They Walked with God: Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus walked with God. It’s one of the more amazing conversion stories in the New Testament. This is actually the second conversion that has taken place in Jericho on the same day.

At the end of the 18th chapter we find Jesus approaching Jericho when a blind beggar named Bartimaeus hears the commotion of the crowd, is told that Jesus is coming down the road, and begins to cry out at the top of his lungs, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Well, you know the story; Jesus stops and heals the man, who then gets up and joyfully follows Jesus. Jesus continues his trip through town. On the other side of town is a man named Zacchaeus who also hears the commotion of the crowd, is told that Jesus is coming down the road, and who wants to see Jesus. But because he is short of stature — a “wee little man” — he can’t see over the crowd so he climbs a sycamore-fig tree to catch a view of the most famous man in Israel. Well, you know the story; Jesus stops, calls Zacchaeus down from the tree and invites himself to dinner at the man’s house. Zacchaeus is saved, and becomes a new creation in Christ as evidenced by his repentance from greed, and his restitution to those he has cheated — which was about everyone who paid taxes. At the end of the encounter Jesus announces his purpose in coming to the lost sheep of Israel: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”” (Luke 19:10, NIV84).

Do you see what’s going on here? Within just minutes Jesus reveals that the gospel is for the down-and-out, as well as the up-and-in, and everyone in between. Both of these men were sinners, and both needed the redemptive healing of Jesus in their life. One needed blindness taken from his eyes so that he could see Jesus, and the other needed blindness taken from his soul so that he could see Jesus.

Both needed forgiveness. Both needed a miracle in their life. Both needed Jesus to stop and touch their lives.

In the case of Zacchaeus we discover that though you may have everything that our culture says is important, if you ain’t got Jesus, you’re just like Zacchaeus — up a tree and out on a limb.

I. ZACCHAEUS WAS A WEE LITTLE MAN LONGING TO MEET JESUS

1. the story of Zacchaeus appears only in the Gospel of Luke

a. it’s a short account — only ten verses — but in those ten verses we learn much about the life and character of Zacchaeus

A. ZACCHAEUS THE SINNER

“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.” (Luke 19:1–2, NIV84)

1. vs. 2 tells us almost everything we need to know about Zacchaeus — he is a wealthy Jewish tax collector, which speaks volumes about his life

a. the name Zacchaeus mean Righteous One ... what a name for a tax collector!

1) I’m sure the residents of Jericho saw the irony in that

2) Zacchaeus was considered anything but “righteous” by his fellow Jews

b. the Jewish population of Israel would have certainly considered Zacchaeus a sinner — indeed one of the worse of sinners

2. he was a sinner because he was a Roman collaborator

a. the Romans were the occupying force in Israel, having conquered the nation about 90 year earlier

1) the Romans were, for their day, somewhat enlightened conquerors

a) if you kept the peace and paid your taxes they pretty much let conquered nations run themselves

b. but Israel chaffed under Roman rule, and especially loathed paying taxes to Rome

1) as a tax collector, Zacchaeus ostensibly worked for the Romans, which made him equally loathed as was Rome

2) that animosity is seen in the attitude in the story Jesus told of the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray

“The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—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.’” (Luke 18:11–13, NIV84)

3) what a coincidence that Jesus now meets such a tax collector just a few days later!

3. he was a sinner because to be a tax collector was to be an extortionist

ILLUS. Jericho was in the province of Judea, and was directly ruled by a Roman govoner. It was the governor’s responsibility to see that taxes were collected and the appropriate amount forwarded to Rome. Like any bureaucratic government, Rome hired contractors to do the work of tax collection. These contractors in Rome sold tax-collecting franchises in the provinces to the highest bidder, and such franchises were a lucrative business. Zacchaeus is a tax collector who has finagled his way to the top. As a chief tax collector Zacchaeus may well have had the responsibility for the entire district of Judea where Jericho was located. He would have, in turn, hired other men to work for him to actually collect the taxes. Indeed, the Apostle Matthew may have been under Zacchaeus’ employment. Now, working for the Roman IRS may not necessarily been sinful in and of itself, but the way tax collectors made their living certainly was. Rome did not pay their tax collectors. They had a set amount they were required to collect, and whatever they could extort beyond that they were permitted to keep. Colleting taxes usually involved a lot of intimidation and thuggery. In Israel there were three major taxes collected. 1) the Head Tax, which was the most hated. It was the tax Rome assessed all residents for the “privilege” of being under Caesar’s authority, 2) the Income Tax which was about 1%, and 3) the Land Tax which consisted of one-tenth of all grain, and one-fifth of all wine and fruit. There were also taxes on the transportation of goods, letters, and using roads and bridges. This did not include the extortion, exploitation and loan-sharking that tax collectors were involved in.

