Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2007 Spring Issue -- Money and Salvation

The last time I climbed a tree was in Australia, at the age of 52. I wanted a better view of a beautiful southern sunset. It worked.

JESUS VISITS JERICHO

“A better view” was also what Zacchaeus was seeking when he climbed a tree in Jericho some two thousand years ago. Jesus was passing by. Not only could Zacchaeus see Jesus, but Jesus saw him.

Jesus’ presence had created a stir. A blind man outside of town was begging Jesus not for money but for mercy! When people rebuked that man and sternly told him to quiet down, he shouted all the more; “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus was impressed with his determination and gave him his sight saying, “Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 18:42).

Then, Jesus entered Jericho and the commotion increased. That’s when Zacchaeus took to a Sycamore tree. Short on stature and long on curiosity, he wanted to see Jesus.

Zacchaeus was a “chief tax collector” in a town that served as the customs point for goods coming from the east. As the chief, he oversaw subordinates and was very wealthy. Perhaps he was a social climber as well as a tree climber. In any case, like the blind beggar, he was undeterred.

Whatever Zacchaeus was seeking, he got salvation. There is no formal confession of sin or plea for forgiveness specified in the text. There was no mention of a series of steps to salvation. Nevertheless, Zacchaeus had come to a turning point in his life. His story is a story of a new beginning and a new commitment. It’s a story of salvation.

WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED?

Soon before Jesus met Zacchaeus, He told His followers how hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. They asked, “Who then can be saved?” (Luke 18:26). The Zacchaeus story turned out to be a great answer to that question.

So, Jesus said to this wealthy tree-climber, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." (Luke 19:5).

As soon as Jesus invited himself over to the rich man's house, a stark contrast becomes clear to the reader. Zacchaeus was joyful while the crowd was embittered. People nearby immediately resented Jesus’ intention to fraternize with a known sinner like Zacchaeus.

Tax-collectors back then had a rich reputation for sin and corruption. Earlier in Luke’s gospel, we read of some tax collectors who came to John the Baptist to be baptized. They asked him, “what shall we do?” John told them, “Don’t collect any more than you are required to.” (Luke 3:13). Clearly, over-collection was a well-known problem with tax collectors in ancient Israel.

Still, Jesus was willing to reach out to Zacchaeus and go to his house, unmoved by the social criticism. Jesus did not come to impress crowds. He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). And Zacchaeus was lost.

A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT

Not many details of their visit are given. What we do know is that Zacchaeus declared a bold new commitment to Jesus. It was a financial commitment.

“Behold, Lord,” said Zacchaeus, “half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” (Luke 19:8). Whatever filled his heart before, it was now filled with unselfishness and honesty.

Zacchaeus probably knew about the four-fold restitution rule that applied to the stealing of sheep (Exodus 22:1). Still, what Jesus saw was not merely a legalistic attempt to cover his backside with repayments, but a transformed heart. And Zacchaeus was putting his money where his mouth was.

SALVATION HAS COME

An amazing announcement from Jesus followed; “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:10).

First, Jesus was not referring to Zacchaeus’ ethnic origin. Abraham was the father of the faithful. For Jesus, one is a son of Abraham by virtue of their faith. Jesus took this as an opportunity to emphasize that salvation is not biologically inherited. It is the result of a heartfelt surrender that changes one’s life forever.

Second, while it may well be harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to travel through a needle’s eye, Zacchaeus (a rich man) sure could get in! And the numbers that constituted Zacchaeus’ financial decision were not the point. To the rich ruler, Jesus had called for a sacrifice of “all” his possessions. Yet, when Zacchaeus offers to give up only "half," Jesus still declares the advent of salvation upon his house.

“Only” half? How many of us could make such a commitment? Still, the percentage was not the point. Also, this has nothing to do with works salvation since Zacchaeus had not yet taken his commitment to the point of actual action when Jesus announced his salvation--which was God's gift. We must look deeper than math or works to understand what happened here.

What made Jesus affirm Zacchaeus’ salvation on the spot? Even before Jesus literally accomplished our salvation through His sacrifice on the cross, I think He understood how salvation and sacrifice are tightly intertwined in God's realm. Jesus saw this sinner’s willingness to sacrifice, and made the connection with Zacchaeus' salvation. He was no longer lost.

