Today’s Salvation – Luke 19:1-10
Today’s Salvation
Luke 19:1-10
When we look at Luke 19:9, Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.” At the time Jesus entered the city of Jericho, the city had approximately 100,000 residents. Zaccheus was a chief tax collector—in modern terms, the head of a tax office—and the Bible tells us that he was very rich. In Jewish society, the people of Jericho were regarded as less than human, viewed as mere “fuel for hell”. They were shunned and branded as sinners. In verse 7 of this passage, when the Lord said, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house,” many people heard Him. Scripture records the sarcastic remarks of the crowd: “Zaccheus is a sinner, and now they are all getting together with their own kind and going into a sinner’s house.” Why am I speaking of this on a day of healing? Because one must receive forgiveness of sins in order to attain salvation. Without the forgiveness of sins, a sickness can never truly be cured; any recovery would be merely a temporary fix. We must not harbor the arrogant thought, “I am not sick,” for the consequence of sin is death (Rom 6:23).
Sin inevitably leads to death.
Therefore, those who are ill must receive forgiveness of sins as quickly as possible. When the Holy Spirit came down in full measure upon the 120 disciples in Mark’s upper room, those who received the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues and prophesied. In other words, although they had never studied foreign languages, God worked through them by the Holy Spirit, enabling them to speak the languages of different nations. Therefore, Peter said, “Repent and receive forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). At that time, three thousand people beat their breasts and repented. When we repent and receive forgiveness of sins, our entire lives become refreshing and joyful, and we can live without anxiety or worry (Acts 3:19).
Sin is directly connected to disease. Whether we sin knowingly or unknowingly, if there is sin, we are bound to become ill. After Jesus healed a man who had been lame for forty years, He later met him in the temple and advised and instructed him, saying, “Sin no more, so that you do not contract a severe illness again!” Jesus is the One who knows the depths of the human heart and all our innermost thoughts, and He knows every cell of our physical bodies. Therefore, the Bible says that He did not need anyone to teach Him about people (John 2:24–25).
At this very hour, Jesus, who knows all of your past, present, and future, has come to our church through the Word. The Lord comes at this very hour and already knows those who cannot help but continue in sin. For such people, eternal hell has been prepared, and He has said that they will enter a fire that will never be extinguished. Yet, He also fully knows those who were chosen and predestined in Christ before the foundation of the world. Therefore, salvation comes today. In the name of the Lord, I pray that every one of you, without exception, will take this blessed step today and receive the words, “Today I must stay at your house.” Jesus does not enter a house that claims, “I have no sin.” He enters only a house that acknowledges its own sin and does not deceive itself in its conscience. This is because Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Therefore, when word spread that Jesus was entering the city of Jericho, tens of thousands of people came out to the roadside. As we read in the Bible, Zaccheus was short in stature, so he climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. Was Zaccheus the only person who climbed a tree? Were there not one or two others? The Lord did not ask His disciples about him. Jesus called out only the name of Zaccheus, the chief tax collector, saying, “Zaccheus! Come down. Today, I must stay at your house. Today, salvation has come to your house!”
In the visible, material world, people do not know what Jesus is doing. Only the spiritual world can know. Having already seen Zaccheus’s faith and the state of his heart, Jesus forgave his sins. Zaccheus resolved that if he had taken anything from others through intimidation, threats, or extortion, he would repay them fourfold, and he carried out his resolution. Seeing this, Jesus said, “Zaccheus, by My word, your sins are forgiven. Today, salvation has come to your house.”
Word spread that Jesus was healing the sick, and wherever He went, crowds gathered in vast multitudes as countless as the sands of the sea. The friends of a paralyzed man finally decided to climb onto the roof. Without even obtaining the homeowner’s permission, they made an opening and lowered the sick man down. While everyone was criticizing them for destroying someone else’s house, Jesus remained completely calm. Even as dirt fell, stone dust fell, and dust filled the air, He said nothing. As we read in the Bible, seeing their faith, He said, “Son, take courage; by My word, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Numerous religious leaders and scribes whispered among themselves, saying that this was blasphemy. They asked, “Only God can forgive sins, so who do You think You are, the son of a carpenter, to forgive sins?” Knowing their hearts, Jesus said, in effect, “I will show you that I have the authority to forgive sins.” When He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up!” the man rose. Many people saw him pick up the mat on which he had been lying and walk away. Jesus was demonstrating to them, “Even after seeing this, do you still deny that I have the authority to forgive sins?”