a. it’s easy to understand why tax collectors were hated and considered sinful

4. Zacchaeus would have been deeply involved in all of this

a. as a result, he would have been exceedingly wealthy (he may have been the wealthiest man Jesus ever met)

ILLUS. He would have been in the 1% of the one-percenters of his era. His lifestyle would have been extravagant.

b. the trade-off is that Zacchaeus would have been considered unclean in Jewish culture

1) he would have been ostracized from Jewish society

2) he would have been barred him from the local Synagogue and from the Temple in Jerusalem

c. about the only people he could associate with would have been fellow tax collectors,

B. ZACCHAEUS THE SEEKER

“He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of 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, NIV84)

1. Zacchaeus wants to meet Jesus, or at least catch a glimpse of him, but he has a problem!

a. he is too short to see Jesus over the crowds!

ILLUS. In a day when the typical Jewish male was only 5' 1" tall, that’s saying something. He certainly was a wee little man. Considering who he was, my guess is that his Jewish neighbors were none too cooperative, doing their best to keep Zacchaeus to the back of the crowd.

2. to solve the problem, Zacchaeus runs ahead and climbs a Sycamore-fig tree, a short thick-trunked tree with stout limbs

a. it must have been a humiliating moment in his life

b. for most people, that first and biggest barrier between their hearts and receiving and experiencing Christ’s salvation is their pride and their dignity

c. when Zacchaeus got up in a tree, he left his dignity behind

d. this is an extraordinarily wealthy man, and there were all sorts of things you did or didn’t do that were fitting with dignified social status

1) climbing a tree would not be dignified, but he did it any way

2) virtually all commentators agree that in that culture, Zacchaeus paid an enormous price when he climbed that tree, because that’s something a child would do but an adult did not do

3. it gives us an indication how desperate Zacchaeus is to meet Jesus

ILLUS. We live in a culture that is becoming ever more secular. It’s a culture where we’re told, “Mature, intellectual people simply do not believe in the supernatural.” In other words, in our society, if you want to be a Christian, if you want to believe the Lord of the universe broke into this world and was born in a manger and defeated the powers of evil and death and rose triumphant over the grave … If you believe that, well ... you’re just intellectually stunted. You’re not considered an enlightened, mature adult. You’re clinging to your guns and religion. You’re considered a child. You’ve climbed a tree. You look silly. You look undignified.

a. what are we going to say to that?

b. what do we say to our culture that says, “You still believe in Christianity? Then you’re just a child”?

4. what did Jesus say?

“And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3–4, NIV84)

a. unless you’re as humble as a child, unless you know you need a Savior, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven

b. Jesus says, “You do have to get rid of your dignity. You do have to be willing to look childish. You do have to climb the tree”

C. ZACCHAEUS THE SOUGHT

“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.’ ”” (Luke 19:5–7, NIV84)

1. Zacchaeus is determined to see Jesus, but Jesus is even more determined to see Zaccheus

a. the seeker now becomes the sought

1) in fact, the very reason that Zacchaeus is looking for Jesus is because Jesus is looking for him though he doesn’t know it

ILLUS. Now, I have no biblical evidence for what I’m about to say, but I think it’s in the realm of possibility. As Jesus and his disciples are going down the thoroughfare in Jericho, I think Matthew (who himself had been a tax collector), spots Zacchaeus up in that tree, and tells Jesus, “I know this man. You’ve got to stop and talk to him.”

2. when Jesus gets to the tree that Zacchaeus has climbed, he looked up and calls for Zacchaeus to come down and to do so immediately

a. and he comes down and welcomes Jesus gladly!

