Jesus and Zaccheus

Introduction

Luke 19:1–10 ESV

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.”

Explanation

Luke 19:1-2 // Set the Stage

Jericho - Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, we are getting remarkably close to passion week.

This was a tolling area on the way to Jerusalem, a high traffic trade area, and also famously home to balsam groves known throughout the ancient world - for their medicinal properties. Three of the greatest historians of that time period note these balsam trees.

What does that tell us? The wealth of this area was staggering… and Zaccheus, as the chief tax collector, had his thumb on it.

Zaccheus

Chief Tax Collector - the kingpin of tax collectors. The Al Capone, mob boss type individual. Incredibly wealthy.

He was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.

Jesus passing by/through. And a large crowd is following Him. Two people have interactions with Him. Bartimeus, in the text right before this one, has no sight, yet he cries out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Both men desperately need Jesus. He will only be there for a short time.

They both equally and desperately need Jesus.

Luke 19:3-4 // Zaccheus’ Dilemma

Zaccheus had both intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to seeing Jesus. Intrinsic barriers are ways that you keep you from knowing Jesus. Extrinsic barriers are ways that others can keep you from knowing Jesus.

He was a small man who was short in stature. His lifestyle is not conducive with someone knowing Jesus.

He was also a dishonest man, so no crowd was going to give him deference to walk up to Jesus.

When you are sharing the gospel with someone who doesn’t know Jesus, don’t forget these two things - it will help you to share.

What does Zaccheus do? He does the only thing his mind can comprehend to just get to Jesus. He climbs up in a sycamore tree to see Jesus. He wants to see Jesus, and he will do whatever he can to get to Jesus.

What a strange thing to do. How undignified?!?! Yes, how beautiful. So often in the Scriptures, when we see people pursuing Jesus, when he has gripped their hearts, we see them do strange, desperate, and beautiful things. Like climbing a tree

Zaccheus is earnestly seeking after God. He was diligent and desperate, because he saw his need. When was the last time that you desperately, earnestly sought the face of God.

Zaccheus does not allow his (1) past, (2) career, (3) money, (4) physical stature, or (5) other people to keep him from Jesus.

We can easily think our past is too bad to keep us from Jesus.

If you think this about Jesus, you just haven’t read the Bible. Sinner after sinner comes to Jesus and becomes a changed person forever.

H. B. Charles preached a sermon on this text once - he spoke of the beauty of a new beginning. Zaccheus had the chance to forge a new life.

Career and Money could have kept him from Jesus. Zaccheus had to find a new job which meant his way of life was over. Yet, he went to Jesus.

Zaccheus’ physical stature tells us two things:

No quality of you is so unworthy of God that you he does not see you.

We really have no excuses. Zaccheus doesn’t just get to say, “I was too short, and the crowd was too thick.”

Others - So often, I hear the words, “church hurt.”

I want to be sensitive here. Some of you may have experienced abuse at the hands of a pastor, elder, or leader in a local church.

No one should keep you from Jesus.

Luke 19:5-6 // Jesus responds to Zaccheus.

Jesus saw Zaccheus, and Jesus sees you! Maybe, in a world where you feel invisible, you need to know today that God sees you.

Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheus’ house.

Jesus didn’t let Zaccheus’ distant observation stay that way. He moved Zaccheus towards a decision - let me sit with you or disobey. And Zaccheus opened his home.

Jesus is not content with your casual observation of Him. He wants to live closely with you.

Luke 19:7-10

We need to hold the words of the crowd and the words of Zaccheus in tension.

Zaccheus doesn’t clean up his act before Jesus comes to see him.

BUT Zaccheus does spend time with Jesus and irrefutably changes.

We tend to fall to one side or the other. Jesus comes to you as you are. But praise Him that he doesn’t leave us there.

Some of you are too concerned with Jesus loving the right people. And that really just means people who look/act like you. What a small God!

Some of you forget that when someone sits in the presence of Jesus they are forever CHANGED. Jesus isn’t after affirmation of who you are but transformation into who He wants you to be.

A God who affirms you as you are is just you. And He is as small of a God as the one who only looks for a certain kind of person.

We get a threefold response: (1) The crowd, (2) Zaccheus, and (3) Jesus

The crowd responded with indignation that Jesus would spend time with such a man as Zaccheus.

May we never be the kind of people who would turn others away from Jesus.

There is always room for one more person here.

We don’t know what God is going to do with someone’s stories.

I was reading R. C. Sproul to prepare for the weekend, and I stumbled upon something I didn’t know.

Zaccheus, according to a famous Bishop and well documented among second century sources, became the first bishop of Caesarea.

Zaccheus responded with repentance. He sold half that he had and gave to the poor while giving fourfold of any ill-earned gains to others.

This was far beyond the restitution that was required of Him.

Such is a heart that is put in the presence of God.

Jesus proclaimed that salvation had come upon the house.

And the way that Jesus says it is beautiful, isn’t it?

Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.

For a tax collector, to hear the great Rabbi tell you that you are a son - that had to be one of the greatest moments of that man’s life.

You are no longer an outsider. You belong to me.

Invitation

You know Jesus does the same for us.