Hello and welcome.
00:00:29.10\00:00:30.64
And I am so
privilege to be with you
00:00:30.65\00:00:33.00
as we spend some
time in the word.
00:00:33.01\00:00:35.44
I'm Don Pate
from Between The Lines
00:00:35.45\00:00:37.22
and I'm looking
forward to spending
00:00:37.23\00:00:38.92
the next few minutes
with you as we go back
00:00:38.93\00:00:42.18
into the Gospel era to
seek to know Jesus better
00:00:42.19\00:00:46.67
and I don't think
it's gonna hurt any of us.
00:00:46.68\00:00:48.37
In fact I've come to the place
where I really-really believe
00:00:48.38\00:00:50.92
that no matter
what the format is,
00:00:50.93\00:00:53.25
no matter where I am at
00:00:53.26\00:00:54.38
that if I can take
people back to Jesus,
00:00:54.39\00:00:57.38
we're all going
to be better forward.
00:00:57.39\00:00:59.09
And so I just thank
you for the privilege
00:00:59.10\00:01:02.38
of being with you as we
spend time in the word today.
00:01:02.39\00:01:05.72
Let's pray,
Father, thank you so much
00:01:05.73\00:01:08.01
for the wonderful opportunity
that we have to open the text
00:01:08.02\00:01:11.38
and know that
the spirit of Christ
00:01:11.39\00:01:17.00
can come in a
special way to bring the life
00:01:17.01\00:01:21.53
in the ministry of our
Lord to life for us today.
00:01:21.54\00:01:25.91
We pray that this would be
real in the next few minutes
00:01:25.92\00:01:28.66
as we join together in the word.
00:01:28.67\00:01:30.60
This is our prayer
in Christ name, amen.
00:01:30.61\00:01:35.17
In don't know if
perhaps in your life
00:01:35.18\00:01:38.48
maybe you have a Caller I.D.
00:01:38.49\00:01:40.81
you know, many
people do Caller I.D
00:01:40.82\00:01:42.64
of course is
that fixture, that box
00:01:42.65\00:01:45.11
that is tied to
the telephone line.
00:01:45.12\00:01:47.04
So that unless
there's some you know,
00:01:47.05\00:01:49.47
number block or
something like this
00:01:49.48\00:01:50.98
so that you're able to
before you pick up the phone,
00:01:50.99\00:01:53.18
you're able to know
00:01:53.19\00:01:54.70
who's on the
other end of the line.
00:01:54.71\00:01:56.45
And if you're anything
like me, we've Caller I.D.
00:01:56.46\00:02:00.07
and there are reasons for it
00:02:00.08\00:02:01.55
and sometime's it's a
time efficiency thing.
00:02:01.56\00:02:04.55
Sometimes you can get
yourself into situations
00:02:04.56\00:02:08.52
where you look at
the box and you see that
00:02:08.53\00:02:12.11
a certain name comes up
and you go, oh no, oh no,
00:02:12.12\00:02:14.90
I promised that
person, I would get them
00:02:14.91\00:02:17.38
a certain piece of information
or something like that,
00:02:17.39\00:02:19.73
I haven't done it
yet and so I either,
00:02:19.74\00:02:21.90
you know, I can
pick up the phone
00:02:21.91\00:02:22.93
and sit there and
apologize profusely,
00:02:22.94\00:02:24.83
or I can just not
pick up the phone you know.
00:02:24.84\00:02:27.27
And avoid the
confrontation a little bit
00:02:27.28\00:02:30.67
and may be get the information
00:02:30.68\00:02:32.21
and call them back in
15 minutes or something,
00:02:32.22\00:02:33.99
you know, your
pride is on the line
00:02:34.00\00:02:35.98
or there are
other times and may be
00:02:35.99\00:02:37.88
you know as well as I do
this, there are certain people
00:02:37.89\00:02:39.51
that there's no such
thing as a short conversation.
00:02:39.52\00:02:42.88
That when they get
involved in conversation,
00:02:42.89\00:02:45.13
you're gonna be
there for a while
00:02:45.14\00:02:46.70
unless you're gonna be rude
00:02:46.71\00:02:47.94
and if you
don't want to be rude,
00:02:47.95\00:02:49.10
how do you
avoid the conversation
00:02:49.11\00:02:50.61
when you got an
appointment in five minutes.
00:02:50.62\00:02:53.07
You know, you got
to get out the door
00:02:53.08\00:02:54.28
and you got to get
to your appointment
00:02:54.29\00:02:55.71
and you see that name
on the box and you say,
00:02:55.72\00:02:59.02
I can't afford
right at this moment
00:02:59.03\00:03:00.56
to pick up that phone,
00:03:00.57\00:03:01.56
because I don't have
the time to invest right now
00:03:01.57\00:03:04.72
that is
necessary for this person.
00:03:04.73\00:03:06.75
And there're various
reasons for having Caller I.D.
00:03:06.76\00:03:09.41
And obviously Caller
I.D, one other things
00:03:09.42\00:03:13.56
that it does for
you is it keeps you
00:03:13.57\00:03:15.51
from walking into circumstances
and get caught by surprise.
00:03:15.52\00:03:21.50
because if you see
that name on the box
00:03:21.51\00:03:24.32
you're not gonna be surprised.
00:03:24.33\00:03:25.70
Has it ever
crossed your mind friend.
