Zacchaeus And Jesus
ZACCHAEUS AND JESUS
LUKE 19:1-10
When a man starts giving his money away like this, he’s really repented!
Much trade passed through Jericho. It lay on the highway from the fords of the Jordan to Judea, an east-west artery of commerce. At such points there was much to gather in customs dues. Jericho, with its balsam groves, was itself a rich place. Jericho was a desirable place of residence, apart from the sultry heat, which may have been less burdensome in those days than now. There are some indications that the temperature of the whole Mediterranean area has risen over the last 2,000 years.
Zacchaeus’ eagerness to see the Lord is some indication of his deep longing for something better than the despised calling of a hated tax collector, with its temptations, corruptions and ostracism. It is an extraordinarily vivid scene, not without its humor, as the small man, forgetful of dignity, outdistances the crowd and climbs just such a roadside tree as those which may be seen in Jericho today, palms and jacarandas. The story may have been first written in Aramaic. There are numerous “ands” and turns of phrase which suggest such an original. It would be interesting to know Luke’s informant.
Observe the Lord’s warm response to the man whose humble wish was only to see him. Zacchaeus wanted a glimpse of another world, a world of peace with God and a heart at rest. He did not realize how close such a realm lies to the turmoil of common life. Like one who turns aside from some roaring motorway to picnic in peace behind a hedgerow down some quiet English lane, so those who will can step from the tumult of the world into the peace of God. The delight of the poor man is evident. Christ cannot come truly as a guest into a home without cleansing it. He cannot enter a life without bringing sanctification. It all illustrates 18:24,27.
Notes 19:3: the crowd express their hostility by keeping Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. 19:5: Jesus knows about Zacchaeus’ home. 19:8: Zacchaeus repays on the scale of Exodus 22:1 rather than Exodus 22:4,7,9; Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:7. 19:9: “son of Abraham”—spiritually as well as physically—Romans 4:16.