Zacchaeus, the main character in this story, was quite an infamous guy, especially when contrasted with the many religious figures who walked the streets of Jericho, which was considered “the city of priests.” We read about his encounter with Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.
Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector, but a chief tax collector and a very wealthy man (Luke 19:1–2). Tax collectors were considered some of the worst sinners among the Jewish people, because they extorted excessive sums on behalf of the Roman occupying authority, and were considered robbers of the poor. Zacchaeus not only taxed the people, but anything he collected from them above the tribute required by Rome went straight into his own pocket.
One day something happened that completely changed Zacchaeus’ life and worldview. He had heard about Jesus and the many miracles He had performed.—Not only that, but it was said that Jesus was a friend of tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 11:19)! In fact, one of His close followers, Matthew, had himself been a tax collector in Nazareth before becoming Jesus’ disciple (Matthew 9:9).
For some time, Zacchaeus had wanted to meet the “carpenter-turned-prophet.” Maybe he wondered, “Could a man supposedly so religious be a friend of someone like me, when the priests and many people of my city despise me? Would Jesus be my friend too?” He had no real friends and he had come to the realization that his wealth did not bring true satisfaction and peace.
Then one day Jesus passed through Jericho. When Zacchaeus heard that He was in town, he dropped everything and hurried off to see for himself who Jesus was. A large crowd with Jesus in their midst was moving slowly down the road, but Zacchaeus was so short that he couldn’t see Him.
Quickly he spotted a large sycamore tree ahead of the crowd. Perhaps from that tree he would be able to see Jesus as He passed by and hear Him speak! Oblivious to what people would think of him, Zacchaeus ran past the crowd and scurried up into the tree (Luke 19:3–4). When Jesus reached the tree where Zacchaeus was perched, He turned and looking straight up at him said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5).
Zacchaeus was shocked! As he slid down from the tree, it was hard for him to believe that there hadn’t been some sort of mistake. How could Jesus have known his name? He immediately came down and joyfully escorted Jesus to his home (Luke 19:6).
Upon witnessing this, the crowd that followed grumbled indignantly, saying, “How can this be? Jesus has gone to stay with a man who is a sinner and a tax collector!” (Luke 19:7). But Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. He had looked beyond Zacchaeus’ outward appearance to see the desperate hunger for truth and salvation within his heart.
In that one encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus discovered the way to enter God’s kingdom. He received Jesus into his heart and life and home and became a follower of Jesus’ example and teaching.
Excitedly, he said, “Jesus, right here and now I declare that I will give to the poor half of everything I own! And to make amends to those whom I have cheated, I promise to restore four times the amount I took from them” (Luke 19:8). What an astonishing and costly commitment made by a man who had just experienced a dramatic life change after talking with Jesus!
Then Jesus exclaimed, within earshot of the crowd outside, “Today salvation has come to this house. For truly the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9–10).
No matter how bad Zacchaeus had been before, the Lord’s love was great enough to forgive him. In fact, there is nothing recorded of Jesus making mention of Zacchaeus’ sins, as Zacchaeus showed the tangible fruit of repentance through his actions.
Because Zacchaeus “received the Lord joyfully” (Luke 19:6), his story has echoed down through the ages as an example of how God can change the life of any person—no matter what their past or what wrongs they have committed or the bad decisions they have made—when they surrender their lives to God. In the parable of the lost sheep, a story Jesus told in response to complaints that He welcomed tax collectors and sinners, He concluded by highlighting “the great joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God” (Luke 15:1–7).
May we always rejoice in the Lord’s great love for us and His desire to seek and save every person who is lost and in need of the Savior.