00:03:25.71\00:03:28.46
has it ever crossed your mind
00:03:28.47\00:03:29.85
that Jesus had an
innate Caller I.D.
00:03:29.86\00:03:35.34
That there was no circumstance
00:03:35.35\00:03:37.67
of His ministry
that He walked into,
00:03:37.68\00:03:41.42
that He wasn't fully
aware before He got there.
00:03:41.43\00:03:44.97
Of all the ramifications
of the possibilities
00:03:44.98\00:03:48.38
of what's going to happen
if I confront this person,
00:03:48.39\00:03:52.21
if I stand next to them,
if I allow them to come to me,
00:03:52.22\00:03:54.86
if I cross their path.
00:03:54.87\00:03:56.16
Jesus knew the whole package
00:03:56.17\00:03:58.55
of what was happening
around the circumstance.
00:03:58.56\00:04:01.27
Not just with that woman at
the well and her background,
00:04:01.28\00:04:06.30
and the Samaritan issues
within the mentality of Judaism
00:04:06.31\00:04:11.35
His disciples expectations,
Jesus saw the whole picture
00:04:11.36\00:04:16.63
which to me is remarkable
because there are times
00:04:16.64\00:04:19.66
when Jesus was
walking into a hornet's nest.
00:04:19.67\00:04:22.66
It was almost like He was
either asking for trouble,
00:04:22.67\00:04:27.11
or He was going specifically
for the purpose of you know,
00:04:27.12\00:04:33.57
breaking things open, wide open
00:04:33.58\00:04:35.88
to allow His disciples
to have to deal with it.
00:04:35.89\00:04:39.00
You know,
sometimes there were issues
00:04:39.01\00:04:40.72
of bigotry and prejudice
00:04:40.73\00:04:41.94
and it was almost like
Jesus looked at His disciples
00:04:41.95\00:04:44.58
as He would go
walking into these situations
00:04:44.59\00:04:46.76
and say, come on
friend, you got to deal with it.
00:04:46.77\00:04:49.55
I am not going
to just, you know,
00:04:49.56\00:04:52.18
meander around your bigotry.
00:04:52.19\00:04:55.07
We gonna have to comfort it
00:04:55.08\00:04:57.02
and there were things like that.
00:04:57.03\00:04:59.04
And one of the
stories in the Gospels
00:04:59.05\00:05:01.27
that is so good and
yet sadly it seems to me,
00:05:01.28\00:05:04.89
it's one of those that we tend
00:05:04.90\00:05:06.14
to relegate off to the children.
00:05:06.15\00:05:08.19
There are some
that are that way,
00:05:08.20\00:05:10.51
you know, maybe you
never felt that way.
00:05:10.52\00:05:13.00
I used to think that
there were certain stories
00:05:13.01\00:05:15.83
that God put in the Bible
specifically because He knew
00:05:15.84\00:05:19.47
we needed to entertain children.
00:05:19.48\00:05:21.18
"Jonah and the whale",
"Daniel in the Lion's Den",
00:05:21.19\00:05:25.66
I mean these are stories
that just amaze the children,
00:05:25.67\00:05:29.22
but not really
for adults, you know.
00:05:29.23\00:05:31.30
That's not really
a big adult story.
00:05:31.31\00:05:34.64
And of course then Paul
confronts me and he says,
00:05:34.65\00:05:39.73
you know everything is
in the Bible for a reason,
00:05:39.74\00:05:42.73
for admonition,
for teaching correction
00:05:42.74\00:05:45.63
he says in Corinthians,
so I have to deal with that.
00:05:45.64\00:05:49.78
Paul confronts my bigotry.
00:05:49.79\00:05:51.33
I have to deal with the fact
00:05:51.34\00:05:52.56
that apparently
"Jonah and the whale"
00:05:52.57\00:05:55.62
it's in here for
me, for me to grow up,
00:05:55.63\00:06:00.47
for me to stretch,
for it to stretch me.
00:06:00.48\00:06:05.39
"Daniel in the Lion's
den", David killing the bear,
00:06:05.40\00:06:10.51
all of these things, Samson,
they aren't just for children
00:06:10.52\00:06:15.25
and one of the
stories that gets relegated,
00:06:15.26\00:06:18.01
I think often
sort of categorized
00:06:18.02\00:06:19.61
off for children is found
in only one Gospel account.
00:06:19.62\00:06:24.34
It's in the Gospel of
Luke Chapter 19 and I certainly
00:06:24.35\00:06:27.73
would invite you to take
your Bible and turn there.
00:06:27.74\00:06:29.87
Luke Chapter 19.
00:06:29.88\00:06:31.65
Now it doesn't
surprise me that Luke
00:06:31.66\00:06:34.74
is the only Gospel writer
who spends time with this.
00:06:34.75\00:06:38.83
The reason being,
as you probably know,
00:06:38.84\00:06:41.28
Luke was a late edition
00:06:41.29\00:06:45.25
into the early
package of Christianity,
00:06:45.26\00:06:49.01
into the early leadership
of the movement, the faith.
00:06:49.02\00:06:54.49
Luke was not one
of the original 12,
00:06:54.50\00:06:57.42
Luke was not one
of the original 120.
00:06:57.43\00:07:01.05
He wasn't part of
the old foundational
00:07:01.06\00:07:04.75
main stream of the
Christian movement.
