| “THE RISK OF REPENTANCE” Ezekiel 18:25-32; Luke 19:1-10 Olivet Covenant Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA © Rev. Linda Jaymes, 4/25/2010 (Third in a series, “Steps to Spiritual Renewal”) |
Two weeks ago we began this series on “Steps to Spiritual Renewal,” by saying that the first and most important step
toward renewal is realizing that we are hungry for God…that something is missing in our lives. We said that all our attempts to
fill that spiritual hunger with material things or even human relationships will never satisfy us. Only God can do that, through
Jesus Christ and his presence in our lives by the Holy Spirit. Last week we went on to say that as we seek spiritual renewal,
we discover that not only is something missing in our lives, but more often than not, something is wrong. What is wrong is us,
and what is needed is for us to confess our sins before God and receive his forgiveness and the new life God wants us to enjoy
in Christ. Today, we’ll be considering the third step to spiritual renewal, which is repentance.
Actually, repentance is the other half of confession. Repentance is meant to be the final outcome of confession. Maybe
most of us have never even thought about the difference between the two. We tend to think that if we are sorry for our sins
and confess them, then we have repented. In fact, many Christians down through the ages have probably thought that way
about repentance. But confession and repentance, although they go hand in hand, are two different things. It’s one thing to
confess our sins and receive forgiveness and eternal life in Christ. We call that receiving Christ as our Savior. But it’s another
thing to take the next step, to repent of those sins, and make Christ Lord of our lives. The Greek word for repentance literally
means “a change of mind,” and it’s demonstrated by a change in course or direction. In confession, we recognize that we have
been heading in the wrong direction, away from God. But we will never experience the fullness of life in the Spirit unless we
repent, or turn around and follow Christ in the journey back to God.
The prophet Ezekiel stated it very candidly as he tried to get Israel to understand God’s call to repentance. He explained
that Israel needed to turn away from their offenses and change their behavior. He told them quite frankly to get a new heart and
a new spirit, or they would die in their sins. And he made it clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. God
doesn’t want us to remain stuck in our sins. He wants us to repent and do the kinds of things that will bring us closer to Him.
He wants us to live. And when God says “live,” He doesn’t just mean exist. He means live the life that is really life, life in the
fullness of the Spirit of God.
Some years ago in the Saturday Review there was a cartoon which helps illustrate the meaning of repentance in a
humorous but vivid way. In the cartoon, there is a picture of George Washington as a young lad, ax in hand, standing smugly
over a cherry tree which he has just chopped down. Since he cannot tell a lie, he has already confessed to his father for what
he has done. But the father’s response to young George’s honest admission of guilt is not quite what we’d expect. George’s
father is completely exasperated, and is yelling at young George, “All right, so you admit it! You always admit it! The question
is, when are you going to stop doing it?!!”
The road to repentance begins with the admission of guilt, feelings of remorse, a sense of being sorry and genuine regret
for what we have done or been or have not done or been. But real repentance doesn't end with feelings alone. Just as I try to
convince couples preparing for marriage that love is not a noun but a verb, so it is with repentance. Real repentance requires
action and change. We have to “stop doing it,” which means a change in our behavior and a step in a new direction. And just
as there are risks in love and marriage, there are risks with repentance, too. Risk always goes along with change, but that’s
what it takes if we’re serious about repentance.
Just look at Zaccheus. The little slice of his life that we see in scripture is a wonderful study in repentance and spiritual
renewal, although, if you'll forgive the pun, I suppose he's a little hard to look “up” to as a Biblical hero. But maybe we should.
Maybe if we take a closer look at his story, it will encourage us to follow Zaccheus' steps to repentance, even if there are risks
involved.
We aren’t told very much about Zaccheus, except that he was a chief tax collector, very rich, and very short of stature.
As chief tax collector, we can guess that he had become wealthy by collaborating with the Roman government and extorting
extra tax money out of his own Jewish countrymen. And they would have hated him for it. Scripture also tells us that
Zaccheus wanted to see who Jesus was, but because of his height and because of the crowd, he had to run ahead and climb a
tree in order to get a better view. But that’s a pretty strange thing to do in the midst of that very unfriendly crowd simply
because Zaccheus may have been curious about Jesus. Surely there was more going on here than mere curiosity. Zaccheus
must have been pretty miserable with himself and his life, and that misery or hunger for change brought him to the point where
he was determined to see Jesus, even if he had to risk making a spectacle of himself. Seeking the Lord often takes a
willingness to appear foolish in the eyes of the rest of the world, but that's one of the risks of repentance.
