1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Zacchaeus was a tax collector who heard that Jesus was passing through and really wanted to see Him. Because he was short he couldn’t see over the crowd so he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree for a vantage point. When Jesus came to him, He called to him by name saying He must stay at his house that day. Zacchaeus responded joyfully at the news. As a tax collector on behalf of Rome, Zacchaeus was considered to be an outcast of the Jewish system. Those who saw that Jesus was going to his house grumbled that he was visiting with sinners. Zacchaeus’ story provides a contrast to the story of the rich man. While the rich man went away sad because of his wealth, Zacchaeus responded by giving away almost all that he had. This story shows that “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) Zacchaeus gave half of his wealth to the poor and probably used the other half to repay those he had wronged, repaying each fourfold as the law required (Ex 22:1). Jesus declared that salvation had come to his house, not because he bought his salvation by giving away his money, but because his actions demonstrated outwardly the change that had occurred inwardly. Zacchaeus, a child of Abraham by birth but considered an outcast by his countrymen, was now a true son of Abraham with a right to enter the kingdom because of his relationship with Jesus. That was Jesus’ mission, to seek and save the lost.
This story is another reminder that Jesus’ mission was to reach the lost; the outcast and despised. Let us not be guilty of treating people as outcasts when those are the very people we should be reaching for Jesus. Who is there that you might normally avoid that you should reach out to with God’s love this week?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
God’s People Comforted: Isaiah 40