The Outcast

There are times when I am speaking to people, and they will ask me if I am religious. The answer to that question is always no. Why? Because religion is harsh, judgmental, and very legalistic. NO, I’m not into that. I am into Jesus. I have a relationship with Jesus. Jesus came to do away with religion; He came to love unconditionally and to love those no one else would love. Religion desires conforming people; Jesus taught that our differences could make us stronger. In fact, Jesus came to rescue those whom no one else would have anything to do with.

There is an account that speaks to this very truth. Now, this account, many if not all of you will be very familiar with, but we are going to look at it again.

In Luke 19, verses 1-9, we see Jesus passing through the town of Jericho, but of course, there began to be a huge crowd. Everyone wanted to see this man called Jesus because they had heard many amazing things about Him. This included a man by the name of Zacchaeus. Here is what we are told about him. One, he was a little guy. Second, he was a chief tax collector. We also know the Jewish people hated the tax collectors. Because tax collectors were Jews who were gathering up the taxes from their own people to give to the Romans. If that wasn’t bad enough, just about every tax collector was as crooked as a dog’s hind leg; they pocketed money they overtaxed their own people with. This was Zacchaeus.

But Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus just like everyone else, so he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a Sycamore tree. I want you to see what Jesus says to him when He comes by in verse 5, “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Now, to us this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but those who were around Jesus lost their minds. Why? Because Jesus was a teacher and a man of God. He shouldn’t socialize with a thieving sinner like Zacchaeus. That is what they are used to seeing. The religious leaders of that day would not dare lower themselves to be around such a sinner. But Zacchaeus was so convicted standing in front of Jesus that he decided that he would give half of his possessions to the poor, and “if” he had cheated anyone, he would pay them back four times as much.

Notice Jesus’ response in verse 9-10, “And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” You see, religion was defeated, and the relationship won. Jesus came for people just like Zacchaeus. He came for people just like us. The Bible says that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. I also want us to notice that it wasn’t about Zacchaeus giving money; it was about his change of heart, which is why Jesus could say that today salvation had come to this house. Remember, it’s not about religion; it is always about the change of heart.