Sunday Message
October 31, 2004
Robert D Bohnsack
Text: Psalm 119:137-144; Luke 19:1-10

Reformation Day 2004, has arrived. It could be my favorite day of the year. It is the day we commemorate being members of the reformed body. It is the day we remember Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, John Knox, and all the other reformers who came before and after them. It is a day we commemorate our heritage as Presbyterians.

October 31 is the day we remember that on this date in 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and professor at the University of Wittenberg, Germany, posted 95 Theses (propositions) on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church as an invitation to debate the sale of indulgences for forgiveness. ¹ At the time the Roman Catholic church was selling indulgences, or the forgiveness of sins. That event sparked a reform movement that eventually led to a Lutheran church and separate denominations such as our own Presbyterian Church (USA). We are children of the Reformation. Luther established the idea that the Church is always in need of reform in the light of the gospel.

So today we celebrate Reformation Day, and not Reformed Day. The Reformation of the church continues, and will continue until Christ comes again. "Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda," that is "The church reformed, always reforming," according to the Word of God and the call of the Spirit. For as Martin Luther proclaimed: Christians are justified by God's grace through faith in Christ. We can describe Zacchaeus, one of two named characters in our gospel lesson, in many ways. He is rich. He collaborates with the Roman authorities to get rich. He is short. He is a man living in a community that is rooted in tradition. On a particular day in Jericho, Zacchaeus, this wee little man is stumped. He wants to see this man Jesus, but due to his size he cannot see over the crowd. We can picture him jumping and standing on his tip toes. All he wants to do is see Jesus. So, this wee little man climbs a sycamore tree to see what he can see. Zacchaeus sees Jesus, but Jesus also sees Zacchaeus. Jesus stops at the foot of the Sycamore and commands Zacchaeus to climb down. He says, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today."

The crowd must have thought Jesus was barking up the wrong tree. Zacchaeus? "He collects taxes for the Romans. He cheats people. He is a sinner." They may have thought Jesus had been hit in the head by the apple that doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Then Jesus and Zacchaeus journey to the home of this wee little man that day. Zacchaeus, a man rooted in the law and tradition of the day, turns over a new leaf. He repents. He repents of his sins and promises to give away half of his possessions and payback anyone he has cheated four times the amount he cheated them. Christ declares, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

My apologies to the cast and crew of the Three Trees Musical. They inspired me to branch out. Okay, I should just leave well enough alone.

We can relate to Zacchaeus. It seems like something is always getting in our way and preventing us from encountering Jesus. If only the crowds would thin, our work or volunteer schedule would get lighter, the kids would stop having such hectic schedules, or if life just slowed down then we could encounter Jesus.

Wait. If we just climb this tree and get above the crowds and hectic pace of life then we can at least see Jesus. We can see forgiveness, salvation, love, and grace. We can at least witness what we really need to encounter.

About a year ago I bought a brand new camera, a Nikon N75. It is a 35mm Single Lens Reflex. I love taking pictures. I enjoy taking pictures of youth activities, family and friends, Gordon, my big black dog; amazing scenery; like what I experienced in Colorado Springs last week, and really anything else that intrigues me. It is a lot of fun. I enjoy producing a witness or record of what is happening in my world. This Fall I got a new telephoto lens. I have learned that sometimes the best pictures are those I take when the subject is not aware of me. The new telephoto lens allows me to take close up pictures from far away. In fact if Zacchaeus had a telephoto lens, he could have seen the face of Christ without even getting close.

There is a downside to photography though. When I am taking pictures, I am usually not participating in the event. I am witnessing it, but I am not an active player. If the youth are playing a game in the courtyard, and I am taking pictures I am not playing the game. A sports photojournalist takes pictures of amazing sporting events, but rarely does the photojournalist participate in the event.

Zacchaeus began as a witness. All he wanted to do is see Jesus. If I can just get above the crowds then I will be able to see Jesus. Then Christ did the unexpected. He makes Zacchaeus a participant. Zacchaeus is no longer just a witness to the love, grace, forgiveness, and salvation of Jesus Christ. Zacchaeus is a participant and recipient. Christ extends salvation that day. He promises it now. He does not tell Zacchaeus that he wants to come to his house six months from that day, or sometime. He must come today. He must, will, and does come today. Christ must, will, and does come to us this day.