00:07:04.76\00:07:08.56
He was a later
convert who came in
00:07:08.57\00:07:12.38
and he came in at a time
00:07:12.39\00:07:14.23
when there was an
influx of the Gentile converge.
00:07:14.24\00:07:22.10
That the farther you went
into the history of the church
00:07:22.11\00:07:26.14
as you remember
from the Book of Acts,
00:07:26.15\00:07:27.94
originally it was
predominantly a Jewish church.
00:07:27.95\00:07:34.09
You know, almost everyone
who was an early follower
00:07:34.10\00:07:37.20
of Jesus came
from Jewish heritage.
00:07:37.21\00:07:39.94
But then once they bridged
out of Jerusalem to Judea
00:07:39.95\00:07:45.68
to Samaria and the
other most parts of the earth
00:07:45.69\00:07:48.75
that there began to
be people who were coming
00:07:48.76\00:07:52.35
into the house of faith
out of the Gentile world.
00:07:52.36\00:07:56.34
And this became a
very stretching problem
00:07:56.35\00:07:58.59
in the early church of course
00:07:58.60\00:07:59.68
and you actually
come in Acts Chapter 6,
00:07:59.69\00:08:02.36
so the confrontations
between the expectations
00:08:02.37\00:08:04.81
of the Gentile Christians
and the Jewish Christians
00:08:04.82\00:08:07.35
and how they created the level
or the order of the deacons
00:08:07.36\00:08:12.58
if you want to use that term.
00:08:12.59\00:08:14.06
They created a ministry
of the deacon to help resolve
00:08:14.07\00:08:17.81
what once was
originally a predominantly
00:08:17.82\00:08:21.08
Jewish house of
faith that was becoming,
00:08:21.09\00:08:23.01
you know, fewer and fewer
Jews in the house of faith
00:08:23.02\00:08:26.20
and started out as a
small minority of Gentiles
00:08:26.21\00:08:30.70
and growing,
growing, growing, growing.
00:08:30.71\00:08:32.29
It was in this transition phase
between Judaism and Gentile,
00:08:32.30\00:08:36.47
that was tough time.
00:08:36.48\00:08:38.11
That was hard for
the church to go through
00:08:38.12\00:08:42.25
that stretching
and change from being
00:08:42.26\00:08:44.94
predominantly Jewish to Gentile.
00:08:44.95\00:08:45.94
While Luke is
part of that package.
00:08:45.95\00:08:47.76
Luke is a late convert
00:08:47.77\00:08:49.83
who has some sensitivity
for the Gentile mind.
00:08:49.84\00:08:56.20
He has probably a greater
awareness for the problems
00:08:56.21\00:09:02.12
of the adult
convert rather than somebody
00:09:02.13\00:09:05.87
who grew up in
the house of faith.
00:09:05.88\00:09:07.67
And so it is that
it doesn't surprise me
00:09:07.68\00:09:10.39
that Luke is the only one
who deals with this story.
00:09:10.40\00:09:14.54
Because it's
the story of someone
00:09:14.55\00:09:17.13
that easily is rejected.
00:09:17.14\00:09:19.76
It's a story that
often we shove off
00:09:19.77\00:09:22.53
to the children
because of a song.
00:09:22.54\00:09:25.54
Zacchaeus was a wee little man
00:09:25.55\00:09:27.86
And a wee little man was he
00:09:27.87\00:09:29.95
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
00:09:29.96\00:09:32.06
For the Lord he wanted to see
00:09:32.07\00:09:34.01
And as the
Savior passed that way
00:09:34.02\00:09:35.97
He looked up in the tree
00:09:35.98\00:09:37.30
And He said,
Zacchaeus, please come down
00:09:37.31\00:09:39.64
For I'm going
to your house today
00:09:39.65\00:09:41.29
You probably have
heard the children sing it.
00:09:41.30\00:09:44.39
We relegated
often to the children
00:09:44.40\00:09:46.61
and it is a
wonderful Gospel story
00:09:46.62\00:09:49.21
and it teaches me
certain things about Jesus
00:09:49.22\00:09:51.88
that I hardly see
in any other story.
00:09:51.89\00:09:55.31
Luke Chapter 19.
00:09:55.32\00:09:58.60
Now in order to understand
the background of the story,
00:09:58.61\00:10:01.57
you have to understand
that Jesus before Chapter 19.
00:10:01.58\00:10:05.81
As He comes
walking into Jericho"
00:10:05.82\00:10:09.37
that's how the chapter starts.
00:10:09.38\00:10:10.64
He comes walking
into Jericho, caller ID.
00:10:10.65\00:10:13.96
Jesus knew what
He was getting into.
00:10:13.97\00:10:16.04
He was fully aware
of the circumstance,
00:10:16.05\00:10:20.93
the prejudice, the expectation,
00:10:20.94\00:10:23.64
the background,
He knew all of this
00:10:23.65\00:10:25.97
before He came
walking into Jericho that day.
00:10:25.98\00:10:28.90
And He consciousl made
the choice to interject
00:10:28.91\00:10:33.84
Himself into that experience,
into that man's life,
00:10:33.85\00:10:37.02
into that town
and their bigotry.
00:10:37.03\00:10:41.27
Jesus decidedly
knew what He was doing.
00:10:41.28\00:10:44.47
He walked right into
the middle of hornet's nest.
00:10:44.48\00:10:46.94
He could have avoided it.
00:10:46.95\00:10:50.88
There were other
ways to get to Jerusalem.