As the story unfolds, the next thing Zaccheus did when Jesus saw him and spoke to him, was simply to do what he was
told, no questions asked. He scampered down the tree and welcomed Jesus gladly into his home. He didn't question whether
Jesus had a hidden agenda when he said "I must stay at your house today," and he didn’t ask what Jesus planned to do when he
got there. Gladly, and with anticipation, Zaccheus simply invited Jesus in, having no definite idea of what might happen as a
result of this encounter. Zaccheus didn't keep Jesus safely at arm's length, or put him off by saying, "Oh dear! The house isn't
clean and the refrigerator's empty, so please come back after I clean up and get things ready for you." No. Jesus came to
Zaccheus and Jesus comes to us even when—especially when—our houses are in disarray. Inviting Jesus to see into the mess
of our lives is another risk of repentance.
But Zaccheus must have done more than just invite Jesus to see into his life. We’ll never know exactly what happened or
what Jesus saw when He went home with Zaccheus, but because of the radical change in Zaccheus, we know what didn’t
happen. We know that Zaccheus didn’t refuse to face the sin that Jesus found in him. Apparently, he didn’t make any excuses
for his behavior, either. Surely he didn’t explain that his height kept him from getting all the decent jobs or complain that he
was a victim of cruel and unusual circumstances and had no choice but to be a greedy tax collector. Surely he didn’t suggest
that everything wrong in his life prevented him from using his energy and abilities to do what was right. Zaccheus must have
faced his sin, asked the Lord’s forgiveness and then took the risky steps toward change. So not only facing the mess in our
lives but also doing whatever it takes to clean it up is yet another risk of repentance.
Perhaps the hard work of making restitution to those we have sinned against is the most challenging risk of repentance. I
say that because the folks who know us, or at least think they know us, will be very skeptical of any supposed change in us.
By nature, we humans would rather carry a grudge than be forgiving like Jesus is. But Zaccheus’ story shows us that how
others respond to us is not as important as how we respond to Jesus and to them. We never do hear what happened to the
grumbling crowd, or whether those folks ever changed their minds about Zaccheus. But we do know that they didn't get the
last word in the story. While they were off grumbling, Zaccheus became a new man, and Jesus declared him to be a child of
the promise. This new relationship that Zaccheus had with the Lord affected him so radically that he voluntarily and with great
joy promised Jesus that he would make reparations four times over to everyone he had cheated, and would give half of what he
owned to the poor.
It must have been very difficult—even painful—for Zaccheus to admit to being a swindler, let alone give back all that
money, considering how rich he was. But he was thrilled to do it. Zaccheus discovered that the joy of meeting Jesus, of
receiving Christ and his forgiveness and salvation as well as the Holy Spirit's power to change, were worth far more than all the
possessions and worldly power he had –and willingly gave up. With the Lord’s help, Zaccheus changed what was wrong in
himself, regardless of whether the crowd would receive him as a new and changed man or not. Repentance often means we
must make costly reparations to the people we have hurt, and there are no guarantees that these folks will forgive us for what
we have done and welcome us back into friendship. That’s just another risk of repentance.
But these are all risks we have to take if we genuinely want to turn our lives around and become new creations in Christ.
When we seek Jesus with our whole heart, we risk making spectacles of ourselves, of being called religious fanatics or Jesus
freaks or whatever the current lingo is. When we invite Jesus into our home and heart, we risk exposing the mess of sin and
shame in our lives. When we surrender to God's will for our lives instead of playing at being God ourselves, we risk having to
clean up and correct our past mistakes, and that can be costly— financially, socially, emotionally and in every other way. But
the risks of repentance are not only negative. By definition, risk is merely a matter of exposing ourselves to the chance of
injury or loss, but that can also lead to wholeness and gain. And in eternal matters, the consequences of an unrepentant heart
and life are always worse than any loss we face in turning around and following after Jesus. Zaccheus's story should help us to
believe that! Sure, he lost some money and worldly goods, but he gained the joy of salvation and a brand new life in Christ.
