November 3, 2019 – Luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1-10
Encouraging the Saints
All Saints Sunday/Confirmation Sunday – Lectionary 31C – Nov 3/19
First Lutheran Church – Winnipeg, MB
The way I see it, Zacchaeus and Jesus have met before.
I believe Zacchaeus and Jesus met on the banks of the Jordan River when
John was baptizing tax collectors and inviting them into a new way of life.
Share half of what you have with those who need it, he told them, and –
I’m lookin’ at you, tax collectors – don’t defraud anyone!
It was there, I believe, that Zacchaeus, a man in a very corrupt profession,
committed himself to living differently, to living in God’s way,
to care for others and the world God made and to work for justice and peace.
Today Jesus comes to Zacchaeus’ home town, sees his friend and – being Jesus –
wants to check in with him and see how he’s doing and encourage him.
So he invites himself over to his friend’s place for a meal where they catch up.
And Zacchaeus tells him: Jesus, I am doing my very best. I customarily give half my wealth to the poor and anyone I defrauded I pay them back four times as much.
Because Jesus loves Zacchaeus, he comes to encourage him in his baptismal commitment and
his new way of living and share a meal with him.
Zacchaeus is not perfect. But he’s doing his best in a less than perfect profession.
I believe Zacchaeus is one of the saints – and today Jesus comes to encourage him.
These people we have lit candles for today were not perfect either.
We honour them because despite their imperfections
God was able to work through them anyway.
Their lights shone through the cracks of their brokenness.
We remember them as an encouragement to us: they surround us,
cheering us on in our own commitments to caring for others and the world God made and
in working for justice and peace.
Confirmands: you are not perfect either – with every single person here,
you have a sense of your own shortcomings.
Nevertheless, you have made a commitment.
Like Zacchaeus on the banks of the Jordan River long ago, you have made a commitment to
a different way of living: to caring for others and the world God made and
to working for justice and peace.
Today, surrounded by the saints – by these lovely people at First Lutheran Church who love you
very much, surrounded by the saints we have lit candles for, surrounded by the saints of
every time and place – surrounded by all of us, we are here this morning to
celebrate your commitment and to encourage you in it.
Jesus himself comes this morning to encourage you and, like he did for Zacchaeus long ago,
share a meal with you to strengthen you for the journey.
You are not alone in these noble commitments you make this morning.
May God bless you and strengthen you – and may God strengthen us all – as together
we commit ourselves to God’s loving mission to love, bless, heal, feed and
set free this whole world and every person in it.
So with Zacchaeus and all the saints of every time and every place, together: let us say, “Amen.”
Pastor Michael Kurtz
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