00:10:50.89\00:10:52.60
There are other ways to
get up the Jordan River valley.
00:10:52.61\00:10:55.97
You know, you could've got into
00:10:55.98\00:10:57.79
the Galilee by going
in a different direction.
00:10:57.80\00:10:59.92
Jesus never had to
go through Jericho.
00:10:59.93\00:11:04.03
It seems Jesus went
there fully knowing,
00:11:04.04\00:11:07.50
knowing what He was doing,
00:11:07.51\00:11:08.63
fully aware of
His purpose that day
00:11:08.64\00:11:12.57
And so it was that Jesus came,
00:11:12.58\00:11:15.64
it says in
verse 1 of Chapter 19,
00:11:15.65\00:11:18.05
Jesus entered and
passed through Jericho.
00:11:18.06\00:11:21.25
"And, behold," verse 2,
00:11:21.26\00:11:23.93
"there was a man
named Zacchius or Zacchaeus"
00:11:23.94\00:11:27.99
Now, we normally
we say, Zacchaeus,
00:11:28.00\00:11:29.35
and so that's how I'll say it,
00:11:29.36\00:11:30.36
because it will
probably bother you if I don't,
00:11:30.37\00:11:32.22
Zacchaeus, "Zacchaeus was
chief among the publicans,"
00:11:32.23\00:11:39.18
Now that's terribly important.
00:11:39.19\00:11:41.78
He was not just a, to
use a common vernacular term,
00:11:41.79\00:11:45.92
he wasn't just a
grunt level, you know,
00:11:45.93\00:11:48.01
taxman like Matthew,
00:11:48.02\00:11:49.67
just a street collecting taxman.
00:11:49.68\00:11:52.00
He was closer to the hierarchy
00:11:52.01\00:11:56.07
of the empire,
he was a middle man.
00:11:56.08\00:11:58.44
He was somebody
up the establishment
00:11:58.45\00:12:01.96
of the taxation
system of the empire.
00:12:01.97\00:12:05.03
He wasn't just the
little guy on the street.
00:12:05.04\00:12:08.31
He was chief
among the publicans.
00:12:08.32\00:12:12.66
And the verse ends and
this is very important.
00:12:12.67\00:12:15.76
The verse ends,
"and he was rich."
00:12:15.77\00:12:18.84
Now I don't know
how much you know
00:12:18.85\00:12:20.96
about the Roman
Empire and Roman taxation.
00:12:20.97\00:12:24.27
I created a
deeper look study guide
00:12:24.28\00:12:26.18
for Between the Lines on
taxes, on taxation in the Bible.
00:12:26.19\00:12:30.82
Let me share with
you some of the things
00:12:30.83\00:12:33.05
I researched out
about the Roman Empire
00:12:33.06\00:12:35.82
and the taxation
system of the Roman Empire.
00:12:35.83\00:12:38.47
This was the life of Zacchaeus.
00:12:38.48\00:12:42.33
First of all, the senate in Rome
00:12:42.34\00:12:44.54
would hold
auctions every five years
00:12:44.55\00:12:50.33
for the rights of
dividing up the empire,
00:12:50.34\00:12:54.03
so that people could
be the chief tax collector
00:12:54.04\00:12:57.66
of Egypt or the chief
tax collector of Judea,
00:12:57.67\00:13:00.91
or the chief tax
collector of Syria.
00:13:00.92\00:13:02.95
And so if you were a
moderately wealthy person,
00:13:02.96\00:13:05.62
you would get some
senator to somewhat sponsor you
00:13:05.63\00:13:08.66
to be part of
the auction process
00:13:08.67\00:13:10.62
and if you bid high enough,
you can outbid everybody else
00:13:10.63\00:13:14.38
who wanted to be
the one, the magistrate
00:13:14.39\00:13:16.94
who is
responsible for the taxation
00:13:16.95\00:13:18.81
of this region or that region.
00:13:18.82\00:13:21.02
So the senators are
lining their pockets
00:13:21.03\00:13:23.58
with the auction process.
00:13:23.59\00:13:26.05
Now all that did was if
you were the highest bidder,
00:13:26.06\00:13:29.30
all I do was give you
the right then to be the one
00:13:29.31\00:13:32.64
who would levy the
tax in your district.
00:13:32.65\00:13:35.46
Okay, Then the senate would say,
00:13:35.47\00:13:41.18
okay, you're going to
be the taxman for Egypt
00:13:41.19\00:13:43.85
for the next five years,
00:13:43.86\00:13:45.11
because you
outbid everybody else,
00:13:45.12\00:13:46.41
we've already
got your money, okay.
00:13:46.42\00:13:48.68
We're going to say
that you have to bring in
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.13
this much tax over
the next five years.
00:13:51.14\00:13:54.79
We expect so many, you
know, thousand talents of tax
00:13:54.80\00:14:00.46
within the next
five years, this much,
00:14:00.47\00:14:04.59
this much over
the next five years,
00:14:04.60\00:14:06.34
that's how much it
better get to Rome.
00:14:06.35\00:14:07.88
Now how much you tax
and how much you raise,
00:14:07.89\00:14:10.36
that's your
business we don't care.
00:14:10.37\00:14:12.12
But this certain
amount that it get to Rome,
00:14:12.13\00:14:15.64
better get to us.
