. Therefore, it should be the primary thing that occupies your field of vision in a conflict. Try putting yourself in the other person's shoes to see how this affects them.

“First take the plank out of your own eye" - Acknowledge and sincerely apologize for your offense, independently of how they respond. Beware of objections and rationalizations here. Why is this so difficult to do? Because we take our identity from being right. We can't afford to adopt this posture, so we instinctively move to a self-righteous, self-justifying posture with other people. This is why receiving and living under God's grace is so important. When we know that we are secure with God no matter how wrong we have been, we are more able to see and admit our sins to ourselves, and to others. This is why the grace of God is so foundational for healthy close relationships.

"Then you will see clearly to take the speck out" - There is still a place for correction, but it is out of humility and for their good, not out of defensiveness and to deflect blame, shame, get even, timed for the best impact, etc. Relationships grounded in grace profit tremendously from each other in this way.]

If we wake up and see Jesus by following his teaching, our attitude won’t be “how can you be so stupid?” but “I know how hard it is. I struggle with the same brokenness.” Jesus says we should examine ourselves and have a willingness to remove our own blind spots before pointing out someone else’s. Jesus wants us to see that our inner evil affects our eyesight. It distorts our vision so that the other person’s errors loom larger than our own. Compassion begins by looking at the other person. Reconciliation begins by looking at ourselves.

Before we receive Communion, it would be appropriate for us to first examine ourselves. Jesus desires brokenness. In preparation of gathering around the Lord’s Table, let’s personally focus upon a love letter from Jesus, entitled “I Desire Brokenness.”

I Desire Brokenness

I come to you…The Loves of My Life…with so much on My heart. I want you more than anything to be all that I have planned for you to be. That is the reason that I died for all of you. As I search your hearts, I see your desires. Many of your desires that I see are for you to be mended and repaired. Nothing needs mending or repairing unless it is damaged or broken. Yes, many of you have damaged emotions, broken hearts, and minds with no peace; this brokenness deals with your souls – your minds, wills, and emotions. I want to deal with your spirits. Your desires are to be repaired – My desire and Will is to repair you.

I just don’t want to repair your souls and your bodies; I want to repair your spirit so that you can become whole. Many of your wills are not broken and I cannot repair them and seat them with Me. I also know that many of you sincerely believe that your spirits are broken before Me but they are not. They are not broken because you have tried to do it by your own power and might. Your spirits can only be broken by the Spirit of the Living God because it is not by power nor by might but only by God’s Spirit.

Come and humble yourselves before Me – You have not yet resisted to the shedding of your blood. Meditate on all that I have for you; every plan that I have made for you; the vessels of honor that I have called you to be. Surrender all to Me at this very moment. Present yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable. Say to Me this very thing and I will do it for you…”Lord create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me.” Desire Me above all else right now.

Yes, I am beginning to see your brokenness now. Listen to My words spoken in the Psalms and allow these Words of Life to saturate your spirits and touch the very core of your souls.

Psalms 34:18 ~ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalms 51:17~ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart, Oh God, You will not despise.

I am seeing your hearts now breaking before Me. I am moved by your grief. You are grieving for more and more of Me. Oh yes, My precious ones, such a godly sorrow I am seeing in you right now…a godly sorrow for not fully walking in My ways…a godly sorrow for trying instead of training…a godly sorrow for being too busy to do the Father’s business…a godly sorrow for not glorifying the Father in all that you have said and done…a godly sorrow for falling short of all you have been called to do…a godly sorrow for not loving your brothers and sisters as I have loved you…a godly sorrow for Me not always ordering your steps…a godly sorrow for not acknowledging Me in all of your ways so that I can direct your paths…a godly sorrow for not always walking after the Spirit so as not to fulfill the lust of the flesh…a godly sorrow for not seeking first the Kingdom of God and all of it’s righteousness… a godly sorrow because you love Me so very much.

I see your godly sorrow leading to repentance. I see your repentant and contrite spirits. I see your brokenness. Yes I can feel your hearts crying out your love for Me; your gratitude for salvation; your complete surrender in the realization that I bought you with a price – the price being the shedding of My Blood on the cross of Calvary for the remission of your sins.

Oh, My heart is melting over you right now. I love you so much. You cannot even conceive of how much I love you right now. I adore your broken spirits being poured out before me. My broken love ones – come to Me now. Let Me repair you body, soul, and spirit. Let Me mend you. Let me mold, shape, and make you into My vessels of honor. Arise and enter in – Your Potter awaits you. We have much work to do My precious clay. Oh how I so love you.

Love,
Jesus

Jesus’ prescription for a gentle honesty--“…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye” must guide our beam research. By the time we finish doing beam research; our own brokenness will grow smaller because we see our own wrong-doing. Instead of self-righteous lectures, we perform tender-loving eye surgery.

Father, please forgive me when I am severe, harsh, and critical toward others. I know there is brokenness in my own life that needs the work of your Holy Spirit. I confess that there are routine sins that I find myself excusing more and more. Please, dear LORD, forgive my sin and empower me to move beyond it. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.