Luke 19:1-10
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)
This short account contains the key verse of the entire Gospel of Luke:
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)
Beyond that, here we can find several emphases that are distinctive to Luke:
- the universality of the gospel — that it is for everyone, regardless of how they appear or what their social status is (v. 2);
- the call to salvation extended to those who are despised and do not enjoy the favor of society (v. 7);
- the sense of urgency and immediacy in receiving Christ (v. 5);
- the joy of salvation (v. 6);
- deeds that correspond to repentance — the restoration of what was taken and care for the poor (v. 8);
- and above all — the great theme of salvation from sin (vv. 9-10).
The story begins like this (Luke 19:1):
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. (Luke 19:1)
Jericho, “the city of palms,” was a wonderful place to live. It was an oasis in that part of Palestine. Even today it is a beautiful city. All around it lies the Judean desert, yet the city itself is full of palms and greenery. In the days of Jesus it was even more magnificent. It looked like a wealthy neighborhood. King Herod’s summer palace stood there. It had a theater and a hippodrome — a rich cultural and sporting life. Mark Antony liked it so much that when he decided to give Cleopatra a gift, he gave her Jericho itself.
It was a magnificent city, and yet, as He passed through it, Jesus was not looking to take in the local sights — He wanted “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:2).
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. (Luke 19:2)
WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS ZACCHAEUS?
Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a publican. But he was not an ordinary tax collector like Levi (Luke 5:27); he was a chief tax collector (architelones). The modern equivalent of Zacchaeus’s position would be something like the head of a customs office — one who, however, is not on a fixed salary but on commission, a percentage of the revenue, and who on top of that sets the various levies himself. This man was rich, and his wealth had not come through honest labor but through robbery and corruption (v. 2). When he repented, he decided to give half of his possessions to the poor and to pay back four times over what he had taken from people. This shows what a large part of his belongings had been acquired through fraud and force.
It is not hard to understand how he grew rich. In those days the Romans auctioned off the customs posts. Everything was a matter of bidding. Whoever offered the most for a given position won it. The Roman government set the sum that the head of the customs office had to hand over for a given district. In order to bring in the required sum, the head of the customs office set the taxes and duties that people had to pay. Into those taxes he built the amount owed to Rome; the sum he had paid to win the auction for his post; the wages of his assistants; and then he added his own personal profit. If he failed to collect the set amounts, he stood to lose; but if he wrung more out of the people, everything above the ceiling was his to keep. So the tax collectors, Zacchaeus among them, were not choosy about their methods when it came to getting the job done. They often resorted to violence. And if anyone resisted them, he would have to deal with the Roman army, which guaranteed the security of collecting the duties and levies.
According to some New Testament scholars, there were three main customs stations in Palestine at that time. All of them were positioned along the main trade routes. One was on the coast at Caesarea, another in the north at Capernaum, and the third — in the south at Jericho, where the trade routes running from north to south and from east to west crossed. So Zacchaeus was the head of the Jericho customs station. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. Many things depended on him. Yet in spite of his wealth, he still felt incomplete and unsatisfied, and clearly he sensed that he needed a change.
Because of his profession and his corruption, Zacchaeus was rejected by society. The Jews despised the tax collectors, since they regarded them as hirelings and thieves. The citizens of Jericho were outraged that Jesus had chosen to stay precisely at Zacchaeus’s house.
Zacchaeus was short. In Greek the word is “micros.” Zacchaeus really was a little man, and because of it he surely had an inferiority complex. He could not see over the heads of the crowd. There is something comical in this scene, in which the important but small Zacchaeus has to climb a tree in order to see Jesus (v. 3).
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. (Luke 19:3-4)
ZACCHAEUS — A LOST SHEEP
Sinful, insecure, and rejected by people — that was Zacchaeus. And he shows us the kind of people Jesus seeks. He did not come for the proud and the self-righteous, but for the lost, for the hopeless cases. Jesus had left the ninety-nine and had gone out to seek the one lost sheep (Luke 15:2-7).
2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:2-7)
Jesus was looking for people to save. He was not seeking “righteous persons who do not need to repent”; He was seeking the greatest sinners, those for whom there is no hope at all. For with God nothing is impossible. He can save even rich people! When He saw the wealthy ruler’s attachment to his possessions, Jesus said (Luke 18:24-27):
24 How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:24-27)
Zacchaeus’s coming to faith illustrates these words of Christ. Zacchaeus is rich, but unlike the wealthy ruler, he humbles himself before the Savior and does not let his wealth stand in his way to God. He is proof that by God’s power it is possible even for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
ZACCHAEUS’S INTEREST IN JESUS
In spite of all his sins, weaknesses, and shortcomings, Zacchaeus was a man who was ready to do anything just to see Jesus. Nothing could stop him. To reach his goal, he was even willing to climb a tree.