00:14:15.65\00:14:16.90
So they've already
lined their pockets,
00:14:16.91\00:14:18.41
the senators have
already lined their pockets
00:14:18.42\00:14:20.20
with the
auction process and then
00:14:20.21\00:14:22.05
they get to
establish the taxation.
00:14:22.06\00:14:24.59
Now of course, you know
that if you go to a warehouse
00:14:24.60\00:14:29.91
or wholesaler,
generally you can save money
00:14:29.92\00:14:32.78
and the reason is you
cut out the middleman.
00:14:32.79\00:14:35.83
It's because, you
think about my pen,
00:14:35.84\00:14:40.53
I have my pen, someone
actually gave me this pen.
00:14:40.54\00:14:43.70
Okay, where did I get my
pen, well, it was given to me,
00:14:43.71\00:14:47.94
how did they get it?
They bought it, okay.
00:14:47.95\00:14:49.55
They bought it from a retailer,
00:14:49.56\00:14:51.56
the retailer got it
from the wholesaler,
00:14:51.57\00:14:53.45
the wholesaler got
it from the trucker
00:14:53.46\00:14:55.68
who brought it into town.
00:14:55.69\00:14:57.37
The trucker, of course,
00:14:57.38\00:14:58.46
got it from the
warehouse where they stored it.
00:14:58.47\00:15:00.51
The warehouse
where they store the pen,
00:15:00.52\00:15:02.57
they got it from
the manufacturer.
00:15:02.58\00:15:04.80
The manufacturer had
to get the raw materials,
00:15:04.81\00:15:06.65
they had to get
this is out of wood,
00:15:06.66\00:15:08.63
they had to get
the wood from somebody,
00:15:08.64\00:15:10.13
they had to get the
metal from somebody,
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.31
they had to get the insides
of the pen from somebody,
00:15:11.32\00:15:14.86
okay, they had to get that.
00:15:14.87\00:15:16.41
The whole process,
when you go to a wholesaler,
00:15:16.42\00:15:20.87
what you're
trying to do is cut out
00:15:20.88\00:15:23.17
some of the layers of people
00:15:23.18\00:15:25.24
who are needing to
make profit with this pen.
00:15:25.25\00:15:30.02
This person, if I
could get this pen directly
00:15:30.03\00:15:34.03
from the manufacturer,
I wouldn't have to pay
00:15:34.04\00:15:37.14
the price of the man
who sells it in the store.
00:15:37.15\00:15:40.57
Now he needs to make his profits
00:15:40.58\00:15:42.48
so he can feed his
family and pay his car payment.
00:15:42.49\00:15:45.03
And the person who
supplies it to him, the trucker,
00:15:45.04\00:15:48.72
the trucker, of course,
he's got his medical bills
00:15:48.73\00:15:50.45
with his kids and he's got
to make a little profit too.
00:15:50.46\00:15:53.36
The more people you have
in the system of the product,
00:15:53.37\00:15:56.97
the more people have
to get profit out of it.
00:15:56.98\00:16:00.60
Well in the
Roman taxation system,
00:16:00.61\00:16:03.22
that's how it happened.
00:16:03.23\00:16:04.61
This man who
would bid in the auction
00:16:04.62\00:16:07.51
to receive the benefit
of being the tax collector
00:16:07.52\00:16:12.07
for Galilee,
Samaria, Judea whatever,
00:16:12.08\00:16:16.55
he wasn't going
to go door to door,
00:16:16.56\00:16:19.10
knocking on door
saying, okay, you know,
00:16:19.11\00:16:20.90
pay me your
taxes, of course not.
00:16:20.91\00:16:23.00
He would hire a
term that you know
00:16:23.01\00:16:26.66
it's a little
derogatory, he hired grunts.
00:16:26.67\00:16:29.04
He would get somebody beneath
him to do the dirty work.
00:16:29.05\00:16:32.57
And he would
say to each of them,
00:16:32.58\00:16:35.17
okay, now you
got such and such a--
00:16:35.18\00:16:37.67
you know, country or
district or something region,
00:16:37.68\00:16:41.06
okay, within my
territory of Egypt
00:16:41.07\00:16:43.59
you've got this region
and you've got this region.
00:16:43.60\00:16:45.91
And I need this much
tax from you each year
00:16:45.92\00:16:49.50
for the next five years.
00:16:49.51\00:16:50.89
And he had all calculated
out, so he could cover
00:16:50.90\00:16:53.49
the necessary amount
that he had to send to Rome.
00:16:53.50\00:16:56.81
Adding layer upon
layer until finally
00:16:56.82\00:17:00.90
you ended up
with the Matthew type,
00:17:00.91\00:17:03.40
the little street collector
who also had to pay his bills.
00:17:03.41\00:17:06.37
He also had to
feed his children.
00:17:06.38\00:17:08.40
He had his amount given to him,
how much he had to bring in.
00:17:08.41\00:17:13.60
And each man along the
line in hierarchy of taxation,
00:17:13.61\00:17:17.67
they all had to make
profit and there was no limit.
00:17:17.68\00:17:22.42
There was no
written tax code anywhere.
00:17:22.43\00:17:25.12
A taxman could tell you
that your tax is worth this much
00:17:25.13\00:17:29.66
and you might say,
okay, this much this year.
00:17:29.67\00:17:31.82
Next year he tell you this
much and you had no recourse.
00:17:31.83\00:17:34.92
There was no appeal.
