An Example Considered

In 1 Corinthians 11:28, we read that if we're not to eat and drink condemnation upon ourselves during this time of communion, we should examine ourselves. As we examine ourselves, one thing I believe is extremely helpful is to consider the examples in scripture of people who did the things of God we are seeking to do. How they obeyed can provide a clue as to how we obey. Today, consider what it means to repent. Sometimes, instead of repenting, we just undergo repainting. Repainting means we change our exterior without necessarily changing the interior. We tell people we're sorry maybe with tears in our eyes,but this is not repentance, this is repainting. Repentance involves the confession of specific wrong action, and a plan for correcting that action in our lives so that others can hold us accountable. Scripture teaches us that Godly sorrow leads to repentance that leads to salvation. Jesus taught that unless we repent we will be condemned. Peter in the first gospel sermon coupled repentance with baptism tightly weaving them together so we could understand what we must do to be saved. In the New Testament, one example of repentance has always stood out to me, and I want us to consider it today. Turn with me to Luke 19:1-10 so we can consider the example of Zacchaeus, a tax collector in Jericho:

Luke 19:1-10  He entered Jericho and was passing through.  (2)  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  (3)  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  (4)  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  (5)  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”  (6)  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  (7)  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”  (8)  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”  (9)  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  (10)  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

In the life of Zacchaeus, we see an immediate transformation in the face of the teaching of Jesus. First Zacchaeus sought Jesus out and did what he needed to do to see the one who could forgive him. He climbed that tree. If you are going to repent, you need to seek Jesus out. Find him no matter how hard or painful. Second Zacchaeus immediately obeyed Jesus' direct command to him to come down and take Jesus to Zaccaeus' house. When we repent we must immediately obey Jesus. Finally, Zacchaeus gave a plan to show how Jesus had changed him. The grumblers in the crowd knew Zacchaeus. Tax collectors in the Roman empire would place bids on a specific territory for the amount of taxes they believed they could collect in a specific area. The highest bidder would have to supply the amount he promised, or the amount would be taken from his personal fortune. Often, a person bidding with the Roman government would hire out tax collectors under him in a similar fashion. Zacchaeus was one of these guys, a tax collector of tax collectors. His response was for the crowd as much as it was for Jesus. It was a specific acknowledgement that yes, he knew he was a tax collector, and in a position to do much wrong. This is what he was going to do to prevent that. And Jesus's response was much the same, it was for the crowd to hear as much as Zacchaeus. Salvation belongs to those who repent.