Repentance Is for Sinners—Just Ask Zacchaeus

I, (Dave VanVickle), have no nickname today, because sadly Gomer isn’t here. (He’s OK, he’s just been sick.) So I’m continuing our conversation about repentance solo. I want to talk about what repentance looks like in Scripture, especially Zacchaeus’ repentance in Luke 19, and how we can incorporate continual repentance and conversion in our day-to-day lives. 

Snippet from the Show

“God is not just calling us away from sin, but also to accept this beautiful new life in the kingdom; to see the world, the poor, and our brothers and sisters through the eyes of Jesus Christ.” 


SHOWNOTES

Luke 5:32 – “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 19:9-10 – “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

Exodus 32:15-20 – “And Moses turned, and went down from the mountain with the two tables of the testimony in his hands, tables that were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, ‘There is a noise of war in the camp.’ But he said, ‘It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.’ And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the people of Israel drink it.”

Matthew 8:1-4 (Jesus Cleanses a Leper) – “When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.’”

Matthew 3:2 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Luke 19:1-10 (Jesus and Zacchaeus) – “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchae′us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchae′us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ And Zacchae′us stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’

One Practical Takeaway

  1. Spend 10 minutes a day this week meditating on the story of Zacchaeus 
    • First, read the story prayerfully
    • Then, do an examination of conscious, putting yourself in the story
    • Finish by saying a prayer of repentance.

Resources

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