3. what Zacchaeus comes to understand is that he is one of the lost that Jesus has come to seek and save

ILLUS. Zacchaeus discovers that the hound of heaven is after him. That description of God comes from an 182-line poem by Francis Thompson (1859–1907), an English poet. Some have described it as the most magnificent poem ever written in English. Thompson characterizes God’s pursuit of sinners as the hound’s pursuit of the hare. As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, with unhurrying pace, and unrelenting focus, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His Divine grace. God’s irresistible grace pursues till the soul feels its pressure forcing it to turn to Him alone in that never-ending pursuit. The climax comes at the end with the description of the wandering soul’s final surrender to God’s love.

4. the crowds reaction is one of utter shock that Jesus would choose to enter Zacchaeus’ home and dine with him

a. it says the crowd grumbled ... it’s a word that means intense displeasure

1) Zacchaeus is not the man Jericho wants representing them before Jesus

2) no self-respecting Jew would be caught dead with Zacchaeus, and yet Jesus invites himself to the man’s home

b. the crowd’s shock allows Jesus to make the point about the nature of his mission

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”” (Luke 19:10, NIV84)

D. ZACCHAEUS THE SAVED

1. Zacchaeus is the rich man who gets though the eye of the needle ... because nothing is impossible with God

ILLUS. Remember the story? A rich certain ruler, a man with great wealth, has come to Jesus and asked how to get to heaven. Jesus asks, “Have you obeyed the ten commandments.” The man says he has. Jesus then tells him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But the man went away sad, because he had great wealth.

“Jesus looked at him and said, “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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”” (Luke 18:24–27, NIV84)

a. what a coincidence that Jesus would say that just days before one of the wealthiest men in Israel commits his life to Jesus

2. with all men it is impossible to save themselves ... whether you’re the down-and-out like Bartimaeus, or the up-and-in like Zacchaeus you can’t save yourself

a. you need to have an encounter with the man called Jesus who is the risen Christ, the Son of the Living God

3. Luke does not actually describe Zacchaeus’ conversion moment, but that he has one is obvious from his actions as well as the Lord’s pronouncement!

“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 Today salvation has come to his house.” (Luke 19:8, NIV84)

a. the verb stood up is instructive for us ... it means to take a stance

1) Zacchaeus takes a stand for Jesus

2) he proceeded to give striking evidence of what Jesus’ visit had done for him

b. Zacchaeus’ decision to pay back those whom he has cheated four-fold is not an arbitrary amount

1) it was the highest penalty allowed under Jewish law

ILLUS. If you had cheated someone of money or goods, Jewish Old Testament law required only the restoration of the principal, with 20 per cent interest. Zacchaeus is saying that for every Denarius he over-charged someone he would give them back four Denarius — 400%. Considering that over-charging a citizen’s actual tax liability was how tax collectors made their living, it’s unlikely that the list of those he has defrauded is short. Zacchaeus is going to be liquidating a substantial amount of his personal fortune. But he does so gladly and joyfully.

4. after their encounter, Jesus calls Zacchaeus a son of Abraham

a. for Jesus to call him a son of Abraham means that Jesus is calling Zacchaeus a “true Jew” — a man of faith just as Abraham was a man of faith, and it was his faith that saved him

“It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Romans 4:13, NIV84)

b. all ethnic Jews are a lineal descendant of the patriarch, but not all Jews were saved — and only those who have trusted in God’s free grace are save and therefore true Jews

II. LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ZACCHAEUS

A. NO ONE IS TOO BAD TO BE SAVED, OR BEYOND THE POWER OF GOD’S GRACE TO REACH

1. in the eyes of his fellow Jews Zacchaeus was simply irredeemable

a. he’s a collaborator, he’s a traitor to his country and his race, he’s a crook and a cheat — he’s beyond God’s grace

b. no, he’s not

2. Christ is able to save “to the uttermost”

a. we should offer the Gospel boldly to the worst and most wicked of sinners, and say, “There is hope”

ILLUS. Many of you will recognize the name William Booth. He was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General. One Sunday evening, William Booth was walking in London with his son, Bramwell, who was then 12 or 13 years old. Booth surprised his son by taking him to a pub! The place was crowded with men and women, some of them were drunk. Some of them were loud. The air was filled with the smell of alcohol and tobacco. After a few minutes Bramwell said to his dad, "Can we go now? Why did you even bring me in here?" William Booth said, "Son, these are our people; these are the ones I want you to love. These are the people I want you to live for. These are the people I want you to bring to Christ." Years later, Bramwell wrote, "That was a lesson I never forgot."

b. it’s a lesson still worth learning today, and it’s one of the lessons we learn from Jesus here in this story

c. those that society rejects, the Church should welcome!