SALVATION AND SACRIFICE

The call to follow Jesus often involved leaving something behind. Often, it was money or possessions. Consider the following examples:: 1. Many of Jesus’ disciples left their boats and jobs behind to follow Him (Mark 1:18; Luke 5:11).; 2. An expert in the law tested Jesus with the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). Jesus replied with a powerful story of a kind and generous Samaritan who went out of his way to help a needy neighbor, and parted with some silver to do it. Jesus is drawing a connection between sacrificial generosity and the gift of eternal life.; 3. The rich ruler also asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said, “sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” (Luke 18:22). Isn’t Jesus getting a bit close to the topic of money in this discussion about inheriting eternal life? Stay tuned.; 4. In his parable of the unjust steward, Jesus averred that those trustworthy in handling worldly wealth can be trusted with “true riches.” (Luke 16:11). Again, money and salvation are getting uncomfortably close in Jesus’ mind.; 5. In Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), those who are physically generous to the needy will enter the kingdom of heaven.; 6. In Jesus’ parable of the pounds (told in Zacchaeus’ house), the ultimate fate of the servants is hinged to the Master’s command to “put this money to work until I come back.” (Luke 19:13).; 7. Jesus spoke often in financial terms to teach spiritual principles and priorities--using terms like “treasure”, “inheritance”, “profit” (“What does it profit a man...” Matthew 16:26), and so on. He even used a literal coin to help distinguish the things of Caesar from the things of God (Matthew 22:19ff). Some say that Jesus referred to money or possessions ten times more often than he did to heaven and hell combined.

Thus, it should not shock us when Jesus immediately declared salvation in response to Zacchaeus’ financial commitment. Indeed, there may well be a connection between our salvation and our wallets.

SALVATION AND STEWARDSHIP

Am I implying that God is a cosmic candy machine from which we get salvation after inserting our coins? No! If that were the case, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross. Nor did Jesus countenance followers who were just looking for a payoff (either to God or from God). The gospel cannot be sold or purchased. It’s not that cheap.

Instead of a candy machine, we should see God as the owner of the estate given to us temporarily as stewards. It is by God’s generosity that we have time, talents, energy, possessions, money, health and life itself--all on loan from God. What a generous Father we have in heaven.

Has His generosity made a big difference in your generosity? Your salvation may swing on your answer to that question. It’s not that your generosity earns salvation, but your stinginess may reveal that the sacrifice Jesus bids you to make, trusting Him alone to save, has not happened yet.

Imagine the benefits we find in practicing generosity. First, our joy rises as we see the needs of others being met. Second, if our giving rises out of a true trust in God, we find greater peace of mind and suffer fewer anxieties in our hearts. Last and not least, if Jesus’ teachings are reliable, we inherit the kingdom of heaven--an inheritance made possible by Jesus' own generous sacrifice on the cross. That’s a win-win-WIN scenario!

Salvation came to the house of Zacchaeus when he switched his main loyalty from mammon to God. The giving of money isn’t what saved Zacchaeus. Salvation was God’s response to Zacchaeus’ total surrender to a new Master. And don’t tell me that a total surrender is a human work.

It’s not hard to see that salvation involves the sacrifice of our pride, our possessions, or whatever we trust in more than God. What we leave behind “for the sake of the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:29) means a lot to the Lord of our salvation.

THE LOST AND THE FOUND!

You know many people like Zacchaeus. They are lost, at least before Jesus saw him in that Sycamore. After affirming Zacchaeus’ salvation, Jesus clarified His own mission on earth. He said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10). I am sure Zacchaeus loved hearing Jesus use the past tense in his reference to "that which was lost."

Jesus had a soft heart for the lost. He saw himself as a shepherd willing to temporarily leave his flock to search for one lost lamb (Luke 15:3-7). He also related with the woman who lost a precious coin and searched diligently for it until it was found. And what great joy there is in heaven over a lost sinner who finds the strength and humility to repent! (Luke 15:8-10) Finally, in one of Jesus’ most famous parables (the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32), he compared God to a forgiving father who celebrated joyfully when his lost son was found. And He calls everyone together to share in that joy.

Seeking and saving the lost is our mission too. What sacrificial commitments are you willing to make to God to get that mission going in your life and in the life of your campus ministry or church family? Like Zacchaeus, don't be deterred.

Remember, you are invited to the big feast in the end.

Joel Mark Solliday, B.A., M.Div., is the editor of Campus CrossWalk and the pulpit minister of the Northern Light Church of Christ in Minnesota. A Pepperdine graduate, he later served as a Missionary in Residence at ACU. He earned his M.Div. at Fuller Theological Seminary. His wife Katie is a junior high school teacher.