00:17:34.93\00:17:36.37
If he wanted profit, if
he wanted to buy a yard,
00:17:36.38\00:17:40.17
if he wanted to get
braces for his children's teeth,
00:17:40.18\00:17:42.84
you know, we do
that today obviously
00:17:42.85\00:17:44.35
not in those
days, whatever he wanted
00:17:44.36\00:17:46.35
to buy a new chariot,
he might just tell you
00:17:46.36\00:17:49.66
your taxes were more so that
00:17:49.67\00:17:51.37
he could raise more
money, the tax collector.
00:17:51.38\00:17:56.43
They would receive
blocks of taxation.
00:17:56.44\00:17:59.44
They could open the mail,
00:17:59.45\00:18:01.59
they could open
your mail, just open it,
00:18:01.60\00:18:03.78
just to decide whether
or not you had more money
00:18:03.79\00:18:05.84
than they thought you had.
00:18:05.85\00:18:07.09
They could enter your house,
00:18:07.10\00:18:08.38
a tax collector,
according to Roman law
00:18:08.39\00:18:10.10
can enter your house
without even knocking.
00:18:10.11\00:18:12.38
He didn't need a
search warrant or anything.
00:18:12.39\00:18:14.10
And so he can snoop
and look under your bed
00:18:14.11\00:18:15.81
and look into the
cabinets and say, you know,
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.45
this person has greater net
worth than I thought he did.
00:18:17.46\00:18:21.41
According to the
Mishnet, it says that the Rabbis
00:18:21.42\00:18:24.70
came to the place where
this system was so corrupt,
00:18:24.71\00:18:26.80
the Rabbis believed that
it was actually appropriate
00:18:26.81\00:18:31.05
to lie to a tax collector,
00:18:31.06\00:18:32.91
haven't expected you
to lie to a tax collector,
00:18:32.92\00:18:36.50
that God would understand
more than he expected it
00:18:36.51\00:18:39.18
because if you didn't
lie to a tax collector
00:18:39.19\00:18:41.48
you were
supporting the corrupt system
00:18:41.49\00:18:43.54
and therefore you
were part of the sin.
00:18:43.55\00:18:45.69
It was very complex.
00:18:45.70\00:18:47.07
This man Zacchaeus was chief
00:18:47.08\00:18:49.87
among the
publicans and he was rich.
00:18:49.88\00:18:51.88
Of course he was rich.
00:18:51.89\00:18:53.26
For years and years,
he had been a major player
00:18:53.27\00:18:56.38
in a system that was
guaranteed to be corrupt,
00:18:56.39\00:19:00.67
that was
guaranteed to rip people off
00:19:00.68\00:19:04.13
and Zacchaeus
had been part of it.
00:19:04.14\00:19:06.40
More than that
of course you know,
00:19:06.41\00:19:08.05
it says that he
was little of stature,
00:19:08.06\00:19:10.60
he was a wee little
man, little stature.
00:19:10.61\00:19:13.35
You can think of all the issues
of how that may have played
00:19:13.36\00:19:16.44
on his psyche as
he was a kid grown up,
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.96
he was the
runt, probably teased.
00:19:18.97\00:19:23.69
This man was not
accepted in his society.
00:19:23.70\00:19:26.79
He represented an evil system
and you remember of course,
00:19:26.80\00:19:31.36
in Deuteronomy, the
Lord told the people
00:19:31.37\00:19:33.40
years before, "Don't give
your loyalty to an alien ruler."
00:19:33.41\00:19:41.19
When they pay taxes to
Rome, what were they doing?
00:19:41.20\00:19:44.21
They were crossing, what they
believe God wanted them to do.
00:19:44.22\00:19:47.76
This whole system was
doomed to create friction
00:19:47.77\00:19:51.90
and more than that, in
Greece, you paid taxes to Rome.
00:19:51.91\00:19:58.50
In Egypt, you
paid taxes to Rome.
00:19:58.51\00:20:00.79
In Judea, in Galilee,
you paid taxes to Rome.
00:20:00.80\00:20:04.85
the problem was that
wasn't the only place
00:20:04.86\00:20:07.22
that the Jewish
people were being ripped off
00:20:07.23\00:20:09.50
in taxation, don't you remember?
00:20:09.51\00:20:13.31
Jesus Himself said that
the temple of taxation process
00:20:13.32\00:20:17.11
was so corrupted, He
called it a den of thieves.
00:20:17.12\00:20:19.99
These people, the
Jewish people they were getting
00:20:21.77\00:20:24.50
crushed by the taxation
of Rome with no recourse.
00:20:24.51\00:20:27.65
If a tax collector
entered your house according
00:20:28.77\00:20:31.07
to the Mishnet, your
house became virtually unclean,
00:20:31.08\00:20:33.46
and when you pay taxes to Rome,
00:20:36.02\00:20:37.44
you were supporting all of that.
00:20:37.45\00:20:38.46
Then you go off to Jerusalem
to be involved in paying
00:20:38.47\00:20:41.17
your temple tax, you got
ripped off down there too.
00:20:41.18\00:20:43.59
Little wonder a
tax collector was held
00:20:43.60\00:20:47.04
in such disdain in the story.
00:20:47.05\00:20:50.60
He was chief among the
publicans and he was rich.
00:20:50.61\00:20:54.00
Verse 3, "He was
of little stature."
00:20:54.01\00:20:55.71
Notice verse 4, verse 4 says,
00:20:55.72\00:20:57.51
"He ran." Isn't that great?