We can be saved through the for- giveness of sins.
When Jesus forgives sins by His word, if a person has ten sins, He does not forgive just one of them; He forgives all ten. However, there are sins that lead to death and sins that do not lead to death. These are truly sobering words.
Zaccheus was a chief tax collector, a high- ranking public official who had amassed wealth through corruption. He was someone who drained the blood of the Jewish people, someone who had to collect as much tax as possible by any means necessary and hand it over to Pilate and the Roman emperor. So, in order to maintain his position, how much must he have harassed the people by sending out tax officials to investigate them? Just imagine it. As we read in the Bible, he was rich, yet his worries never left him. People were the same then as they are now. Those who want to have more, while those who have nothing simply criticize the government, speak negatively about the country, and hate, resent, and envy those who have wealth.
Zaccheus, the chief tax collector, had amassed wealth through dishonest means and used it to provide well for his wife and children, but his heart was utterly empty. It was nothing more than the hollow sound of an empty can, and he lived with constant anxiety. He was troubled by guilt and was thoroughly ostracized by Jewish society. Zaccheus was constantly unsettled by the piercing glares of others. He was not accepted by Jewish society and had nowhere to go. He sent out his subordinates to collect taxes by force and served as a lackey of the Roman government. How could his heart possibly be at peace? Zaccheus was also a human being, and he had a conscience. Jesus saw this. He did not see Zaccheus by chance while passing through Jericho. We are told that one soul is more precious than the whole world. Look at the holy character and the miraculous signs and wonders performed by Jesus, who forsook the glory of His exalted throne and came to this earth to save sinful humanity. Jesus is divine; He is God. Jesus went to the city of Jericho, with its population of more than 100,000, for the sake of one person: Zaccheus. Therefore, how precious, valuable, and beautiful a treasure each and every one of you is! Yet you do not know your own worth. That is why you give your heart to the world, then cast your body into the ways of the world, only to be left with sighs of deep concern, crushing pain, and anguish. Whether you look at your wife, children, or husband, or at the business you run, nothing satisfies your heart. You are always left feeling empty and hollow.
Everyone had heard the reports about Jesus: “They say Jesus becomes a friend to the poor. They say He came to save sinners. They say He heals the sick. They say the blind, the lame, and those with leprosy are healed instantly.” When Zaccheus, who was short in stature, heard that Jesus was coming, he finally decided to climb a sycamore tree, curious about what kind of person Jesus was, and waited for the Lord to pass by. The Lord, who already knew everything, called out from among the tens of thousands of people, “Zaccheus! Today I must stay at your house.” Overjoyed, Zaccheus hurried out to meet Him (Luke 19:1–6). The Lord did not ask, “Have you sinned? Have you taken other people’s possessions?” In the light, everything is exposed as though one were naked, and nothing can be hidden at all (Heb 4:13). Jesus saw Zaccheus’s heart, which sincerely repented of his sins. He had already seen Zaccheus repaying fourfold, just as he had declared he would, and therefore told him that his sins were forgiven. Then He said, “Salvation has come to your house.” No one can be saved without receiving forgiveness of sins. Salvation can dwell with those who repent of their sins. “Daughter, take courage; by My word, your sins are forgiven.” See how the disease is healed at the very moment sins are forgiven. To those whose desire was to heal their daughter or deliver their demon-possessed son, Jesus said that all things are possible with faith (Mark 9:23).
Beloved saints, I pray that today, Jesus will come to your homes, places of business, and churches, and that when you hear Him say, “I must stay at your house today,” welcome the Lord, and return home with a living testimony of His work.
