Luke 19:1-11<\/p>\n
I thought it might be helpful to have some background on me, to help you understand the perspectives I bring to the text today.<\/p>\n
I grew up un-churched.\u00a0 In fact I would say I was an atheist.\u00a0 I would get infuriated when I would see or hear things like \u201cIn God we trust\u201d, \u201cOne nation under God\u201d, or \u201cSo help me God\u201d.\u00a0 When I was in college, I recall attending a Campus Crusade service.\u00a0 They really freaked me out at the time.<\/p>\n
I did not attend church until I married my Wife Kris.\u00a0 We were married in and later attended a Catholic Church.\u00a0 I figured that if I were to go, I would start asking questions.\u00a0 However, the answers were way less than what I expected.\u00a0 We do this because we have always done so; we do this for tradition, etc.\u00a0 Our son was baptized in the Catholic Church but I really never want to attend without getting answers.<\/p>\n
Here is the long short of what put me into seminary and now internship in a campus ministry site.\u00a0 I was able to sit down with a Lutheran Pastor and get my questions answered.\u00a0 Although we did not attend regularly we did go more often.\u00a0 My daughter was later baptized in the Lutheran Church and when I was 30 year old, I was baptized.\u00a0 After switching churches, I became more involved in the church and kept stepping into areas that I was not comfortable, but it allowed my faith to grow.\u00a0 I now was assisting during services, served on council, Sunday School and many other aspects of the church.\u00a0 It was from there I attended a two year lay school and was later installed in another church as their Deacon.<\/p>\n
During the almost six years, and still counting as serving as a Deacon, I was mentored by a wonderful Pastor who allowed me to explore all sorts of aspects of my faith.\u00a0 I started online seminary and later our family sold the house and moved to seminary.<\/p>\n
Okay, with all that being said, what the heck this has to do with our text, you might be asking.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 entire mission, particularly if you look in Luke, is about seeking out the lost and bringing them back to righteousness through Him.\u00a0 I was the lost and even today I am still lost but Jesus keeps brining me back to the path that leads to righteousness.<\/p>\n
Zacchaeus was a sinner, he was lost but Jesus went out of his way to stay with the lost, the sinners.\u00a0 This day was no different when Jesus tells Zacchaeus that he must stay with him.\u00a0 Jesus works through fellowship over dinner in the house of a sinner.\u00a0 The others around would not stand it!\u00a0 Tax collectors were notorious for taking more than the Roman Empire required and would pocket the rest.\u00a0 To be Jewish, working for the Empire, collecting taxes was not bad enough but he was a chief tax collector, giving him greater power, more opportunity to cheat and he was very wealthy and all could see it.\u00a0 This man was lost and not doing as the scriptures had demanded of him.\u00a0 Jews were required to tithe, to look out for the poor, the widows and the orphans.\u00a0 Instead he was taking advantage of each of those that he should be caring for.<\/p>\n
The text does not say, so we can only surmise that maybe Zacchaeus had changed prior to seeing Jesus face to face but then again it may have taken this encounter with Jesus, like it did Paul when he encountered Jesus on the road.\u00a0 Zacchaeus says he gives half to the poor and will give four times the amount to anyone he has cheated.\u00a0 In the Greek text, it is clear that this is not he will give but he gives.\u00a0 Whether he is now giving or will give is not important but what is, there is a change, a change that Jesus sees salvation to Zacchaeus and his house.\u00a0 The lost sheep has been found.\u00a0 To give half to the poor was obviously more than a tithe.\u00a0 What it really shows is a total change in character from what he was before.\u00a0 Also, to give back four times what he has cheated others out of is well beyond what was called for in Leviticus and Numbers.\u00a0 As a Jew he was called to give back what he cheated others out of, plus only one-fifth more.\u00a0 This is another example of the change in Zacchaeus.<\/p>\n
We are called to tithe to our church and then we can give and should give more on top of that.\u00a0 \u00a0Remember, Jesus did not come to abolish the law but only to fulfill the law.\u00a0 My family never tithed until coming to seminary.\u00a0 \u00a0I thought tithing was giving to church and charity combined. \u00a0In fact I did not really understand good stewardship starts with tithing.\u00a0 Tithing is also not 10% of your money to charity but to the church.\u00a0 For churches, it is 10% to the synod that you are part of.\u00a0 \u00a0Tithing is the minimum, more is encouraged.\u00a0 This may be more money to the church, it could be other organizations but it also can be of our time and talents.\u00a0 Our tithing, our helping of the widow, orphans and poor are not works for salvation but works as a response for what God does for us in Jesus.<\/p>\n
Yes, yes, you may have heard all this before.\u00a0 However it really does work for us to tithe and it really is what we are to do.\u00a0 For the Jews they were to tithe and take care of the widows and the poor.\u00a0 Jesus moved the mission to include Christians. The mission of the church is to be there for the least, last and lost to be there to take care of the poor, orphans and the widow.\u00a0 How can the church do this without the funds to do so.\u00a0 It is not however only the church\u2019s mission, it is each an every Christian\u2019s mission and tithing is only the beginning of taking care of the widows, orphans and the poor.<\/p>\n
