Text: Luke 19:1-10

Title: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Introduction: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Academy Award-winning comedy-drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, and Katharine Houghton.  Guess Who's Coming to Dinner won the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay for screenwriter, William Rose.  The 1967 groundbreaking story dealt with the controversial subject of interracial marriage which had been illegal historically in most of the United States, and was still illegal in 17 Southern U.S. States up until June 12 of that year. Although legalized throughout the U.S. following the Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, the topic was still taboo in many areas.  According to director Stanley Kramer, he and Rose intentionally debunked ethnic stereotypes; the young doctor, a typical role for the young Sidney Poitier, was purposely created idealistically perfect so that the only possible objection to his marrying Joanna would be his race, or the fact she only met him nine days earlier. Therefore, he has graduated from a top school, begun innovative medical initiatives in Africa, refused to have premarital sex with his fiancée despite her request, and leaves money on his future father-in-law's desk in payment for a long distance phone call he has made.  The purpose of the sermon today is see what surround this movie title within the scriptures.  I would that when we all leave here today we will not leave here without making Jesus our dinner guest today.

I.                   His Situation (1-3)

·        Location – Jericho (1)

·        Identification (his name) (2a) – Zaccheus (means “pure”)

·        Occupation (2b) – Tax Collector - In Israel of Jesus' day, tax collectors were hated and considered the worst of sinners.  They got their jobs by cooperating with the Romans who occupied the country, so they were regarded as traitors.  They made their money by overcharging people on their taxes, because the Romans allowed them to keep whatever they could collect above and beyond what was owed to Rome.  So they were considered dishonest and greedy, stealing from their own people.  Even Jesus, when he spoke of sinners, usually said "tax collectors and sinners" because everyone thought of them together, the tax collectors perhaps considered the worst of the lot.

·        His name meant one thing, but his life was another, he did not live up to his name.

·        He wanted to see Jesus; hindrances/obstacles were the crowd and his stature (short) there can be so many obstacles that will come in our lives that try to keep us from seeing Jesus.

II.                His Determination (4)

·        Zack must have really wanted to Jesus; in spite of his occupation and his stature he was determined. (why was he so determined?)

·        He must have heard about Jesus because Matthew said that Jesus fame spread abroad…

·        He must have been really empty. His determination led to his desperation of climbing into a tree.

III.             His Salvation (5-10)

·        God is more concerned with a person’s future rather than their pasts (5) – “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

·        Zaccheus responded to Jesus invitation (6) (Matt. 11:28-30, Jesus wants us to respond to his invitation)

·        Zaccheus repented (8) - The laws in Leviticus say that if someone defrauds another, he must not only make a guilt offering in the temple, he must repay what he has taken or owes plus an added one fifth of its value.  Zacchaeus was doing more than the law required when he said he would pay back four times what he took.

Conclusion: Jesus went home Zaccheus, but the thief went home with Jesus. (cp. John 14) Jesus not only want to go home with us, he want us to go home with him!