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1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10
Most thought the Lord Jesus came to Jericho because He was on His way to Jerusalem but He had far more up his sleeve as today's text illustrates. He always does good by all who are willing, and this is the beauty of such a God who is actively at work in this love-starved world. In context, we are now entering into the final week of Jesus' life on earth.
Living in Jericho at that time was a man named Zacchaeus who was a Jewish man who collected taxes from his people for Rome. As the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus was in charge of the collection of taxes from that entire lower desert area down and around Jericho and the Jordan River.
Zacchaeus means “righteous one.” And, as the chief tax-collector, he collected more taxes than were required. This practice made him very wealthy. This is why the Jewish people hated him.
Like many, Zacchaeus was not content with his opulent lifestyle, so when the Lord Jesus came to town, he hurried to get a glimpse of Him in the large crowd which was with Him.
It was unusual for a man of Zaccheus' status to run, yet he did so to satisfy his curiosity. He even climbed a sycamore-fig tree to improve his vantage point. Perhaps he had heard of the many healings performed by the Lord Jesus and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Earlier in Luke 18:17, the Lord Jesus said, "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
In v.5 of today's text we read, "When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Every time we are introduced to a tax-collector in Luke's Gospel, it is always in a favorable light because the Lord Jesus reached out to those who were more convinced by their sinfulness that they needed a savior.
The word “must” in v.5 means it’s a mandate, not a request. Zacchaeus had no choice. And, the word “stay” in v.5 is a Greek construction meaning “to stay the night.” There was a lot of one on one time that night. Time to explain and to be understood. And, time to understand.
In v.6-7 we read, "6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."
In the eyes of the people Zacchaeus was worse than a prostitute or a robber. He was a traitor to the Jews. Yet, the Lord Jesus knew his condition had prepared him for His kingdom. And Zacchaeus was elated that Jesus took note of him. This made the Jews all the more dismayed at the Lord Jesus.
The irony here is the host became the guest. The Lord Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheus’s house, and Zaccheus received Him joyfully. Joy is one of the key themes in the gospel of Luke, and the word is found over twenty times in one form or another.
In v.8 we read, "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
According to Leviticus 6:1-7, if a thief voluntarily confessed his crime, he had to restore what he took, add one fifth to it, and bring a trespass offering to the Lord. If he stole something he could not be restored until he had repaid fourfold, according to Exodus 22:1. And if he was caught with the goods, he had to repay double, according to Exodus 22:4. Zacchaeus came clean by saying, "Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." This was evidence that over night Zacchaeus came to faith in the Lord Jesus.
In v.9-10 we read, "9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
The Lord Jesus came to seek and to save sinners. Our salvation is much dearer to us when we gain an accurate understanding of just how wicked we truly are. If we do not see ourselves as all that bad, our salvation will equal it.
Just as the Lord Jesus doesn’t require from us a changed heart or lifestyle to enter His home, He doesn’t demand good behavior from us to be saved. The Gospel creates what the Law could only require.
Zacchaeus, influenced by the power of God’s one-way, undeserved love for broken, sinful people, pledges to do more than the law ever would have asked of him.
Zacchaeus' story is a story wherein we are taught this valuable truth: love inspires what the Law demands. The Law prescribes good works, but only grace can produce them. Gratitude, generosity, acts of kindness spring from a forgiven heart. Grace creates a new life of unrequired obedience, bringing forth more “good works” than the law could ever demand.
