Title: The Change of Zacchaeus
Contents
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1. Jesus went into Jericho and passed
2. There was a man named Zacchaeus, a tax collector and a rich man.
3. He wanted to see what kind of person Jesus was, but he was short and there were many people, so he could not do it.
4. He ran forward and climbed a sycamore tree to see, for Jesus was passing by.
5. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
6. He came down in haste and welcomed him with joy.
7. When all the people saw it, they murmured, saying, He has gone to stay in the house of a sinner.
8. Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I will give half of what I have to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone, I will pay back four times as much.
9. Jesus said to them, Today salvation has come to this house, for this man also is a descendant of Abraham.
10. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Content
Title: The Transformation of Zacchaeus
Text: Luke 19:1-10
The most difficult thing in the world is to change people.
This morning, I would like to think about the transformation of Zacchaeus, a man in the Gospel of Luke.
To know how Zacchaeus changed, we need to compare verses 2 and 8 of the text as we read them.
First, verse 2 refers to Zacchaeus as “a Jericho publican and rich man.”
And if you read verse 8 of the text, Zacchaeus has changed 180 degrees.
The rich Zacchaeus was transformed into the beggar Zacchaeus.
What happened in the meantime that changed Zacchaeus into such a completely different person?
What could change humans like this?
The event that changed Zacchaeus in this way was an encounter with Jesus.
Although Zacchaeus made a lot of money, he was lonely and suffering. When there is no money, they say that they are happy when they have money, but when money is collected to a certain extent, humans are beings who pursue another desire for happiness. So did Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus climbed a tall tree and looked down at Jesus.
The eyes of Zacchaeus looking down at Jesus were full of loneliness, even though he had collected money by any means possible. He thought there was happiness in riches, but when he collected them, there was no happiness in them. Just then, Jesus raised his eyes and met Zacchaeus, who was hanging from a branch and looking at him. The moment their eyes met, a spark of love ignited between them. When Zacchaeus looked up at Jesus and heard that he would stay at his house, Zacchaeus was deeply moved. The emotion of love and forgiveness from Jesus changed Zacchaeus.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Everyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away and the new has come.” The apostle Paul also confesses his transformation in Philippians 3:4-8. By meeting Christ, Paul threw away all the boasting of the past like excrement.
To meet Jesus is to forsake the old self.
To receive the love and forgiveness of Jesus is to change into a new person.
If you say you believe in Jesus but do not change, you are not believing correctly.
To believe in Jesus is to be moved by love and forgiveness and to be transformed.
An emotion begets another emotion.
So, the emotion ripples like a mighty wave.
Jesus' unconditional forgiveness touched Zacchaeus, and Zacchaeus' event touched countless people in the 2,000-year history of Christianity.
I hope that Zacchaeus' inspiration will continue at Namsan Church.
So, I hope that Namsan Church will become a source of inspiration that changes society warmly.
I hope that those who have lost the meaning of life will be touched by the feeling of being transformed into new people at Namsan Church.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray that God will be with all the members of Namsan Church.