Jesus came to the house of a sinner.
Who would not confess their sins after Jesus came to a sinner’s house and they heard Him say, “I must stay at your house”? One might even ask, “I am a sinner. Would You still come to my house?” But Jesus said that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matt 9:13). Even bringing a person to repentance is something Jesus takes responsibility for. Zaccheus had not yet outwardly repented, but Jesus had already seen the repentant heart within him. He forgave him and declared, “Salvation has come to your house.” Jesus showed Zaccheus personal concern and affection. He also made absolutely certain to affirm, “You are a son of Abraham!” Many people have believed in Jesus for decades without knowing whether they themselves are descendants of Abraham, the father of faith. Jesus says, “Salvation has come to your house! You, too, are a son of Abraham!” Who could then deny that they are a son of Abraham? Who could take back the words of Jesus?
Jesus is the One who knows the first and last names of countless people. Jesus knows the names of all the stars in the heavens, that vast multitude of celestial bodies. For Him to know the name of Zaccheus among the 100,000 people in the city of Jericho was nothing at all. Know this, believe it, and put it into practice in your lives. You may think that no one has seen the sins you have committed, but God sees them. Your conscience sees them. The Bible records that when you sin, if there is a wall there, the wall sees you; if there is a ceiling, the ceiling sees you; your bedding sees you, the floor sees you, and the trees see you.
Jesus showed Zaccheus personal concern and affection because He intended to take responsibility for him to the very end and assure him that he was a son of Abraham. Consider the lengths to which the Lord went: despite having so much to do, He came all the way from Jerusalem to Jericho for this very purpose. How much more, then, would He be willing to come and seek you and me? And yet, would you continue to suffer from illness? This is not merely a story about Zaccheus who lived long ago. When Jesus says to the members of Pyungkang Cheil Church, “Today I must stay at your house,” I pray that each of you will welcome Him with the same joy as Zaccheus did, demonstrating a holy and living faith. I say this with firm conviction and faith. The heart of the one proclaiming the Word and the hearts of those receiving it must be united, and they must be one in faith.
When Jesus arrived at the place, He looked up and told Zaccheus to come down quickly. He did not say that He might or might not stay; He said that He absolutely must stay at his house today. Even if you forget everything else, I pray that you will receive the Lord, believing by faith that the words of Luke 19:5 are spoken personally to you:
Luke 19:5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
Zaccheus hurried down and welcomed Jesus joyfully. He gave Him his whole heart, welcomed Him with utmost sincerity, and was filled with joy. He forgot everything about his position and status as a chief tax collector. His heart was completely filled with Jesus, and at that moment, even his wife and children were no longer on his mind. Jesus looks to see whether we welcome Him only outwardly or whether we welcome Him from the depths of our hearts. The people watched and whispered among themselves. They murmured, “Jesus claims to be the Son of God, yet look at Him going to a sinner’s house. Is this Jesus a fraud?” Jesus did not even ask Zaccheus about his sins. When Zaccheus said, “I will give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I will repay it fourfold,” the Lord did not merely hear his words. He had already seen that more than half of Zaccheus’s wealth would leave his household. Hearing those words, Jesus declared, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham!” And He brought it into being. What an astonishing declaration!
Many people could not do it, but Zaccheus was able to.
Zaccheus had never seen Jesus before, but he had heard the many reports about Him and wanted to see what kind of person He was. However, because he was short and there were so many people, he had no choice but to climb a sycamore tree (Luke 19:3).
Zaccheus had this earnest desire: he wanted to see Jesus, even just once, and meet Him, even just once. We need only have this same desire. Why? Because the Lord saw his heart and stopped as He was passing by. He stopped, looked up, and said, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down!” Zaccheus was overjoyed and welcomed Jesus with all his heart. His heart was so moved that he could not help but confess his sins, even without being asked. I believe that when we confess our sins before God, all our illnesses will depart without our even realizing it. The words “Zaccheus, come down” encompass this entire message: “I know your past, present, and future. Take heart. Do not worry. Do not be afraid.” Before we knew the Lord, He already knew us (John 1:47–48). He sees the dark places in your hearts where you struggle with inner conflict and heartache. He sees your weaknesses and those moments when you hesitate, unable to make up your mind, unsure whether to act or hold back. Once you believe, establish your faith firmly and pray. You must have an unwavering faith (1 Cor 15:57–58).
