Jump Start # 76

Luke 19:5 “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’”

  So many of us fondly remember singing the song about the “wee little man who climbed up in the Sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.” Zaccheus is one of a host of people that got to meet Jesus personally. The Gospel records these events, and supplies us with many of their names, as if a footnote, to verify these things.

  Zaccheus is a curious study. He had many things against him. First, his size. Luke tells us, “he was small in stature.” You can imagine the jokes and the teasing that would never seem to end. Those with big noses, large ears, red hair, real tall, real small, know this world all too well. You’ve heard it all of your life. It gets old but it never seems to stop. And deep inside it hurts. Secondly, Zaccheus had become a tax collector, and not only that, but a chief tax collector. A Jew working with and for the Romans. Despised. Viewed as cheats. Considered traitors. He was collecting funds for a government that kept Israel under it’s thumb. And thirdly, Luke tells us that Zaccheus was rich. He was good at his job. Maybe this was to compensate for the jokes about his size, or the rude comments about his job. Sometimes we hide behind possessions to make us feel like we are someone. That hasn’t changed today.

  But on this day, our little tax man has heard of Jesus. The Lord was in the area and was coming through Jericho. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He had an appointment with the cross, but He made time for Zaccheus. The impression we have from the text is that the streets were lined with people. Zaccheus couldn’t see, so he climbed up to get a view. Was this like the President passing by, he just wanted a glimpse? Maybe he heard that Jesus was a friend of the outcasts. He had healed lepers, been to the home of Simon the leper, and among the chosen apostles was a tax collector, Matthew. This was worth seeing. This man was different. He was more than talk, He was the fresh air that many had been looking forward to for a long time.

  While passing through Jericho, Jesus not only saw Zaccheus up in the tree, but He stopped, He spoke, and then He invited Himself to his home. Jesus called him by name. Zaccheus must have thought, ‘How does He know me?’ ‘How does He know my name?’ This was acceptance. This was more than Zaccheus even imagined. Rarely did Jesus invite Himself to someone’s home, but He did here. Maybe He thought that Zaccheus would never do it, thinking that the likes of Jeuss would never come to my home. Jesus proved otherwise.

  When the critics raised their ugly voices, Jesus defended Zaccheus. He said, ‘Today, salvation has come to this house…” Great expression! Who came to Zaccheus’ home? Jesus. Jesus is salvation. But also, Jesus brought salvation. Jewish tax collectors could find a place in the kingdom of Christ. This encounter affected and changed Zaccheus. He promised to make things right. He was given hope, salvation and more than that, someone really cared about him.

  Before we leave this, there is a parallel lesson for us. As we journey life, are we content with just a passing glimpse of Jesus? All I want to do is just see Him? The Lord wants more. He stops right in front of you, and calls you by your name. You see, Jesus knows you, too. He wants to bring salvation to your house. Are you willing to change? Are you hurrying to get down out of your tree? Had Jesus not stopped, had He not spoken, Zaccheus would not have changed. Zaccheus was looking and he found more than he expected. You always will with Jesus.

 Roger