And you can't put a price on that.
We need to remember that like Zaccceus, in the midst of our sinfulness, Jesus is looking for us, especially if we are
already "up a tree" looking for Him. He calls us to give up the willful, selfish thoughts and attitudes we cling to and which only
serve to make us miserable. He wants to replace them with his perfect love and the presence of his Spirit, who is the One who
has been calling us to repentance all along. Jesus has promised that his Holy Spirit will come to live in us and give us the
strength and power to turn around and start our journey back to God. The Spirit will help us not only to “stop doing” whatever
it is that keeps us separated from God, but He will also help us start doing the things that will bring us closer to the Lord.
The bad news is that like Zaccheus, we are all sinners. But the good news is that we don’t have to remain stuck in our
sin. Jesus offers to take our sin upon Himself and in return gives us his righteousness and holiness. The truth is that it’s an
incredible good deal for us! But we have to want to make that trade. We have to not only be hungry for God and confess our
sin, but repent and turn from sin and start moving in the direction of Jesus Christ. And the only reason that this is even possible
is because He has already paid the terrible price for our redemption. That “trade” was a very expensive proposition, which cost
Jesus his life. He offered his body and blood as an atoning sacrifice to pay for the sins of you and me and the whole world.
But there’s more good news. Death could not keep Christ in the grave. He is alive and here today, waiting to take away our
sin, if only we will “stop doing it” and give it up, in exchange for renewal and new life instead.
If we really want spiritual renewal, then we need to take an honest look at where we are with God, and risk seeking out the
Lord and inviting Him into our house for an annual review. Of course, that means we may have to stop chopping down cherry
trees before we can start moving in the right direction. But if we will surrender our axes, we can trust that He will replace
whatever we must give up with his joy and peace and resurrection power and life, worth far more than the things that may give
us temporary pleasure but keep us stuck in sin. Does it make sense not to risk repentance when we know for certain that the
Person who loves us most and has paid the ultimate price for our redemption also wants to save us and turn us around and give
us new life? In Christ, we know that that's not a risk, but a gift…a promise…and a sure thing.
Let us pray.
toward renewal is realizing that we are hungry for God…that something is missing in our lives. We said that all our attempts to
fill that spiritual hunger with material things or even human relationships will never satisfy us. Only God can do that, through
Jesus Christ and his presence in our lives by the Holy Spirit. Last week we went on to say that as we seek spiritual renewal,
we discover that not only is something missing in our lives, but more often than not, something is wrong. What is wrong is us,
and what is needed is for us to confess our sins before God and receive his forgiveness and the new life God wants us to enjoy
in Christ. Today, we’ll be considering the third step to spiritual renewal, which is repentance.
Actually, repentance is the other half of confession. Repentance is meant to be the final outcome of confession. Maybe
most of us have never even thought about the difference between the two. We tend to think that if we are sorry for our sins
and confess them, then we have repented. In fact, many Christians down through the ages have probably thought that way
about repentance. But confession and repentance, although they go hand in hand, are two different things. It’s one thing to
confess our sins and receive forgiveness and eternal life in Christ. We call that receiving Christ as our Savior. But it’s another
thing to take the next step, to repent of those sins, and make Christ Lord of our lives. The Greek word for repentance literally
means “a change of mind,” and it’s demonstrated by a change in course or direction. In confession, we recognize that we have
been heading in the wrong direction, away from God. But we will never experience the fullness of life in the Spirit unless we
repent, or turn around and follow Christ in the journey back to God.
The prophet Ezekiel stated it very candidly as he tried to get Israel to understand God’s call to repentance. He explained
that Israel needed to turn away from their offenses and change their behavior. He told them quite frankly to get a new heart and
a new spirit, or they would die in their sins. And he made it clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. God
doesn’t want us to remain stuck in our sins. He wants us to repent and do the kinds of things that will bring us closer to Him.
He wants us to live. And when God says “live,” He doesn’t just mean exist. He means live the life that is really life, life in the
fullness of the Spirit of God.