Jesus does not disregard us when He encounters us personally.
He restores each of you to your full dignity as a person. When Zaccheus realized that the Lord had come to seek out a sinner like him, he hardly knew what to do with himself, overwhelmed by the moment. We should be the same. Even if people in this world look down on us because we have nothing, lack education, or have no distinguished family lineage, we do not need to make excuses for ourselves. Our citizenship is not on earth but in heaven, and we are people who have Abraham, the father of faith, as our very own father. I pray that each of you will hear the Lord personally approach you with these tender words: “My child, do not worry! I am here.” Keep in mind that the Lord does not come to us unaware of who we are. He comes knowing both the shameful things about us and the longings of our hearts. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid. If Zaccheus received God’s love and grace beyond anything he could comprehend in those days, we must not forget that this, too, is a moment when Pyungkang Cheil Church is receiving love and grace beyond measure. We should rejoice and never let go of the grace we have received, as though we could hardly believe whether it was a dream or reality. When the Lord said, “I will stay at your house tonight,” Zaccheus must have been so overjoyed that he hurried down the tree without even noticing whether he had hurt his hands, whether he had leaped down or scrambled down. He had come so close that he could almost touch the hem of the Lord’s garment.
Jesus’ words and actions were so deliberate that this event became an opportunity for Him to reveal who He Himself was and to proclaim the gospel once again throughout the city of Jericho. Jesus was not a self-righteous person who was hypocritical, insensitive, or closed off at heart while pretending to be lonely. He became a friend to sinners, went into their homes, and ate and drank with them. He went to the homes of tax collectors and ate and drank with them as well. He sat in the homes of the poor, the afflicted, and the sick, and even drank a cup of cold water with them.
Beloved members of Pyungkang Cheil Church, when you are tormented by your sins and burdened by problems you cannot resolve on your own, when you are so consumed by anguish that you feel as though your head will burst apart, and when you despair, thinking that someone like you could never be saved, believe that the Lord will come to you. When Jesus comes to you, do not let go of His fervent love, compassion, grace, blessing, and mercy. Hold on to them firmly.
We, too, are sinners just like Zac- cheus. Is there anyone among us who has the right to reject him?
We are just like Zaccheus, sinners who cannot lift our faces before either people or God. As Jesus said, it is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. We are burdened by sin and fall short of God’s standard, and we need the Lord’s healing and forgiveness. The Lord knows how weak our faith can be and how difficult it is for us to come before Him with genuine repentance and a contrite heart. So He comes to us at this very moment, sees our hearts, our faith, and our desire to live, and says, “Daughter, take courage. By My word, your sins are forgiven.” As I have emphasized time and again, believe that no sin is beyond forgiveness when we truly repent (Ps 34:18; 51:17; 147:3; Isa 61:1; 57:12; Luke 12:17; Matt 20:28).
In a pitch-black place, we cannot make out anything. But under the bright light of the sun, everything is exposed. Before Jesus Christ, Zaccheus allowed the glorious light of God, brighter than the sunlight, to shine into his heart (2 Cor 4:6). Scripture says that God has shone in our hearts the light of the knowledge of His glory. That is why nothing can be hidden from God (Heb 4:13).
Beloved saints, this is a moment when we are receiving and coming to understand the Lord’s love and compassion. God sees our sins clearly, yet He does not rebuke us or demand an explanation from us. Believe that the moment He finishes saying, “I must stay at your house,” and declares, “Today salvation has come to your house,” our sins have already been forgiven.
There is another reason to rejoice: He is the One who counts every star in the heavens and knows them all (Ps 147:4). Jesus did not care what people said about Him. He came for one purpose: to seek out those who had forgotten that they were descendants of Abraham. I pray that today you, too, will hear these words: “You, too, are a son of Abraham.”
