A Little Man Named Zaccheus

Luke 19:1-10

Zaccheus was a publican -- in fact, he was chief among the publicans, and he was rich. But Zaccheus was not a happy man. He knew the people despised and hated him because he collected taxes for the Romans and also because he overtaxed them. He knew that the Romans also despised him because he was a Jew and they were not lovers of his people. Zaccheus, knowing all this, had an inferiority complex. The fact that he was short of stature only added to those feelings. Perhaps all his life he had been laughed at and made the butt of jokes because of his size. It could be that he tried to compensate for this complex by adding to his income in the belief that if he could make a pile of money, he could do whatever he wanted and people would respect him because of his wealth. So often, we delude ourselves by trying to find easy solutions to difficult problems. But wealth had not made him happy for the problem remained within him.

Jesus knew the real Zaccheus -- deep down inside. He could see his true desires and needs, and thus He determined to talk to him, and help him with his most difficult problem. How often we ourselves miss solutions to our problems by failing to go to the Lord to seek His help and humbly accept what He prescribes. Jesus knows where you and I are at this moment, in the depths of our being. He knows not only what we are doing and where we are going, but He knows our potential as well, but do we? Do we really want to reach God’s goal for our life? Do we want to make our contribution? Are we really longing for fulfillment and true peace? Do we really know who we are? We can, but not by putting on a front to make others believe we are what we are not. We can deceive some people, but not God.

One thing we must know -- that God loves us despite our sin, pretense and selfishness. This is the good news of the Gospel; that God loved us while we were yet sinners, and this explains the full meaning of the Cross, on which Jesus Christ tasted death for every human being. He died that we might be forgiven and delivered from the power of sin and death and have eternal life. Jesus was perfectly satisfied that you and I were worth dying for. He took the punishment which we deserved that He did not. It is at the Cross that we find forgiveness, freedom -- and it is there that we become children of God.

When Zaccheus heard Jesus was coming to Jericho, he earnestly desired to see Him. But being so short of stature, how could he do this in a crowd of taller people? A nearby sycamore tree offered him his solution, and he climbed it. At the turn of the road, he heard voices and before long, Jesus appeared, leading His disciples and a throng of people. Jesus kept walking, not lifting his eyes until he reached the sycamore tree. There He stopped, and looking up, His eyes met those of Zaccheus. It was a dramatic encounter that took place in that moment between Jesus and Zaccheus. Here were two men of very different character, ambition, and purpose in life. They were as opposite as day from night, yet Jesus sought this man out -- a publican and a sinner who was hated and despised by all. If Jesus had had a holier than thou attitude, He would have surely passed him by. Jesus truly was holier than Zaccheus -- indeed, there could be no comparison, but Jesus had come to call sinners to repentance and salvation, and Zaccheus was in great need of these things.

“Zaccheus, come down, for I am coming to visit your house,” said Jesus. These words must have shaken Zaccheus from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. Why would the Master wish to be his guest when Jesus knew that he was hated by all? But the words of Jesus reached deep into his being, touching a chord, which had remained untouched all his life, but now vibrated with a strange and wonderful sound. Suddenly, Jesus words opened up to Zaccheus a new and incredible panorama -- a portent of incredible things to come. Just think -- Jesus was going to be a guest at the house of the despised publican! Zaccheus’ response to Jesus came from the depth of his soul – “Lord you can have me.” Quickly he climbed down from the tree, and amid the astonished crowd welcomed Jesus to his house joyfully. Then an amazing thing took place. A complete reversal of Zaccheus’ personality took place! He was no longer the cunning, selfish, greedy tax collector. The old Zaccheus was gone forever. He was transformed. Paul would later describe this phenomenon in these words: “old things are done away and all things have become new” through the love and acceptance of Jesus.

The Scriptures declare that Zaccheus not only made restitution for his crooked ways, but he repaid them four times as much as he had taken from them. This was true conversion, true repentance. It meant a willingness to turn away from what he knew to be wrong and begin a new life of doing that which was right. Jesus summed it up by saying, “This day salvation has come to this house.”

When we receive Jesus as Lord and Master of our life, we become a man or woman of God ~ is there a greater joy? G. Boccaccio