Perhaps he had heard about Jesus from the other tax collectors. In Luke 15:1 we are told that all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to listen to Him. They must certainly have been impressed by Jesus’s parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, in which He stresses that the sincere tax collector is more righteous than the proud, hypocritical Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14).
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
Zacchaeus had heard all of this, along with the good reports about Jesus, and he wanted at all costs to see Him. While we are speaking about Zacchaeus, I would like to ask you: “In what way are you like Zacchaeus? Is there anything the two of you have in common? Perhaps you too are despised and rejected. Perhaps you carry some complexes. Perhaps you are rich, but it does not satisfy you, and you are looking for some kind of change. Perhaps you have an interest in Jesus, but you cannot imagine that He would receive you and talk with you.” If that is you, then know that today Jesus has come for you!
JESUS’S CALL TO ZACCHAEUS
When Jesus passed by the sycamore tree Zacchaeus had climbed, He looked up, addressed him by name, and said (v. 5):
Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. (Luke 19:5)
Jesus took Zacchaeus by surprise. What feelings must have stirred in Zacchaeus at this call! How must he have felt, hearing Jesus address him as though He knew both his name and his heart? How would we feel if someone we had never met called us by name? Zacchaeus rejoiced, because he did not expect Jesus to speak to him, and even less to grant him the honor of being His host. The fact that Jesus called him by name showed him that Jesus knew him, and that even though He knew all his sins and failings, He still wanted to be his friend.
Jesus knows you. He knows your name. He knows where you live. He knows everything about you. Do not try to hide from Him. He knows everything, and yet He loves you!
THE URGENCY OF SALVATION
Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. (Luke 19:5)
Notice the urgency in Jesus’s words — “come down immediately,” “today.” A little later Jesus would say, “Today salvation has come to this house.” What does this show us? God’s time is “now.” The salvation of sinners cannot be put off. So do not delay! God’s time is not “someday”; God’s time is “now” (v. 6)!
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. (Luke 19:6)
Zacchaeus’s joy was produced by Jesus’s love for him. It was the joy of having found at last a true friend — someone who knew him and yet loved him. Such, and just as quick, should be our response to Jesus’s call to fellowship and friendship with us. Not to linger, but to hurry, and to rejoice that Jesus has chosen us and loved us with the love of God. This interplay between God’s call and man’s response is striking. On the one hand, Zacchaeus was curious to see who Jesus was. But on the other hand, Jesus was seeking Zacchaeus — not only to see him, but to befriend him and to save him from sin and eternal death. God’s initiative, however, far surpasses man’s part in salvation. For He knows us far better than we know Him, and He alone can save from sin.
ARE WE WITH THE CROWD, OR WITH JESUS?
How did the people react to what Jesus did? They were offended. To them, Jesus befriending Zacchaeus was an unheard-of scandal (v. 7).
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” (Luke 19:7)
Was this surprise, or displeasure? How would we react if someone rejected and despised by people came to church? Would we conclude from that the church is no good, since it is full of sinners? Did Jesus become a sinner because He went to visit a sinner and ate and drank with him?
The lost can be won only if we show them the love of Christ. Jesus’s visit to Zacchaeus’s home led to his salvation. If we want our church to grow, we too must be like Jesus — loving all people and ready to be their friends.
THE CHANGE IN A SINNER
Zacchaeus repented. How do we know? By the change that took place in his life. Someone has said:
“Our environment shapes us,
Sin deforms us,
School informs us,
But only Jesus transforms us.”
Transformation — that is the word which describes the turning of a caterpillar into a butterfly. From a selfish and wicked swindler, Zacchaeus was turned into a generous and loving man. Jesus’s love for Zacchaeus gave birth to love in him for others. And this love was not merely in words. It expressed itself in giving and in restoring (v. 8).
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.” (Luke 19:8)
By standing up, Zacchaeus showed that he had already made a decision, one he would announce publicly. Such should be our own confession to follow Jesus — public, plain, and open. For Luke, as for Jesus, the way we use the possessions and means we have is one of the chief indicators of our spiritual condition (Luke 14:33; 18:22). In Zacchaeus, the renouncing of dishonestly gained income is “fruit in keeping with repentance” — the change John the Baptist spoke of (Luke 3:8).
WHY DID ZACCHAEUS GIVE UP HALF OF HIS POSSESSIONS?