Prior to seminary, our family brought in a very good income.\u00a0 However, my attitude towards others was poor at very best.\u00a0 I thought much about myself and stuff that we \u201cneeded\/wanted\u201d.\u00a0 I was not a nice person as a police officer and it was not much better after I left the job.\u00a0 God did not give up and kept working on me.\u00a0 I began to learn of God\u2019s Love and what I was responsible for.\u00a0 There has been a dramatic change in how our family gives and takes responsibility in the Christian mission.\u00a0 We bring in far less than we had before, but we can now tithe and give beyond.\u00a0 Tithing is the first priority for us, then we figure out about other spending.\u00a0 I have so far taken 32 courses in seminary.\u00a0 The first year is mostly very heady and theological stuff.\u00a0 It was year two I have some of my best courses.\u00a0 Wartburg is now preparing us through community and courses to be a community in Christian mission.<\/p>\n
Recently my wife, son and myself started Dave\u2019s Ramsey\u2019s Financial University and it has opened out eyes even more.\u00a0 This course is not just about money, but about a change in attitude and all the possibilities God has opened for us all. Seminary is costly, only in terms of money.\u00a0 Speaking in terms of money, tuition and fees are nearly $15,5500 per year.\u00a0 That is just to study; this does not include room, board or health insurance.\u00a0 Many of the students, and I am no exception, have to take out student loans at over 6% interest rate that begins as soon as the loan is accepted.\u00a0 There it is, that is the downside of seminary.\u00a0 Now for the upside.\u00a0 Seminary is full of wealth for our entire family spiritually.\u00a0 My wife and daughter have even taken seminary classes, which in turn has changed them as part of the overall change our family has experienced.<\/p>\n
For ourselves, we needed to restrict my internship due to medical, educational and employment.\u00a0 My daughter is going to graduate this January from high school, my wife has some medical issues that were best served staying on campus during internship and she is the one that supplies insurance for the entire family.<\/p>\n
When asked if I was interested in campus ministry for my internship, it was the furthest thing in my mind.\u00a0 I believed it was so out of my comfort zone, that I just did not feel it was a good fit.<\/p>\n
God had other plans and now I am the campus minister for Lutheran Campus Ministries, University of Wisconsin Platteville.\u00a0 This has been a great opportunity to learn another ministry that I never thought I could or would want to do.\u00a0 These students, young adults, are away from home, away from their home church and need the stability of church in their lives.\u00a0 Some of them are life long ELCA Lutherans, yes the ELCA is 25 years old.\u00a0 The students range from 18 to 23 years old.\u00a0 Some of the students grew up un-churched but made connections with students in campus ministry.\u00a0 We have Missouri Synod Lutherans, ELCA, Catholics, Jews, and a variety of other denominations or non-denominational.<\/p>\n
I cannot stress how important it is, how much of a responsibility it is and how much of an impact that campus ministry has on those involved.\u00a0 We provide a free meal every Wednesday for ANY student that wants one.\u00a0 This is for those that are officially or not, part of our campus ministry.\u00a0 As far as we are concerned, if you come through the doors, you are part of the ministry.\u00a0 The people of the First English Lutheran Church, volunteer to donate food, cook the food and provide the majority of the meals.<\/p>\n
Following the meals, we have presentations from other church organizations; Bible study, biblical video studies and sometimes just playing games where we get to know each other better.\u00a0 This January, we will be headed to Houston TX to be part of a wide range of urban ministries.\u00a0 Each of the students has been tasked with helping to raise $700 per person to go on the trip.\u00a0 This fund-raising will be through direct donations, purchase of Butter Braids and a Bazaar that will include items that the students obtain from local business.<\/p>\n
Financial responsibility begins at home, making priority for caring for God\u2019s children.\u00a0 Though tithing, each individual church can make financial contributions to the local communities, seminaries, and campus ministries.\u00a0 The local church tithes to the local synod.\u00a0 It is the local synod that does the same pieces and more.\u00a0 They can reach further, beyond the local community to extend the reach of assisting the widows, orphans and the poor.\u00a0 Each synod, tithes to the ELCA, where they to do the same as the synod and the local church.\u00a0 The ELCA has international reach to continue the Christian mission.\u00a0 It all starts at the individual to carry out the Christian Mission.\u00a0 Without the individual, the Christian Mission of caring the for Widows, Orphans and poor cannot be carried out fully as God has asked us to do.<\/p>\n
Zacchaeus makes the change and commitment.\u00a0 It is in our Christian mission that seminarians, campus ministers, those to attend campus ministry and all those that enter the door of the churches are given the opportunity to experience God\u2019s love and carry out the Christian Mission both inside the four walls of a Church and beyond.\u00a0 Which in turn has the opportunity for all of God\u2019s children to experience God\u2019s love.\u00a0 Today is the day to make a commitment back to God, for what God has given us in Christ Jesus, to do what God expects of us, for God\u2019s children.<\/p>\n
Amen<\/p>\n