Christ tells Zacchaeus that he must stay at his home that day. For Christ to stay at the home of a tax collector would not have been well received by the people of the day. Zacchaeus was a collaborator with the Roman occupiers. Christ went and stayed at the home of a collaborator. Christ experienced the ill-gotten wealth of Zacchaeus. Christ went to where Zachaeus lived.

If you ever turn the dial to The Learning Channel, you might tune into one of its many home improvement shows. You might find yourself watching: While You Were Out, Clean Sweep, Trading Spaces, or Get Your Fix. The premise of these shows and many like them is that the decorating and carpentry crew arrives and completely renovates a room in your home. The room the crew renovates has a conversion experience. Everything is different. The walls have a different texture and color. The old furniture is gone, and new exciting furniture is in its place. Windows have different treatments, and the hardwood floor is restored or perhaps ripped up. The room has been converted. You can tell it had a conversion experience. It is something to watch, and probably something even more to experience. I know my father gets nervous every time my mother watches one of those shows.

Zacchaeus has a radical conversion experience when Jesus Christ visits his home. ² Zacchaeus is not the same. We do not know if he continues to be a tax-collector, but we do his attitude has changed. Zacchaeus tells Christ that he will give half his possessions to the poor, and pay those he defrauded four times the amount he defrauded them. Zacchaeus is not the same. He is still Zacchaeus, but he knows of his salvation. He responds with joy to his salvation. He responds with joy to his visit from the Christ. He joyfully does that which is right and pleasing to God. He does not adhere to the law because he is trying to earn his salvation or forgiveness.

Christ met Zacchaeus, the tax-collector, the collaborator, and the sinner, where he was. Christ met him in his home. Christ meets us individually, and as a community of faith where we live. Christ meets us, the doubters, the sinners, and the too busy where we live. Christ did not wait for Zacchaeus to see the error of his ways to radically convert his life. Christ did it today. Christ will not wait for us to stop doubting, stop sinning, and start trusting. Christ radically converts us today. Our radical conversion, make over, and renovation happens today. It is up to us to respond. We are called to respond to the salvation, love, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ today.

We are called to respond in ways that please the Lord our God, and in ways that tell the world we have experienced a radical conversion. We are still sinners, but we have salvation. We have Jesus Christ.

We are called to proclaim to the world that the radical conversion of Christ is offered to the world. Christ does not just choose those who make good TV. Christ chooses the world. Christ chooses the sinners. Christ chooses the tall and short, righteous and unrighteous, male and female, rich and poor, and all people. Christ seeks us out.

In April of 1521 Martin Luther was called before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor Charles V, and the Diet of the Empire at Worms, Germany. At that meeting Luther was asked if a stack of books were his writings. The books were the works he had produced since October 31, 1517. The writings declared the error of merit based grace and the sale of indulgences. Luther's writings proclaimed Christians are justified by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the authority of Scripture over church tradition, and the need for the Roman Catholic Church to reform. Luther's declarations were not entirely popular with the church. The emperor asked Luther if he wished to recant anything and walk away from what he believed. Luther responded:

"Here I stand; I can do no other. My conscience is a prisoner of God's Word. I cannot and will not recant, for to disobey one's conscience is neither just nor safe. God help me. Amen." ³

Jesus Christ sought out Martin Luther and other reformers and called them to begin the important work of the Protestant Reformation. The reformers were justified by God's grace before they ever wrote their first article or preached their first fiery sermon. They were saved before their first cells divided.

Zacchaeus, that wee little man, is our story. Christ seeks us today. God is doing great things today. Today is the day the day to see God working in your life, and God working in the life of this community of believers.

"Today salvation has come to this house, because we too are the children of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." ⁴

1. Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, The Reformation to the Present Day, vol. 2. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco. 1985. (p14-28).
2. http://www.theotherside.org/archive/may-jun03/davidson_print.html
3. Luther, Martin. Speech at the Diet of Worms, April 18, 1521.
4. Luke 19:9-10.