00:20:57.52\00:20:58.97
This man didn't just
sort of walk along and say,
00:21:00.43\00:21:03.63
you know, maybe
I'll confront Jesus.
00:21:03.64\00:21:05.74
There was something
that he had the conviction
00:21:05.75\00:21:08.63
of the Holy Spirit,
about this man Jesus.
00:21:08.64\00:21:10.77
There was something
about Jesus that caused
00:21:10.78\00:21:13.41
Zacchaeus to lose
his sense of priority,
00:21:13.42\00:21:16.87
a short little man
and he runs after Jesus.
00:21:18.17\00:21:20.92
And when he
came, it says verse 4,
00:21:22.21\00:21:23.88
that he climbed
the sycamore tree,
00:21:23.89\00:21:26.40
because he couldn't
even get a good view of Jesus
00:21:26.41\00:21:28.31
because he was short.
00:21:28.32\00:21:29.55
You've got it,
your need is got to be
00:21:30.98\00:21:33.20
a whole lot greater thing
than your pride to do that.
00:21:33.21\00:21:36.68
This man's need
was overwhelming him.
00:21:36.69\00:21:38.74
And his need
obviously had nothing to do
00:21:39.82\00:21:41.48
with possessions
because he was rich.
00:21:41.49\00:21:44.91
There was something
inside that was wrong
00:21:44.92\00:21:47.33
that he couldn't get fixed,
00:21:47.34\00:21:50.43
but he sensed maybe
Jesus has the answer.
00:21:50.44\00:21:54.10
And notice verse 5,
this is so wonderful,
00:21:55.10\00:21:58.16
"When Jesus came to that place,"
00:21:59.84\00:22:01.77
Jesus knew what He was doing.
00:22:01.78\00:22:03.68
He knew where He was going,
00:22:03.69\00:22:04.91
He knew what He
was walking into,
00:22:04.92\00:22:06.14
He had Caller ID
for every situation.
00:22:06.15\00:22:08.49
When Jesus came walking
up to the base of the tree,
00:22:08.50\00:22:10.68
He looks up and
what does he say,
00:22:10.69\00:22:12.52
Zacchaeus, make
haste, and come down;
00:22:13.93\00:22:17.99
for to day I must
abide in thy house."
00:22:18.00\00:22:21.61
Now remember,
remember what it says,
00:22:23.61\00:22:26.51
it said that if a tax
collector came to your house,
00:22:26.52\00:22:31.49
your house
became virtually unclean
00:22:31.50\00:22:33.98
and it rendered
you unfit and unclean
00:22:33.99\00:22:37.69
and Jesus turns
the tables on the story
00:22:37.70\00:22:40.80
by looking up in
presence of all the people
00:22:40.81\00:22:43.96
in the community,
they knew who this man was,
00:22:43.97\00:22:46.04
Jesus looks up and he
says I'm going to your house.
00:22:46.05\00:22:49.08
Now you have to
know you have to know,
00:22:50.49\00:22:52.92
that no decent
citizen of Jericho
00:22:52.93\00:22:57.57
had ever set foot
in Zacchaeus' house.
00:22:57.58\00:23:02.11
If Zacchaeus came to your house,
00:23:02.12\00:23:04.45
it created problems for you.
00:23:04.46\00:23:05.54
Why would you
show up in his place?
00:23:05.55\00:23:06.98
Jesus said, I'm
going to your house
00:23:08.53\00:23:11.09
and that so
overwhelmed this man in his need
00:23:11.10\00:23:16.24
that he hustle
down out of the tree,
00:23:16.25\00:23:18.72
he was absolutely
just beside himself
00:23:18.73\00:23:23.59
at the fact that somebody
would think enough of him
00:23:24.89\00:23:28.92
that they would
come to his house
00:23:30.41\00:23:32.54
and what did it cause Zacchaeus
to do, do you remember?
00:23:33.79\00:23:38.12
It says verse 6, "He made haste,
00:23:38.13\00:23:40.32
he came down, he
received him joyfully."
00:23:40.33\00:23:42.21
Verse 7, "When
they say they murmured"
00:23:42.22\00:23:44.64
well of course, they murmured.
00:23:44.65\00:23:46.58
What's wrong with
this prophet from Nazareth?
00:23:46.59\00:23:49.37
What's wrong with this man?
00:23:49.38\00:23:50.84
Doesn't he have any sense,
00:23:50.85\00:23:51.85
I mean,he's gonna go
to the home of a publican,
00:23:51.86\00:23:54.85
a man who is a
half step away from Rome
00:23:55.85\00:23:58.48
and all the evil
that Rome represents
00:23:58.49\00:24:00.62
and the
corruption of the system.
00:24:00.63\00:24:02.22
What's wrong with this man?
00:24:02.23\00:24:04.01
They murmured, of
course, they murmured
00:24:04.02\00:24:05.62
because it kind of
cross their expectations,
00:24:06.67\00:24:09.76
so decidedly they murmured.
00:24:09.77\00:24:11.95
That Jesus was
going to be the guest
00:24:13.98\00:24:15.76
and it says at
the end of verse 7,
00:24:15.77\00:24:18.07
"Because that man was a sinner."
00:24:18.08\00:24:19.57
He was publicly a sinner.
