Title: Mulberry's Relationship
Contents
The relationship between the mulberry tree (Luke 19:1-10)
We sincerely welcome everyone to our church today. And may God's blessings be with all who come. Today I would like to introduce Jesus to you in two ways.
One introduces Jesus through the words of the Bible that we read a while ago, and the other introduces Jesus through the Holy Communion that will be held shortly. And I want all of you to receive the blessing of meeting this Jesus today.
What do you think are the conditions for happiness? Often people think that wealth and fame will make them happy. In other words, they think that there is nothing to envy if you have authority and wealth.
But would you really be happy if you had wealth and power? In today's Bible verse, we see a man named Zacchaeus, who was the tax collector of Jericho. It was a time when Jewish society was a vassal state of the Roman Empire.
Because of this, the Jews had to pay a certain amount of tax to Rome, and the Roman authorities entrusted some of the Jews with the task of collecting this tax.
Because of this, publicans at that time were those who had a certain amount of power in the Jewish society that was a vassal state. Moreover, since this man named Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, how much power was he in the core of his power at that time?
To become a publican, he must have been a man of great knowledge and skill in business affairs. He was a man of knowledge and experience. Not only that, he was rich.
At that time, tax collectors were able to collect more than the amount of tax required by the state, and they used various unjust methods to take care of themselves. So, naturally, publicans were able to amass wealth.
In particular, Zacchaeus must have been able to amass great wealth because he was a tax collector. Although he had collected it by fraudulent means, he was able to enjoy great wealth.
In other words, Zacchaeus was a man of power, knowledge, and wealth. But looking at Zacchaeus' life, he was never a happy man.
Although he had a lot of power and wealth, he had no friends around him, and no one respected him.
Even he was short and couldn't see Jesus, so he tried to climb the mulberry tree, but no one helped him. Rather, he avoided him, turned away, and pointed at him from behind.
How could people love, respect, and be friendly to him, who served as a servant of the Roman Empire, who became rich by sucking the blood of his people?
When Jesus entered Zacchaeus' house, a large crowd of people gathered, saying, "He went in to stay in the house of a sinner!" Zacchaeus was treated as a sinner. [Public collectors, prostitutes, sinners] No matter how rich or powerful you are, how unhappy your life would be if no one was by your side.
Wealth and power do not make us happy. If your friend took you to church today, you are a very happy person.
Because you have a friend who loves you enough to bring you to church. But Zacchaeus had no such friend.
Zacchaeus eventually climbed the sycamore tree to see the face of Jesus passing by. Finally, when Jesus reached the sycamore tree he had climbed, he stopped and looked up and called Zacchaeus.
“Zacchaeus, come down. Today I must stay at your house.” Jesus was probably the first person to come to his house by calling Zacchaeus' name.
People treated him as a sinner, cursed him, pointed his finger at him, and refused to approach him, but the Lord called him by name first. Zacchaeus said to Jesus, ‘I need you.
please save me Come to our house. Be my friend.' Before asking, the Lord first finds him and his house, where no one is looking.
Gentlemen, Jesus already knows us when we didn't know Him, He calls us before we call His name, He comes into our lives before we ask for Him.
In John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you...” In Revelation 3:20, “Behold. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
So, in verse 10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The reason Jesus came to this earth is to comfort, restore, and save the lost, the outcast, the marginalized, and the lonely.
Is your life lonely? Even if you have a lot, do you feel empty in a corner of your heart? Is it like a lost life? The Lord is the first to come to the door of your heart today and call your name. He wants you to come into your life and live an abundant life.
When Jesus called his name, Zacchaeus hurried down and took Jesus into his house with joy. But what is surprising is that Zacchaeus' life changed after Jesus found him.
“Look, Lord. I will give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have robbed anyone, I will repay you fourfold” (verse 8). Guys, who was this Zacchaeus?
He was just a man who was passionate about making money. A person who sucked the blood of his people in order to obtain wealth. To him, money and wealth were like life.
But after bringing Jesus into his home, he gave half of his possessions to the poor. He promised to pay back fourfold if he had stolen anything from another person.
How could you have made this decision? Because they saw something better than riches. Because I saw something that would truly make me happy.
[How to eat buffet food: Eat good food → When a person sees valuable things, he can throw away things that are not worthwhile] In John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [again] Unless you are born, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The reason we are bound by the things of this earth is because we have not seen the kingdom of God. If you are born again because you believe in Jesus Christ, you can see the kingdom of God.
Those who have seen the kingdom of God do not have any attachment to the things of this world. For it is so glorious and splendid and full of life and joy.
Zacchaeus had seen the kingdom of God by meeting the Lord. That is why he was able to give up even half of his possessions.
Because I saw something more precious, more valuable, and more beautiful than that. I hope that you too can see the kingdom of God because you believe in Jesus.
conclude the word. Some people hate it when they tell you to believe in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus, you will not believe because there are many things that are mine.
But Jesus did not come to take anything from us. You didn't come to pay us a price. He came only to seek and save the lost.
He came to give joy, give meaning to life, and change your outlook on life. Do any of you have the same pain as Zacchaeus? Does anyone have a decisive handicap in life?
Is there anyone who is afraid of meeting people? Are there people who are not satisfied with what they have and are lonely? Hear the voice of the Lord who comes to you and knocks on the door of your heart,
Invite Jesus into your life. Just as the dark, oppressed and lonely life of Zacchaeus changed into a life of joy and reward, your life will also change, just as you have seen something more beautiful, precious, and blessed that it is not wasted even if you give up all you have.
You will see and possess the precious. I invite you here today. I hope that you too will believe in Jesus and your life will be changed.