3. we see here a picture of Christ’s compassion toward sinners, and His power to change human hearts

a. no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace

b. we cannot emphasize too strongly that Jesus stands ready to save those who are ready to receive Him

B. A CONVERTED PERSON IS A CHANGED PERSON

1. people who are genuinely converted will give outward evidence of their inward conversion

a. converted sinners will always come to live a life completely different from their former lives

1) for some the change is instantaneous and dramatic, for most it’s gradual

b. the words of Zacchaeus, “The half of my goods I give to the poor,” are an unmistakable proof that Zacchaeus was a new creature

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV84)

ILLUS.“God formed man ... Sin deforms man ... Jesus transforms man.” — Billy Graham

2. if you’re not being changed, if you’re not becoming ever more conformed to the character of Jesus, your conversion may not be genuine

ILLUS. In 1949 an evangelistic crusade in Los Angeles propelled a new young Baptist evangelist to national fame. His name was Billy Graham. Soon all kinds of personalities, politicians and Hollywood entertainers where going to hear Graham preach and wanting to meet him. During the Los Angeles crusade, a man named Jim Vaus walked forward and accepted Christ as his Savior. It made headlines because Vaus was working for the west coast mob. Many doubted, but Vaus’ conversion was genuine and in time he because an evangelist and Christian youth worker. Vaus worked for "Mickey" Cohen an infamous member of the Jewish-American Mafia with connections to organized crime figures across the country. Cohen was intrigued by Vaus’ decision to leave organized crime for a life of service to Jesus. His interest in Christianity brought him face to face with Billy Graham himself. They talked for hours, and by the end of the conversation it appeared that Cohen had become a Christian, too. But Cohen’s life didn’t change. Unlike Vaus, Cohen continued his life in the Mafia. When confronted with this inconsistency, he responded, "You’ve heard of Christian football players, Christian cowboys, Christian politicians — why can’t I be a Christian gangster?"

3. I think it’s safe to say that Mickey Cohen never came to an understanding of the Gospel

a. he twisted the Gospel so he could remain in his sin

1) you might call it “Twistianity”

b. I fear there are many professing Christians out there who live comfortably within their sin — they have no real desire to be conformed to the image of Christ

1) like Mickey Cohen, Twistians don’t want to be confronted with their hypocrisy and choose to stay in darkness

2) they choose instead to be Christian adulterers, Christian racists, Christian addicts, Christian gangsters, Christian gamblers, Christian drunks — the list is nearly infinite

4. Zacchaeus reminds us that a converted person is a person changed by the indwelling Christ

C. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO GRUMBLE WHEN YOU COME TO JESUS

ILLUS. Unfortunately, I’ve seen husbands grumble when their wife came to Jesus. I’ve seen parents grumble when their children came to Jesus. Some of you may have had friends grumble when you came to Jesus.

1. two kinds of people will grumble when a person comes to Jesus

a. those self-righteous religious snobs who don’t think you’re “worthy” to be part of the family of God — particularly their local church

1) can I tell you something? ... that’s all of us ... no one is “worthy” ... no one is “good enough” to enter the family of God by their own merit

b. the other group who will grumble at your conversion are the people you use to run with, the people who were just like you, who now see your changed life and are convicted by it

1) your conversion disturbs the status-quo ... it shows light on their sin, which is why they prefer the darkness

2. there will always be people who grumble when you come to Jesus ... ignore them because there is peace and joy, and exhilaration when you come to Jesus

Con. “Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:9, NIV84)

ILLUS. During the 18th century, George Whitefield was one of the great preachers of Colonial America and England. He constantly preached on salvation and the need to be born again. One day a friend ask him, “Pastor Whitefield, why do you preach so often preach on the text, ‘Ye must be born again?’” Whitefiled looked at the man and simply replied, “Because you must be born again!”

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