"And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house."
Luke 19:5
Part 1
The story of the conversion of Zacchaeus gives us many insights into life and relationships, especially Jesus’ relationship to sinners. Let me encourage you to refresh his story in your mind by reading Luke 19:1-10.
“And when Jesus came to the place.”
Jesus was never afraid to go where the sinners were. In this case, He and His disciples were traveling through Jericho. There is much Biblical history in this place. Jesus met and cared for several sinner’s in this town, Rahab and her father’s family, blind Bartimaeus, and Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus certainly needed the Lord and His work in his life. The Hebrew name “Zacchaeus,” means “pure one,” but he was anything but that. He was hated by his people. Any Jew working for Rome was thought a traitor. Zacchaeus was the “chief” tax collector (v. 2) and had become rich (v. 2) through this profession. The only way for a tax collector to be wealthy was for him to be a cheat who took from people more than their due taxes. It is no doubt that he was a sinner. On Jesus’ journey through Jericho, perhaps the only reason He went through the town was to meet with Zacchaeus.
As Jesus walked down the street, Zacchaeus couldn’t see Him for the crowd. He wanted to see Jesus badly enough that he did something very unbecoming for a wealthy, well-known man to do. He ran ahead and climbed up in a tree to get a good vantage point to see Jesus.
“We know how the rich tax gatherer, pocketing his dignity, and unable to see over the heads of the crowd, scrambled up into the branches of the sycamore tree that overhung the road; and there was found by the eye of love, and surprised by the words of kindness, which melted him down, and made a new man of him on the spot” [1] (MacLaren).
How did this happen? This change of heart is remarkable. Come back tomorrow, and we will try to figure out the reason for this significant change in Zacchaeus’ life.
[1] Alexander MacLaren. Expositions of Holy Scriptures, the electronic version in eSword.