08/25/2025
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation. The following is a reflection that I didn’t use, but if we’d had more time, I might have.
“Zacchaeus’ story makes it clear that grace always comes first. Jesus doesn’t tell him, “Clean up your act, then I’ll come to your house.” He says, “I’m coming over today.” Acceptance before repentance. Grace before change. And that grace does something to Zacchaeus. He doesn’t just feel bad about what he’s done—he encounters the living Christ. Repentance isn’t simply remorse; it’s a turning toward Someone, a reorienting of life in light of Jesus’ presence.
“And notice the scale of what Zacchaeus promises: half of his wealth given away, fourfold restitution to anyone he’s cheated. That’s the maximum repayment required by the Law, and for a man who has made his fortune by skimming and extorting, it could have left him broke. But that no longer matters to him. Wealth is no longer his god. Meeting Jesus has set him free from clinging to it.
“And so something remarkable happens: Zacchaeus is restored not only to God, but to his community. Jesus declares him a “son of Abraham”—brought back into covenant family. His neighbors, who once despised him, now witness the very real fruit of repentance and restitution. Grace didn’t excuse Zacchaeus; it transformed him. Forgiveness was free, but it wasn’t fruitless.”
Archived Posts
One More Piece of Unsolicited Advice
I had one too many examples yesterday. Here’s the "Ask Pastor Tim" scenario that didn’t make the cut for Sunday’s sermon: (read more)
Not If, But When, the Crisis Comes
One of the best Bible commentators alive today is N.T. Wright or Tom Wright. When reflecting on the parable of the wise and foolish maidens, he wrote this:...
What I wanted to say
but ran out of time this Sunday
Here is the benediction I was going to use before discovering the excellent MLK Jr. video.
The Storm that Comes To Us as Helplessness
I want to share with you a small portion of my conversation with Artificial Intelligence online. Some of you know, I use Chat-GPT as a thoughtful sounding board for the questions and insights I’m working with on whatever scriptures I’m studying each week. What follows is an example of those discussions...
One Final Scene About Scrooge
There was one more scene in Dickens’s novel that reveals something of what has happened to Scrooge over the years. I did not have time to share it on Sunday, but I believe it reveals a great deal about the regrets in Scrooge’s life....
What Jacob Marley Would Do,
If He Could Do It…
I thought about using the following for a benediction—since Jacob Marley was warning Scrooge about the danger of loving money and what it could buy. Ends up with the Cantata and everything else going on, I didn’t have the time. So here is what you might have heard if the sermon itself was 5 minutes shorter!
A Confirming Word on Old King Herod
I just want to echo what Rick said in his fine sermon yesterday (Nov. 23). Herod was a ruthless tyrant and skilled politician. When the Magi don’t report back to him, he decides to kill all the male children of Bethlehem under the age of 2. That’s one paranoid dude.