Psalm 147:4 says, “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” He calls them all by name. He knows the name of every star. How many stars do you think even astronomers with doctoral degrees could name? God also told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jer 1:5). In 1 Kings 13, King Jeroboam was standing beside the altar, burning incense as he pleased, when God gave a prophetic message to the man of God: “A man named Josiah will come and burn the bones of those who offer incense on this altar” (1 Kgs 13:1–2). Josiah would not appear until 300 years later. Do you know what your daughter-in-law’s surname will be or what your grandchildren’s names will be 300 years from now? We are so limited that we cannot even know what will happen tomorrow, let alone 300 years from now.
King Jeroboam found the proper procedures too cumbersome, so he disregarded the priests and burned incense however he pleased, committing a sin against God. When he pleaded for healing, God healed him. But because he ultimately failed to obey, God pronounced this terrifying judgment: “A king named Josiah will arise in the kingdom of Judah, dig up your grave, grind your bones into powder, and scatter them.” Consider, too, the prophecy, given long in advance, that King Cyrus would set the people of Israel free from Babylon (Isa 44:28; 45:1). Clearly, knowing the names of people we can see with our own eyes is nothing compared to God’s knowledge.
What kind of times are we in to hate or despise others?
In times like these, why should we hate or despise others? Our lives last less than a hundred years, and our time in this world passes in an instant. This world is fleeting, yet because people do not fully understand how wonderful heaven is, they cling so tightly to life on earth, going to great lengths to prolong their days through medical treatments and hospital stays. But we need not be consumed by the fear of death. We need only pray, “Lord, keep me here on earth if that is Your will. But if not, I fear that I may fall into sin in this sinful world. Even what I see with my eyes and hear with my ears can lead me into sin. Lord, let Your will be done!” To ask God to take us away quickly is wrong. Why ask Him to take us away when that may not be His will? Instead, we should humbly pray for the wisdom to submit to His will. If we ask God to take us away quickly, He will be displeased. Rather, we need to confess, “There is still much work for me to do on earth. As one who is indebted to the gospel, I must repay that debt here before I depart.”
We are people who are indebted to the gospel, and we must repay that debt in full.
Whether they are barbarians or Greeks, our enemies or people of any nation or ethnicity, we have a mission to proclaim the gospel of life to them because we ourselves have received it (Rom 1:14). The Apostle Paul also declared that he was under obligation to the gospel. Those who claim they have committed no sin are the most frightening of all. We must confess before God both the sins we have committed knowingly and those we have committed unknowingly. In the name of the Lord, I pray that you will all become mighty warriors of prayer, earnestly asking for the blessing that Zaccheus received: that the Lord, who knows everything about us, would come to us personally and forgive our sins.
Let us pray.
God, thank You. We say that we believe in Jesus, yet we have not made a sincere confession of faith like Zaccheus. We have not truly repented of our sins, nor have we earnestly longed to see the Lord. Scripture tells us that when Zaccheus saw the Lord, he hurried down and welcomed Him with joy. But we have received Your Word only in our minds; our knowledge has grown, yet our hearts remain narrow. We claim to understand, but in reality, we continue to commit grievous sins before You without truly understanding what we are doing. Lord, we earnestly pray that You would work in us so that we may truly understand Your Word, believe it, and put it into practice. May we, too, receive the blessings that came upon Zaccheus: may we be commended by the Lord, receive forgiveness for our sins, and have our rightful place as descendants of Abraham restored to us.
Lord, when You spoke the words, “Take courage, child; your sins are forgiven,” those who were paralyzed, blind, or unable to walk rose to their feet. As we pray now in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we ask that You would completely heal us of whatever illnesses we may have. We believe with confidence that You will answer our prayer, and we offer our prayer of thanksgiving in the holy name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
July 13, 2000 Thursday Service for the Salvation of the
Nation
Rev. Abraham Park
26년도 10월호