2019_Encouraging Others To Experiment.htm

Sermon Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – November 3, 2019

Centenary United Methodist Church

Psalm 119:137-144; Luke 19:1-10

All Saints Sunday

This morning our lesson is as familiar to us as Daniel in the Lion’s Den or Moses at the Burning Bush. One day when Jesus entered Jericho, he began attracting a crowd of people. But first, I want to give you a little information about Jericho.

Jericho was not destroyed by Joshua as the Scriptures suggest. Jericho never had walls. It was surrounded by deserts and was a welcome sight for thousands of traveling caravans because it was a gigantic oasis with water levels that were never depleted. What was destroyed by Joshua was probably the city of Ai.

Zacchaeus happened to be outside of his compound when Jesus strolled into Jericho. He became curious about what was causing such a commotion. He learned from the crowd that it was Jesus, from Nazareth, the miracle worker. He ran ahead of them and climbed a tree to get a better look.

He watched intently as Jesus passed when suddenly he stopped under the Sycamore tree where Zacchaeus was perched and called him by name. "Zacchaeus, come down from the tree. I have come to visit you. May I come with you to your home?" Zacchaeus was overjoyed. Once the crowd heard the reason for Jesus coming to Jericho, they could not understand why such a man would want to tarnish his reputation by associating with the likes of an outcast like Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was not just another tax collector. He had been recognized by Rome as a man with good organizational skills and accounting abilities. He had been appointed to manage an entire group of tax collectors in the Jericho region. Rome had given him an enormous responsibility. His position and station in life had provided him with a very comfortable life.

The aspect of Zacchaeus life that we will focus on this morning was his transformation once he had spent time with Jesus. Jesus probably entered this tax collector's life at exactly the right time. Zacchaeus had clearly established himself as a fixture in the community. He had the backing of the Roman Empire that gave him considerable power, authority, and status. We can only imagine what his living-quarters looked like with its gardens, fountains, statues, and an array of servants who met his needs. His real estate would appear like one of the palatial homes of our Tucker's Town for his day.

What more would Zacchaeus need to be contented with life? What could Jesus possibly give him? The answer is that Jesus could lead him into understanding the opportunities of what he could do that would make a difference in his community. Jesus used this setting to offer Zacchaeus a course-correction.

How many of us have encountered people who have given us a course-correction that made all the difference to our daily tasks? One of the reasons I attended Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. was to learn more about spirituality. What called me into the ministry was my curiosity. The United Methodist Church is what defined my role until this very day.

I attended Seminary to learn a deeper understanding of God and the nature of the spiritual destiny of people. It was really like attending Sunday School with teachers who really knew their material. I asked all kinds of questions. For example:

What is this divine energy that we call God? If God is love and all powerful, what happened to God's nature when historically divine intervention in human affairs stopped happening? Had God changed or was this difference due to how the Hebrew writers decided to define their history? Who started the theology that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, particularly when Jesus never mentioned that during his ministry?

One of the saints, like the ones we celebrate today, came to me with advice that I have never forgotten. This spiritual teacher told me something that forever changed my life. One day he said,

Dick, I am going to offer you a suggestion. Learn to compose your own prayers if you intend to read them. Learn to write your own sermons. Many students while attending seminary have sought churches to serve to gain practical experiences. Because they mix their studies with the duties of being a pastor, they learn to cut corners. They get ideas for their prayers and sermons from what others have written. Their illustrations are not from their experiences, but from stories others have put in books. Once students start down that path, often they become trapped by a litany of poor, self-defeating habits. They begin their ministries with handicapped, undeveloped spirits that stay with them for the duration of their careers.

That sage had given me a course-correction before I need one. I struggled mightily during the early days to write my own material as I resisted the temptation to pick up books of prayers and read the sermons of others. What began to inspire me came from the realm of spirit that used my imagination to deliver ideas to my mind.

We can only imagine what transformed Zacchaeus. Jesus may have looked around at his surroundings and got the attention of this chief tax collector by saying:

You have many beautiful one-of-a-kind figurines, statues, and works of art. Zacchaeus, I admire your collection. How much more do you need to become really comfortable? Have you ever thought of investing some of your wealth in your community?

Zacchaeus had no idea what Jesus was suggesting with his question. He had grown so accustomed to living off the money of other people that he never gave any thought to finding more creative ways of using it to benefit his community.

Jesus may have said,

When I entered Jericho, I looked at the poorly managed and disorganized market place. You have a natural clientele of newcomers to Jericho with the caravans. Why not rebuild the market so that it looks more inviting to sellers and buyers? Why not help people by taking less money from them? Why not fix up the synagogue? Experiment with this and see how you feel and experience how differently the people will begin to feel about you. Once people have grown accustomed to the changes in your spirit, you could open your property here for a feast and invite the community to celebrate on one of our holy days? What you can do for Jericho is almost endless.