00:24:21.61\00:24:23.18
He was
officially part of a system
00:24:24.18\00:24:26.08
that was corrupt
and everybody knew it.
00:24:26.09\00:24:28.71
And it is so wonderful
because Zacchaeus stood
00:24:29.71\00:24:31.54
in front of Jesus,
verse 8, this is so good.
00:24:31.55\00:24:34.25
he said to the
Lord, "Behold Lord,
00:24:34.26\00:24:36.97
half of my goods I'm
gonna give to the poor.
00:24:38.12\00:24:41.10
And if I have taken
anything from anybody
00:24:42.12\00:24:45.27
by false accusation, I'm
going to restore him fourfold."
00:24:46.36\00:24:50.75
Zacchaeus, who do
you think you're kidding!
00:24:52.45\00:24:54.63
Come on, friend, think about it.
00:24:54.64\00:24:57.04
This man has been
part of a corrupt system
00:24:58.04\00:25:01.60
for probably his
whole adult life.
00:25:02.76\00:25:04.58
He's been in a system that
just absolutely required him
00:25:06.42\00:25:11.38
to rip people off,
to be unjust to them,
00:25:11.39\00:25:14.82
that's the only
way he could survive.
00:25:14.83\00:25:17.10
He had to grease
the pockets of people
00:25:17.11\00:25:18.74
above him on the way to Rome.
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.76
And the Bible said he
became very rich doing it.
00:25:21.82\00:25:24.00
He was very good at this.
00:25:24.01\00:25:26.08
This man had cheated
everybody in the region, surely.
00:25:26.09\00:25:30.18
There probably wasn't
anybody standing in the crowd
00:25:31.91\00:25:33.84
that day that this
man Zacchaeus had not
00:25:33.85\00:25:36.47
taken things by
false accusation.
00:25:37.99\00:25:39.87
They felt that
they could lie to him
00:25:41.25\00:25:43.52
that it was their
sacred duty to lie to him,
00:25:43.53\00:25:45.28
because he was part of a
system that was so wrong.
00:25:45.29\00:25:47.84
And as he stands there
in the presence of everybody
00:25:48.95\00:25:51.01
who is there on that day,
every member of the community
00:25:51.02\00:25:54.60
stands there and he
says, I'm just gonna,
00:25:54.61\00:25:58.06
I'm just gonna give it away.
00:25:58.07\00:26:00.05
I'm just going to give it
away and he makes a promise,
00:26:00.06\00:26:02.89
now think about it.
00:26:02.90\00:26:04.74
He makes a promise that
to every degree of logic,
00:26:04.75\00:26:08.81
I fully believe this is a
promise he could not keep.
00:26:09.85\00:26:13.02
How was he going
to pay everybody back
00:26:15.46\00:26:17.92
who that he
cheated four times over?
00:26:17.93\00:26:21.35
Where was he going to
come up with the resource
00:26:24.11\00:26:26.02
that would allow him to do that?
00:26:26.03\00:26:28.44
His promise is preposterous.
00:26:28.45\00:26:31.77
It probably is a
promise he can't keep
00:26:31.78\00:26:34.00
and yet he is so
overwhelmed in the story.
00:26:35.15\00:26:37.19
This man is so overwhelmed
in his gratitude to Jesus
00:26:37.20\00:26:40.96
who accepted him,
who saw battle you in him
00:26:40.97\00:26:44.18
when nobody else would.
00:26:44.19\00:26:45.58
He is so overwhelmed
by the sense of Jesus
00:26:46.86\00:26:50.11
accepting him that he
just without thinking,
00:26:51.64\00:26:55.08
started making promises
he probably couldn't keep
00:26:56.84\00:26:58.72
and what I really love is
Jesus doesn't chew him out.
00:26:58.73\00:27:00.88
Jesus doesn't say,
don't do that Zacchaeus,
00:27:00.89\00:27:02.89
come on, now, you
know, come back to reality,
00:27:02.90\00:27:04.47
you're not really
gonna be able to do that?
00:27:04.48\00:27:07.13
Jesus accepted the fact that
00:27:07.14\00:27:08.83
he was so childish in
his outlandish promise.
00:27:08.84\00:27:12.05
Jesus probably found
that incredibly rewarding
00:27:12.06\00:27:14.24
although I
doubt, I sincerely doubt
00:27:14.25\00:27:16.21
Zacchaeus could have kept
the promises he was making.
00:27:16.22\00:27:18.84
Isn't that great?
00:27:20.80\00:27:21.89
Do you my friend
ever feel disfranchised
00:27:22.90\00:27:26.17
on the fringe,
unaccepted, rejected.
00:27:26.18\00:27:29.17
Do you know that kind of life?
00:27:29.18\00:27:31.03
If so I would urge
you to go back to Luke 19
00:27:31.42\00:27:34.94
often and read this,
wee little Gospel story.
00:27:34.95\00:27:37.94
And recognize
that Jesus, my friend,
00:27:40.27\00:27:42.31
He is never gonna
walk away from you.
00:27:42.32\00:27:44.28
He is never going to
turn His back on you and say,
00:27:44.93\00:27:46.68
you know, you're not
quite good enough for me,
00:27:46.69\00:27:49.22
that's not what the
Gospel is all about.
00:27:49.23\00:27:51.86
The Gospel is all
about Messiah who reaches
00:27:51.87\00:27:54.56
to extend the arms
of heaven and mercy.
00:27:54.57\00:27:57.40