Luke 19:1-10
I am going to start by reading part of the Luke text twice, from two different versions. Listen for the difference – there will be a quiz.
8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of
my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone
of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” NRSV
8 Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord,
I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I
repay them four times as much.” CEB
What is the difference between the two texts? … yes, the
tense of the verbs. I will give and I give; I will pay back and I repay them.
Why is there this difference? Those who translate also interpret. In this case,
the Greek verbs are present tense verbs, so many Bible translations are in the
present tense.
In the case of the NRSV, which is what we most often use in
the ELCA, the interpretation has been that Zacchaeus changed his behavior when
he met Jesus. It gives it a perfect fit for Reformation Sunday.
So, how does Zacchaeus’ story fit Reformation Sunday if he already
does what he should? We’ll come back to
him.
… On Reformation Sunday, we take a look at the ways in which
the Church (capital C) in the 1400s and 1500s was focused on building beautiful
churches through the collecting of indulgences. Indulgences were pieces of
paper that guaranteed people could pay to get years off the time in purgatory
for themselves or their dead loved ones. It was a form of paying for
forgiveness.
Martin Luther began to study the Bible and discovered that
forgiveness is free – no indulgences are needed to make your way to Jesus after
you die. He realized that many of the practices of the Church were not scriptural
and began writing and speaking publicly about these practices.
… This next part of the sermon is in response to those who
were looking at the banner and wondering about how there could be three solas,
when sola means one or only.
These solas were developed to specifically contradict
various aspects of the religious practices of the day.
Sola Scriptura means that our faith is based on
scripture alone, and not on the teachings and writings and traditions of others,
like the popes.
Sola gratia means that we are saved by God’s grace
alone, and not by anything we do or by the accumulation of actions of the saints
who have gone before us.
Sola fide means we are justified (made right with
God) by our faith only, and not by our good works. And our faith is the result
of the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
I often summarize God’s grace this way: There is nothing you
can do to make God love you more; and there is nothing you can do to make God
love you less. God may not be pleased with what you do, but the love of God is
forever.
… So, Jesus, as a Jewish man of his time, may not have been
pleased that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, but his dislike of Zacchaeus’
job didn’t stop Jesus from loving him and wanting to be with him.
We don’t know how long Zach has been giving away his income
and repaying those whom he defrauded. We don’t know if it’s a recent thing,
maybe since he heard John the Baptist preach about repentance. Or if he has
been living that way for years. Or if it really was a sudden decision after
meeting Jesus while perched in a tree.
And we don’t know if Zach changed jobs after his dinner with
Jesus and the disciples. We only know that he does exemplify how to live
faithfully, even when we are stuck in a bad situation.
… I always like to end sermons with a “so-what?” What does
this text have to do with me, and with you-all? One answer is that we all try
to stop judging ourselves. If our goal is to be perfect in God’s eyes, please
know that perfection is not God’s intent for us. Faithfulness is. Grace is. Love
is.
Another answer is we need to stop looking for perfection in
others. The folks of our day: the people sheltering under our eaves, the
students walking past without seeing that this building is a church, the
members who haven’t been in church for years, the folks who are angry with
church but who still believe in God, the pastor who sings off-key with the mic
on, they are all God’s beloved children, just as Zacchaeus was.
And third, Lutherans have a unique message worthy of sharing.
We cling wholeheartedly to the ideas of the Reformation. Only God deserves the
glory. We are saved by the cross of Christ. It is only through faith and God’s
grace that we are made righteous in God’s eyes and heart. And we rely on
Scriptures to tell us the truth about how much God loves us and forgives us.
Let’s be more excited about being followers of Jesus and
Martin Luther, and share that excitement with those who don’t know Jesus as we
do. That is the message of the Reformation we celebrate today.
Amen