Some years ago in the Saturday Review there was a cartoon which helps illustrate the meaning of repentance in a
humorous but vivid way. In the cartoon, there is a picture of George Washington as a young lad, ax in hand, standing smugly
over a cherry tree which he has just chopped down. Since he cannot tell a lie, he has already confessed to his father for what
he has done. But the father’s response to young George’s honest admission of guilt is not quite what we’d expect. George’s
father is completely exasperated, and is yelling at young George, “All right, so you admit it! You always admit it! The question
is, when are you going to stop doing it?!!”
The road to repentance begins with the admission of guilt, feelings of remorse, a sense of being sorry and genuine regret
for what we have done or been or have not done or been. But real repentance doesn't end with feelings alone. Just as I try to
convince couples preparing for marriage that love is not a noun but a verb, so it is with repentance. Real repentance requires
action and change. We have to “stop doing it,” which means a change in our behavior and a step in a new direction. And just
as there are risks in love and marriage, there are risks with repentance, too. Risk always goes along with change, but that’s
what it takes if we’re serious about repentance.
Just look at Zaccheus. The little slice of his life that we see in scripture is a wonderful study in repentance and spiritual
renewal, although, if you'll forgive the pun, I suppose he's a little hard to look “up” to as a Biblical hero. But maybe we should.
Maybe if we take a closer look at his story, it will encourage us to follow Zaccheus' steps to repentance, even if there are risks
involved.
We aren’t told very much about Zaccheus, except that he was a chief tax collector, very rich, and very short of stature.
As chief tax collector, we can guess that he had become wealthy by collaborating with the Roman government and extorting
extra tax money out of his own Jewish countrymen. And they would have hated him for it. Scripture also tells us that
Zaccheus wanted to see who Jesus was, but because of his height and because of the crowd, he had to run ahead and climb a
tree in order to get a better view. But that’s a pretty strange thing to do in the midst of that very unfriendly crowd simply
because Zaccheus may have been curious about Jesus. Surely there was more going on here than mere curiosity. Zaccheus
must have been pretty miserable with himself and his life, and that misery or hunger for change brought him to the point where
he was determined to see Jesus, even if he had to risk making a spectacle of himself. Seeking the Lord often takes a
willingness to appear foolish in the eyes of the rest of the world, but that's one of the risks of repentance.
As the story unfolds, the next thing Zaccheus did when Jesus saw him and spoke to him, was simply to do what he was
told, no questions asked. He scampered down the tree and welcomed Jesus gladly into his home. He didn't question whether
Jesus had a hidden agenda when he said "I must stay at your house today," and he didn’t ask what Jesus planned to do when he
got there. Gladly, and with anticipation, Zaccheus simply invited Jesus in, having no definite idea of what might happen as a
result of this encounter. Zaccheus didn't keep Jesus safely at arm's length, or put him off by saying, "Oh dear! The house isn't
clean and the refrigerator's empty, so please come back after I clean up and get things ready for you." No. Jesus came to
Zaccheus and Jesus comes to us even when—especially when—our houses are in disarray. Inviting Jesus to see into the mess
of our lives is another risk of repentance.
But Zaccheus must have done more than just invite Jesus to see into his life. We’ll never know exactly what happened or
what Jesus saw when He went home with Zaccheus, but because of the radical change in Zaccheus, we know what didn’t
happen. We know that Zaccheus didn’t refuse to face the sin that Jesus found in him. Apparently, he didn’t make any excuses
for his behavior, either. Surely he didn’t explain that his height kept him from getting all the decent jobs or complain that he
was a victim of cruel and unusual circumstances and had no choice but to be a greedy tax collector. Surely he didn’t suggest
that everything wrong in his life prevented him from using his energy and abilities to do what was right. Zaccheus must have
faced his sin, asked the Lord’s forgiveness and then took the risky steps toward change. So not only facing the mess in our
lives but also doing whatever it takes to clean it up is yet another risk of repentance.
Perhaps the hard work of making restitution to those we have sinned against is the most challenging risk of repentance. I
say that because the folks who know us, or at least think they know us, will be very skeptical of any supposed change in us.
