1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. — Luke 19:1-10
Maybe some of you have heard the little song “Zacchaeus Was A Wee Little Man”. It is a fun little song to sing with a group of children. At Camp Del-Haven, we have sung this song many times throughout the years. This song does not adequately describe the change in Zacchaeus after the Lord Jesus met with him.
As we read in verse 2, Zacchaeus was a publican (a dirty rotten tax collector). In fact, it states that he was “chief “ among the tax collectors. During that time, the tax collectors would take taxes from the Jews and give it to the Romans. Tax collectors were known for collecting more than the required amount and they would keep the extra for themselves. Basically they would legally steal from the people.
Verse 2 also indicates that Zacchaeus was rich. So, he was good at stealing from the people. In John 10:27, we read, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” The Lord Jesus called Zacchaeus by name and saved him. Zacchaeus was made a “new creature”. He vowed to give half of his goods to the poor and pay back anyone that he had treated wrongly, plus interest.
This account of Zacchaeus in God’s Word clearly illustrates 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Can you see the change in Zacchaeus? Praise The Lord!
— written by Jeff Hall
