Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus is a story of a little man’s big lesson on making amends. Now there are two important lessons we want to learn about making amends from a Christian perspective. Making amends is…
a reflection of God’s love
Luke 19:10 Jesus reminds the disagreeable crowd that he is here to seek and save the lost. Zacchaeus was a Jewish tax collector for the Roman government. The only thing worse than a tax collector was a chief tax collector - of which he was. Zacchaeus’ wealth was in large part due to what he and his employees took from others. This occupation was seen as unforgivable; outside of God’s compassion. Yet here is Jesus, making a very important lesson on God’s love - it’s for everyone, and it covers everything!
There is a connection between salvation and restoration. This is what Jesus was saying in verses 9-10. Zacchaeus was part of a larger story - God’s story to bring salvation to his creation, and restore the relationship that was lost when sin entered the world. The good news is that you and I are also part of this grand story - we are asked to come down, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and allow him into our lives…our homes. God makes amends with us - he fixes the relationship - through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Making amends with those we have hurt or been mean too is a reflection of God’s love.
Lynette Hoy, a marriage and family counselor who writes for the website Power to Change says, that one of the strongest excuses to making amends that people make is called, “fundamental attribution error.” In essence, we push the blame to someone else. Think of Adam and Eve disobeying God. God looks at Adam as he is still chewing on the fruit, and Adam says, “she made me do it.” We deflect responsibility to someone else, and blame them for our behavior. Lynette argues that for christians its worth the effort to work through forgiveness to amends. “The ability to forgive is rooted in being forgiven ourselves.” We forgive and make amends precisely because God has forgiven and make amends.
2 Corinthians 5:17, 20 summarizes this point well: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ…” Making amends is a reflection of God’s love.
a reflection of new life
Why did Jesus story by the tree Zacchaeus was in? What did he see in Zacchaeus? And why was it so easy for Zacchaeus to come down, and accept Jesus? And why, for goodness sakes, did Zacchaeus feel obligated to make amends for his actions? This felt need to make amends for his actions is a new element to the story! Jesus didn’t ask him to do it. The crowd didn’t demand it of him. Yet he made a public example of himself, and Jesus not only allowed it, but seemed to approve of it. “Today salvation has come to this house!” said Jesus.
It doesn’t take much to realize that Jesus saw something in Zacchaeus - a man searching for salvation and restoration. And it seems clear that as a result of this new friendship with Jesus Zacchaeus felt obligated to so something other than say I’m sorry. Scene in this light, it’s more than saying “I’m sorry” - right. It’s also amending the behavior that led to the hurt or fracture.
Have you ever experienced the emotions that come when a person in the AA program get to that step of making amends? AA is a 12 step program to help those with additions, especially with alcohol. Making amends is so important to healing 2 of the 12 steps are devoted to it: steps 8 and 9. Former heavy weight boxer Mike Tyson was recently seen making amends with his former trainer. This was part of Mike’s recovery. He was asked what he was doing talking to a man he had not talked too in 20 years. Mike said, “Life is short; I made amends with everybody.” Mike has become a positive example of something we can all do. Take some time to consider who in your life you might have hurt, or been less of a christian too. And send a card, Facebook message, or note to make amends.
Look again at 2 Corinthians 5:17, 20: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ…”
Making amends is a reflection of God’s love, and a reflection of new life we have in Jesus.
