They thought that Jodi, who had just turned sixteen a few days before, would be glad to receive a brand new red sports car from her dad anytime now and that Jeff would like one also when he reached sixteen years of age.
I said, "Well, let me explain that. Jennifer's father is a very successful oil man, one of the wealthiest men in town. He could easily afford a brand new sports car for his daughter, and I know that we are all happy for them and their good fortune. However, I am a Methodist minister with a Methodist minister's salary. The church has been wonderful to us, but the truth is we can't afford a brand new car right now."
Jeff, empathizing with his big sister, spoke for both of them, expressing their disappointment. He said, "Rats!" (That's about as strong as it gets in a parsonage.) He said, "Rats! I wish we were rich!" And I said, "We are rich. We are rich in the things that count the most! We have love, we have faith, we have the church, and we have one another. Those are the things in life that really matter. We can't afford a sports car right now, but we are rich in the things that count the most."
Now, Jodi and Jeff knew that and really understood that deep down inside. They knew coming in that night that the chances of a new car were slim to none. But over the years and up to the present moment, they have had such fun teasing me about that conversation. They think it's hilarious!
After each comment like that, they laugh and laugh and hug me. They think it's so funny, and yet that is precisely what they are now saying to their children when their children want something they don't really need or they can't really afford. The point is: it's nice to have money and the things that money can buy, but every now and then we need to check to be sure that we have the things money can't buy. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I am not being critical of wealthy people. As a matter of fact, I know quite a number of people, some of them my best friends, who have both. They have material wealth, and they also have the riches that count the most.
Over the years, I have noticed that the people who are rich and happy are the people who would be happy even if they weren't rich because their happiness is not dependent on material things.
I hope we will all count our many blessings and name them one by one; but as we do that, it's good to remember that even if we didn't have a lot of possessions, we could still be grateful because God is with us and God is for us. Real gratitude is more than counting material blessings. God is our friend, and that is the real source of our gratitude. That's the real reason we can be grateful.
Isn't it fascinating and revealing to note that our greatest expressions of thanksgiving historically have come from people who did not have a lot of material "things." Think about it:
There's a sermon there somewhere and it's all about the lesson Zacchaeus learned that day in Jericho. He was a chief tax collector and very, very rich. He was rich and miserable! Miserable because his selfish pursuit of wealth had cost him dearly. It had caused him to lose his God, his church, and his friends. His selfish pursuit of ill-gotten wealth had caused him to lose the riches of life that count the most.
Let me ask you something. What are you most grateful for today? What are the riches in your life right now that will last and endure, that won't rust or corrode or become boring or go out of style? What are the riches that Zacchaeus found that day in Jericho? What are the riches that count the most? Let me mention three that flow gracefully out of the Zacchaeus story in Luke 19.
First, There Is Faith
There is God and his amazing grace. How is it with you right now? Are you rich in faith? Are you rich in God? There's nothing more valuable than having God in your life. That's why Zacchaeus was so miserable that day in Jericho. He had lost his God. He had lost his faith. He had drifted away from his Lord, his Master, his Creator, his Savior. Even though he had great material riches that day, he felt lost and empty and unhappy.
And then look what happens. God comes looking for him. Jesus walks over to that sycamore tree, looks up, and calls him by name. He doesn't say, "Hey, you!" or "Hey, Shorty!" or "Hey, tax collector." He calls him by name: "Zacchaeus, come on down. Let's go and have lunch together." For the rest of his life, Zacchaeus would never forget the sheer lunatic joy of that moment.
God came looking for him and came in the spirit of grace and forgiveness. God came to him and called him by name, and Zacchaeus's life was turned completely around because he suddenly realized that faith in God is the most valuable thing in the world.
Notice that Jesus gave Zacchaeus no material gifts. Jesus gave him something better—grace, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, a chance to change his life and make a new start. Zacchaeus was so touched, so honored, so grateful, that his lifestyle was totally changed. Why, it even touched his wallet: "Behold, Lord," he says, "the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will pay it back four times over."
You see, that's what grateful faith does; it changes our lives. It changes what we put our trust in. Think about it like this. The words "In God We Trust" appear on our coins and on our paper money. The question is, "Do we trust in God?" or "Do we trust the money on which that motto is printed?"
In a nutshell, here's what happened to Zacchaeus that day in Jericho: He stopped trusting the money and started trusting God! He realized that day that discipleship is better than dollars. As Christians, we are rich in the things that count the most because, first of all, we are rich in God. We are rich in faith.
Second, There Is Church
The church is another of the riches of life that count the most. Zacchaeus had gotten tied in with the Romans and had gotten wealthy off the deal. But in the process, he had lost his church. Please don't let that happen to you. Stay close to the church. It's one of the most valuable gifts God has given us.
Now, let