There are people who do not want to come to church, because they feel that if they are to become true believers, then they will have to give up certain things they currently love. But if a person grasps the value of the kingdom of God — of having eternal life and of communing daily with God — then everything else loses its worth. That is why the apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:17-19):
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe… (Ephesians 1:17-19)
If we grasp what it means to be raised from the dead, what it means to be part of God’s people, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, what it means for God’s resurrection power to work in us, then we will be ready to give up everything in order to have fellowship with Christ and to be participants in His church.
Before, Zacchaeus would hardly have given up half of his possessions. He handled money constantly and was clearly a miser. But when Jesus entered his life, it became more important to him to have no sin standing between him and God than to enjoy fleeting, temporary pleasures for a short while. In Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus said the following:
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)
A king once asked those close to him: “Who is the happiest being?” They answered him: “God.” The king asked again: “And after Him?” They answered him: “The one who stands closest to God.” If the people of this world understood spiritual realities, they would push us aside, and there would be no room left for us in the churches. But alas, “the prince of this world” has blinded their minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).
THE SALVATION OF ANOTHER SON OF ABRAHAM
When Jesus heard Zacchaeus’s solemn promise, He rejoiced and said:
9 Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (Luke 19:9)
The salvation spoken of in this verse, and throughout the entire New Testament, is salvation from sin. The people of this world do not understand this salvation. To them it is abstract and incomprehensible. They do not realize at all that they need it. Yet in order to be saved, you must realize and admit that you are a sinner and need salvation. According to the apostle Paul, we are all sinful (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” — eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). Salvation came to Zacchaeus’s house because he realized that he was a sinner and repented of his sins.
Salvation came to Zacchaeus’s house not because he finally performed one righteous deed, but because he was a “son of Abraham.” What does that mean? In the letter to the Galatians 3:7 the apostle Paul says:
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
Zacchaeus was called a son of Abraham because he “exercised faith” in Jesus and placed his trust in Him. Having received God’s forgiveness and been welcomed into the kingdom of God, Zacchaeus now lived up to his name. His name means “clean, righteous,” and now he was cleansed of his sins.
“Today salvation has come to this house” — salvation was not only for Zacchaeus, but for his household too. In those days people were not the individualists we are today, and when the head of the house made a decision, it was valid for all of his household as well. Today, for better or worse, this is no longer the case. Nevertheless, these words of Jesus show us God’s will. God wants to save not only us, but our whole households. That is why we must pray for them and bear witness to them by our lives. We must show them the love God has shown to us, and let them see that we have something they do not have — the fullness and satisfaction of God’s presence in our hearts.
WHY DID JESUS CHRIST COME?
Finally, Jesus turned to those who were constantly criticizing Him and condemning His fellowship with sinners and the outcasts of society, and He said:
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)
To seek the sinner until He finds him, and once He has found him — to save him. This is the key verse of the entire Gospel of Luke. In one brief statement it describes the whole mission of Christ. There is so much depth in it. Luke calls Jesus “the Son of Man.” By this he does not imply that Jesus is merely a man, or the son of a man. On the contrary, it is a term that comes from Daniel chapter 7, and there it refers to a divine Savior who comes on the clouds of heaven. This “Son of Man” is the king of the eternal kingdom of God. He is the Messiah. The prophet Daniel says the following (Daniel 7:13-14):
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)
Jesus, however, said that the Son of Man came not to reign, but to seek, to save, to serve, and to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of those who would receive Him (Matthew 20:28).
The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)
Immediately after the statement about the mission of the Son of Man, Jesus begins to tell the parable of the ten minas. It speaks of a nobleman who goes to a distant country “to have himself appointed king and then to return” (Luke 19:12). This explains the two comings of the Son of Man to this earth. When He comes the second time, He will reign, He will judge, and He will repay. But the first time, He came to this earth not as a Judge, but as the Savior of sinners, and as One who entrusts ministries to those who believe in Him. This was a mystery of God that not even the Old Testament prophets understood. Yet such was God’s plan (John 3:16-17).
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
The grumbling citizens of Jericho did not understand why Jesus chose to stay precisely in the house of Zacchaeus, but only in this way could Jesus fulfill the mission for which He had come into this world. God loves you. He came to seek you and to save you. Zacchaeus experienced Jesus’s love and His saving power. God was able to change Zacchaeus. He can change you too. In fact, God has brought you here to this church so that you might hear His Word. He is calling you to return to Him. Invite Him into your life today, and you will experience the same joy that Zacchaeus experienced on that day of salvation.