Zacchaeus Transformed

Jesus makes his way past Zacchaeus' perch and the unthinkable happens. Jesus stops, looks up and calls Zacchaeus. He says in Luke 19:5, "Hurry and come down for I must eat at your house today."

Again Zacchaeus serves as example for us. It says he hurried down and received Jesus joyfully. What a vivid picture of faith in action. Jesus called him and he hurried down. He received him joyfully. There was no hesitation. There was only joy.

Now we aren't told the inner thoughts of Zacchaeus as he took Jesus and his disciples back to his home. We don't know what Jesus said as they ate dinner. We don't know what questions Zacchaeus asked of the Lord. But what is evident in what Zacchaeus says next is that his joyful reception of Jesus was more than just polite hospitality. He had received Jesus into more than just his home. He had received him by faith in his heart. He believed in Him. He trusted in him. An inward change, a change of heart had occurred in Zacchaeus. He would never be the same.

In the midst of the meal, verse 8 says, "And Zacchaeus stood..." and, friends, he never stood taller than the moment he first spoke to Jesus as his Lord. Jesus was not just teacher, Zacchaeus called him, Lord.

He said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."

What an incredible transformation! What an example of faith in action. The formerly greedy man gladly gives away half his money to the poor. The former swindler vows to repay every person he had stolen from 4 times over! I believe Jesus draws our attention to the story of Zacchaeus because his faith embodies several things that Jesus wanted to teach his disciples and to us. Look back at Chapter 18. Right before we meet Zacchaeus, Jesus tells the story of a tax collector in verses 9-14 who found mercy from God when he acknowledged that he was an unworthy sinner. Zacchaeus' life is an example that God does indeed forgive and justify the worst sinner who will ask for mercy.

Then in verse 15 Jesus used children as an example of the kind of faith needed to enter his kingdom. In verse 16 he said, "let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

Doesn't Zacchaeus model for us this kind of childlike faith? He climbed a tree, he hurried down, he received Jesus with joy, and then he rushed to obey Him. He trusted without reservation. He had faith like a child.

Finally, in verses 18-30 we read of the interaction Jesus had with a rich young ruler. This man wanted eternal life, he wanted to receive the Kingdom of God, but he walked away from Jesus when Jesus asked him to sell his possessions. He couldn't part with his wealth, so he passed up eternal salvation.

Do you remember what Jesus said? In verse 24 Jesus commented with sadness on how difficult it is for rich people to enter the kingdom. He said it was easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

His disciples were shocked. They said, "Then who can be saved?"

And Jesus answered them in verse 27, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Those words must have been ringing in the disciples ears as they watched Zacchaeus stand up and joyfully announce that he was going to give away half his money and pay back all he had stolen four times over.

I'm not the best at math, but if you give away half of all you have and then you pay back all you've stolen times four, when most of what you have has been stolen, I'm not sure you're left with anything! But guess what? Zacchaeus doesn't care. He's happy to give it all away! He's just gained eternal life!

Sitting there in Zacchaeus' house, the disciples are seeing a camel go through the eye of a needle. In Zacchaeus, we see the impossible made possible by God!