By nature, we humans would rather carry a grudge than be forgiving like Jesus is. But Zaccheus’ story shows us that how
others respond to us is not as important as how we respond to Jesus and to them. We never do hear what happened to the
grumbling crowd, or whether those folks ever changed their minds about Zaccheus. But we do know that they didn't get the
last word in the story. While they were off grumbling, Zaccheus became a new man, and Jesus declared him to be a child of
the promise. This new relationship that Zaccheus had with the Lord affected him so radically that he voluntarily and with great
joy promised Jesus that he would make reparations four times over to everyone he had cheated, and would give half of what he
owned to the poor.
It must have been very difficult—even painful—for Zaccheus to admit to being a swindler, let alone give back all that
money, considering how rich he was. But he was thrilled to do it. Zaccheus discovered that the joy of meeting Jesus, of
receiving Christ and his forgiveness and salvation as well as the Holy Spirit's power to change, were worth far more than all the
possessions and worldly power he had –and willingly gave up. With the Lord’s help, Zaccheus changed what was wrong in
himself, regardless of whether the crowd would receive him as a new and changed man or not. Repentance often means we
must make costly reparations to the people we have hurt, and there are no guarantees that these folks will forgive us for what
we have done and welcome us back into friendship. That’s just another risk of repentance.
But these are all risks we have to take if we genuinely want to turn our lives around and become new creations in Christ.
When we seek Jesus with our whole heart, we risk making spectacles of ourselves, of being called religious fanatics or Jesus
freaks or whatever the current lingo is. When we invite Jesus into our home and heart, we risk exposing the mess of sin and
shame in our lives. When we surrender to God's will for our lives instead of playing at being God ourselves, we risk having to
clean up and correct our past mistakes, and that can be costly— financially, socially, emotionally and in every other way. But
the risks of repentance are not only negative. By definition, risk is merely a matter of exposing ourselves to the chance of
injury or loss, but that can also lead to wholeness and gain. And in eternal matters, the consequences of an unrepentant heart
and life are always worse than any loss we face in turning around and following after Jesus. Zaccheus's story should help us to
believe that! Sure, he lost some money and worldly goods, but he gained the joy of salvation and a brand new life in Christ.
And you can't put a price on that.
We need to remember that like Zaccceus, in the midst of our sinfulness, Jesus is looking for us, especially if we are
already "up a tree" looking for Him. He calls us to give up the willful, selfish thoughts and attitudes we cling to and which only
serve to make us miserable. He wants to replace them with his perfect love and the presence of his Spirit, who is the One who
has been calling us to repentance all along. Jesus has promised that his Holy Spirit will come to live in us and give us the
strength and power to turn around and start our journey back to God. The Spirit will help us not only to “stop doing” whatever
it is that keeps us separated from God, but He will also help us start doing the things that will bring us closer to the Lord.
The bad news is that like Zaccheus, we are all sinners. But the good news is that we don’t have to remain stuck in our
sin. Jesus offers to take our sin upon Himself and in return gives us his righteousness and holiness. The truth is that it’s an
incredible good deal for us! But we have to want to make that trade. We have to not only be hungry for God and confess our
sin, but repent and turn from sin and start moving in the direction of Jesus Christ. And the only reason that this is even possible
is because He has already paid the terrible price for our redemption. That “trade” was a very expensive proposition, which cost
Jesus his life. He offered his body and blood as an atoning sacrifice to pay for the sins of you and me and the whole world.
But there’s more good news. Death could not keep Christ in the grave. He is alive and here today, waiting to take away our
sin, if only we will “stop doing it” and give it up, in exchange for renewal and new life instead.
If we really want spiritual renewal, then we need to take an honest look at where we are with God, and risk seeking out the
Lord and inviting Him into our house for an annual review. Of course, that means we may have to stop chopping down cherry
trees before we can start moving in the right direction. But if we will surrender our axes, we can trust that He will replace
whatever we must give up with his joy and peace and resurrection power and life, worth far more than the things that may give
us temporary pleasure but keep us stuck in sin. Does it make sense not to risk repentance when we know for certain that the
Person who loves us most and has paid the ultimate price for our redemption also wants to save us and turn us around and give
us new life? In Christ, we know that that's not a risk, but a gift…a promise…and a sure thing.
Let us pray.