After hearing this, Zacchaeus completely understood what Jesus was saying and that is when he responded by saying that he would invest half his wealth with the poorer citizens of his community and return four times to others that he may have treated unfairly. Jesus smiled and said:

Zacchaeus, understanding has finally awakened your spirit to the joy of giving rather than always receiving. Doing these things will make you a loving presence. Being a loving presence among others is what salvation looks like. (Luke 19:9)

Last Sunday would have been Charlie and Renee DeSilva's Anniversary. We do not know everything that the two of them shared with each other during Charlie's last days. Because Charlie was misdiagnosed by his doctor for more than a year, he could have grown bitter. However, remaining angry and bitter would not have changed the quality of the days he had left to live. What filled the vacuum caused by this misdiagnosis? Charlie began thinking about us. He and Renee decided to give $10,000 to their church. This was the point that Jesus had reached with Zacchaeus.

Having more is not better. Having more does not create happiness. There have been people in my background who were in a dark place emotionally and spiritually when they experienced a transformation. This change in their direction was due to a course-correction from the kindness of someone who reminded them that they were way too preoccupied with themselves. They had gotten where they are with such thinking and only they could change direction by choosing differently.

Their attention was directed to helping others. Their woe is me attitudes gave way to becoming a volunteer Pink Lady at the hospital, baking a cherry pie and giving it to a neighbor who was seldom visited by anyone, and becoming involved in Scouting. Their lives were directed to shift dramatically the flow of their energy to flowing away from themselves. THIS is what Jesus convinced Zacchaeus to do.

John D. Rockefeller wanted to be the first millionaire and the first billionaire in the United States. Once he achieved those two goals, he got sick with a mysterious illness. With his extreme wealth, he could summon the best doctors in the world. He did just that but the best of the best could not diagnose or treat his condition. He was dying and the medical community could do nothing to prevent it.

During the night, near the date of his predicted death, John had a dream that was similar to Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus. That dream was very vivid. In the morning, Rockefeller summoned his accountants and set up the Rockefeller Foundation. The notion of giving away his wealth to benefit humanity so transformed his life that he regained his health. Rockefeller went on to live a long life until he nearly reached his 98^th birthday.

The toughest thing that people have to do is getting started. They have to treat people differently. They have to face their fears that have taught them that having more would make them and their heirs more secure. They have to develop a new identity that gives rather than takes. They have to experiment with the new direction of their spiritual energy and not look for recognition, admiration, or even gratitude coming from others.

When we get used to this new attitude, we learn that this is the nature of God who gives to everyone equally regardless of their beliefs. Many people never arrive at this level of awareness. All Saints Day is the time when we remember those who have given us our course-corrections throughout our lives. The question comes to our minds, "Have we become one of these change agents for others?"

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Rather than striving to become well-known, it is far better to live with a spirit that would have made you worthy of being known." We never know who we are influencing. It is best to remain a loving presence always. God will fill in the blanks.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Eternal God, we thank you for the gift of memory. You have also instilled in us the gift of curiosity to continue our growth of spirit. Enable us to remember that every healthy branch is connected to a vine and that every house stands because of the strength of its foundation. Today we remember with gratitude those who have left footprints and blueprints that we can follow. Enable us to remain aware that the inward journey Jesus pointed to gives us more hope and vision as we embark on our outward journey. We hope that our lives will influence others to the point where they join us. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Eternal God, we thank you for creating us in your image and a little lower than the angels. Why is it that so often we forget to identify ourselves as spirit beings? You created us with such adaptability and durability and we live with worries, fears, and stress. Why is it that we struggle to live the peaceful lives that you created for us to experience?

We thank you for giving us the potential to use our many spiritual gifts. During moments of scarcity, we can be generous. When others speak words that are unkind, we can be forgiving. When our values appear violated, we can remain patient. When life presents us with bad news, we can display our confidence in tomorrow. When others use a lack of good judgment, we have the understanding that everyone has their fragile moments. Loving God, help us to be mindful of our true identity. Encourage us to look for solutions to unpleasant moments rather than finding a place to assign blame.

This morning we are grateful for the foundations of faith that have provided us with so many ways to perceive with love. May we never lose sight of that cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. We remain grateful to you for the variety of ways you communicate to us, sometimes with the results from our mistakes, other times with miracles. Thank you for loving us just as we are. We pray these thoughts through the loving spirit of Jesus who taught us to say when we pray . . .