February 2002 chaplain's corner

The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.

Chaplain's Corner - February 2002

Rev. Rich Hines

This message is primarily for those serving as correctional chaplains within the United States, and who call upon the name of Christ as their own Lord and Savior.

Last month we looked at the great passage about the conversion of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. This month I'd like to revisit that passage and delve a little deeper into three things the passage brings out. They are important for those who minister Christ's gospel to the criminally incarcerated. To begin, look again at the text.

Luke 19:1-10 NKJV

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."

6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

7 But when they saw it, they complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."

9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

As I said, I want to have you consider three things.

First, in verse 2, we read: "Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich."

This man was a "chief tax collector," an "architelones." We need to understand just how bad that was, in order to be reminded that even what society considers the worst of men are not beyond the hope of God's grace.

We know from his name that he was a Jew. The name Zacchaeus is of Hebrew origin and means "Pure." His parents no doubt named him that as a character quality they wanted him to grow up fulfilling. What happened was quite the opposite. He became a tax-collector, a "Publican." What a tragedy! No parent wants their son or daughter to grow up and become the worst thing in their society - say a drug pusher or a prostitute. Becoming a tax collector for Rome in ancient Jewish society, was in the same category.

These men were greedy extortioners. The Roman system of collecting toll taxes on commerce was a system set up for graft and corruption. First, one had to buy the right to be named a tax collector. It wasn't ever a case of not being able to support yourself doing anything else.

Then, after being made an official tax collector, or a Publican, the Roman government would assign you a geographical area and back you with the Roman soldiers in the same area. They would assign a certain amount due from that area for each tax gathering period of time. Anything you collected over and above the rightful amount of the tax was yours to keep. They could quadruple the tax and keep 75% or more! If anyone refused to pay what you demanded they pay, then you could call the Roman soldiers to arrest or punish them. Therefore, tax collectors or Publicans would use the law to rob people.

This is why when the great prophet John the Baptist was preaching repentance, and the tax collectors came to him and asked him "Teacher, what shall we do?" he answered them, "Collect no more than what is appointed to you."

(Luke 3:12,13).

Beyond being avaricious extortioners, they were doing the hated Romans bidding. In ancient Jewish society any Jew who would do such a thing was also regarded as a traitor to his nation and race.

Now Zacchaeus wasn't just a tax collector, the text in verse 2 tells us he was a "Chief tax collector." That means he had risen to a position where he had a piece of everybody else's action. All the tax collectors in Jericho gave some of their sinful profits to Zacchaeus.

The closest things in our modern society to being a chief tax collector is being the head drug dealer for a whole network of dealers or the chief pimp for a number of prostitution rings. In Mafia terms, he was a godfather type. In prison terms today he would be the gang's "shot-caller."

The text in verse 2 says "he was rich." The word for rich here means "abundantly wealthy," and in the context of talking about tax collectors, means he was "filthy rich." He had long profited from the misery of others. Zacchaeus was for a long time, hardened to his sinful ways. He was the type of man that would hurt anybody just to make a buck, even his own relatives. In the jail or prison setting today, even the other inmates would despise such a person. He wasn't loyal to anyone, or anything - but his own greed.

The record of what happened between Zacchaeus and the Lord Jesus is a good biblical reminder of the truth that even what our society sees as the worst of sinful men, is not beyond the power and hope of the grace of God in the gospel of Christ. Sometimes God does save the lowest of men and women. Remember this chaplain as you have an opportunity to minister the gospel of Christ to the worst of the inmates in your facility.

Secondly, in verse 8 we read: "And standing Zacchaeus said to the Lord, 'Behold, the half of my possessions, Lord, to the poor I give, and if anyone anything I accused falsely, I restore (present indicative active: here and now I do restore) fourfold.' "

Although I mentioned this last month, we need to understand the reality of the depth of Zacchaeus' repentance. Understanding the depth of the sin that had long controlled Zaccheaus, gives us extra appreciation for the power of the grace of God that enabled him to truly repent.

After his saving encounter with the Lord Jesus (who was on the way to the cross to pay for all his sins) Zacchaeus had a change of heart. Biblical repentance in every context is more than just the bare meaning of the Greek New Testament word, "metanoia,"which is "a change of mind." Biblically, repentance is a change of mind that produces a total change of life habits, therefore, a change of life direction.

Zacchaeus' words in verse 8 were spoken to the Lord in public. It is very possible some of the people he or his underlings had taken advantage of and in effect legally robbed, were in that crowd. The word "if"in the middle of the sentence is best translated "since." It was not a matter of conjecture that he might have taken money or goods from people with false accusations to the Roman government. Instead, that's what he had been doing.

Then, as I pointed out in last months message, the verb for "restore" describes a contemporary action - he was pledging here and now to restore the value four times over. He was confessing his crimes before they were even considered by the twisted Roman legal system as crimes. He was righting old wrongs. He didn't need to do that in order to be saved, rather he did it because Christ had saved him. It was the fruit of his repentance.

You need to preach and teach this level of repentance to the inmates. The only way they can truly from the heart show this depth of repentance is by the power of God's Spirit enabling them to do it.

God's powerful grace turns sinners around and changes them. God commands all men everywhere to repent of their sin and believe the gospel(Acts 17:39; 20:21). At the same time the power to truly repent can only come from Him as a gift of His grace.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 says: "And a servant of the Lord (that's you chaplain) must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant (or give) them repentance,...and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."

Titus 2:11,12 says: "... the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us (believers) that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,"

In Zacchaeus' life, that's exactly what happened. He was willing to turn from his sinful lifestyle and God supplied the power to do it. A literal translation of Ephesians 4:24 says to followers of Christ: "and put on the new man, created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Then, describing part of what that means - verse 28 says: "The one stealing, no more let him steal, but rather let him labor with his own hands the good thing, in order that he may have to share with the (one) having need." That's what true conversion does. It turns a taker into a giver, a thief into an honest provider for others. It produces true repentance.

Lastly, in verses 9,10 we read that Jesus Christ said of Zachaeus: "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Taken in context, Jesus' sentence means He came to bring salvation to the true sons of Abraham who were lost. A true spiritual son of Abraham is anyone (not just racially from a Jewish background) that God will make into a believer in Christ.

Compare verse 9b "he also is a son of Abraham;" to Acts 18:9,10 where in the face of opposition to the gospel, in Corinth, we read that Jesus said to Paul: "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with You, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."

And further compare this concept to Acts 13:48, talking about a response to the gospel presentation: "when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."

The point of this teaching as it applies to your ministry is as follows. In the prison or jail, or even on skid row, there are true children of Abraham who don't know it yet. There are those that are God's true people. What I mean is there are those that have been appointed by God to eternal life but they have not yet received it. They have yet to believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ.

SO GO, SPEAK TO ANY THAT WILL LISTEN, TEACH THEM, ESTABLISH THEM IN THE FAITH. Give them the biblical gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are those, even among the most hardened sinners, that God's grace in Christ will save.

There are those who will truly bring forth the fruit of Holy Spirit enabled repentance.

There are those that will hear the Good Shepherd's voice, believe Him, and follow Him. By God's Spirit they will be made to know that He is the One who laid down His life to pay for their sin. Proclaim the word that gives life!

May God bless you chaplain, as you do it.

Rich Hines - Minister To Chaplains