Biblically in Jesus' mind a son of Abraham is a man of faith that produces works that prove he has faith, just like Abraham (Heb 11:17). Luke 19:3 says, And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature (NKJV). Jesus meets Zacchaeus in Jericho while on his way to Jerusalem for the last time. 1. According to the Roman system, men competed for certain jobs by promising to raise a specific quantity of money. Not only that, he was the chief tax collector. Zacchaeus' story is recorded in Luke 19:1-10. Which was the first Sci-Fi story to predict obnoxious "robo calls"? When Jesus saw the picture of his own destiny in Zaccheus, he invited himself to dinner to finish the picture, since when he came off the cross, he went to the marriage supper of the Lamb. I'd cite my sources here, but there are a lot. It would not be a stretch to say that Zacchaeus was seeking after the truth. May we be able to recognize its valuable teachings and comprehend them as grownups. His conscience. Many, many Jews from Galilee were passing through Jericho that day on their way to observe Passover in Jerusalem. For the wealthy, it is much more difficult to join Gods kingdom! (18:24-25) (Luke 18:24-25) The disciples were concerned about this. We too are chosen to be types of Christ and God works in the details of our lives to make us look more like Jesus every day. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. What is a son of Abraham in the eyes of Jesus. Jesus sees the hand of the Father in the intimate details of what happened and declares salvation because of the presence of the hand of God in it all. Accepting his invitation results in the remission of sins and the assurance of eternal life. God has sparked this same longing in the hearts of people of all ages many times throughout history, and this is not a new phenomenon. Jesus was merely declaring what God had done by the fruit that he saw. The tenth verse of Lukes Gospel is often regarded as the most important verse in the book. Because Zacchaeus was a tax collector, he was "excluded from membership among the people of God." And there was some reason why tax collectors were not really accepted in the house of faith. The multitude, on the other hand, murmured, implying that Jesus would be associating with sinners. 25-27). Zacchaeus must have been efficient, organized, and aggressive in his work. It is probably more preferable to treat both presents as tendential, since an iterative would imply that Zacchaeus will periodically give away his ill-gotten gain. As Jesus and the disciples did, we must go everywhere and preach the gospel, using different means. Ways we use our time, abilities, and money all show what it is that we care about or are loyal to. It was the equivalent of being a backslider, a traitor. Because Zacchaeus was a Jew did not mean that he was born saved. 2. In Dr. Thomas Constable's commentary (click the "Constable's Notes" tab), he posits a fourth option: Jesus assessed Zaccheus promises as an evidence of saving faith. BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. Zacchaeus is one of the Bible's models of repentance. As a consequence, we would be inclined to assume that there were difficulties in Zacchaeus life, possibly that his integrity was in doubt, but that a transformation took occur, a transformation that Jesus said ended in redemption. He did not come to praise the people that were already good. What Does the Bible Say About Eternal Life? He must have heard about Him before. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. But the people of Jericho were not happy with Jesus because they were not happy with Zacchaeus life. This is the day of salvation, come to this house, he declared (verse 9). They just eat, eat, eat all the time. Your email address will not be published. Once saved, we are one in Christ no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. True repentance entails a change of heart and a refrain from engaging in wrongdoing. The way Zacchaeus exhibited his repentance was by promising to donate half of his money to the poor and to make things right with anybody he had wronged in his profession as a tax collector, according to the Bible. Even if it might not seem particularly spiritual, a tree was just what he needed. Many times in the NT it says one must repent to be forgiven of sins (Mark 1:4; Luke 24:47) gladly exposing the darkness in your life so you can come to the light. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. I must stay at your house today. So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. Jesus said, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. His mother and father looked down upon him and thought he was the most precious little fellow in the worldso they named him "Pure." The old is gone! And Jesus, the Good Shepherd, called out to him anyway. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way (Luke 19:4 NKJV). Our lecture has various practical applications, which are as follows: The reality of the matter is that opportunities to get back on track with God do not always present themselves day after day and year after year. Jesus calls out to him. The disciples obeyed Him as Mark 16:20 says they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. His encounter with Jesus changed his life. Excited. 08/23/19-Faith When I was growing up, we had a huge tree in the center of our front yard that was rather large in comparison to the other trees we had in the yard. 5When Jesus arrived at the location, he raised his eyes to the sky and urged to him, Please, Zacchaeus, come down right away. vv. Jesus had just arrived in Jericho and was travelling through town when the story begins. Were Jesus and Zacchaeus previously acquainted? A tax is money collected by a government from its citizens. He was the main tax collector and he was extremely wealthy. His name means 'pure' and as the chief tax collector in a tree he portrayed Christ on the cross in the same manner as the serpent which was lifted up in the wilderness. The author of this devotional essay was serving as a missionary in Italy at the time of its publication. Zacchaeus the Tax Collector - Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. He was a tax collector. Learn Religions, Apr. Despite this, many individuals continue through life putting off responding to Gods call on their lives. One of the factors contributing to their dreariness was that they had misconceptions about what the Messiah ought to look like. There is no sinner too lost to be saved. Although he had achieved financial success, he felt that something was lacking from his life; and that'something' had everything to do with Jesus. He couldnt do what Jesus asked him to do. Zacchaeus promises were clearly not hollow, and Jesus was not deceived by them. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More. On the surface, it was almost as if Billy Graham had arrived in town and decided to stay with the proprietor of a downtown bar! Ralph Earle pass by lightly because it is one that is relevant to us short people: The gospel is not simply for those who are tall, black, and good-looking, though. The Jews knew that Jesus was making reference to this fact and it offended them. They began to converse in whispers amongst one other. As a bride of Christ figuratively, his actions of giving away his possessions and restoring what he had taken completes the picture since Christ and his bride are 'fruitful'. According to the story in Luke, when a crowd gathered to see Jesus near Jericho, Zacchaeus climbs into a sycamore to get a better view. Both the Jews and the Gentiles need salvation. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. They had to obey Roman laws and submit to Roman authority. Confused. John 19:5 Was Pilate alluding to Jesus being the Son of Man? Zacchaeus, on the other hand, was profoundly transformed as a result of his experience with Jesus. All rights are retained around the world. No. Zacchaeus was much smaller than everyone else in the crowd that surrounded Jesus. Therefore, he raced ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to have a better view of him, since Jesus was on his approach to him from that direction. Thus Zacchaeus motivation for giving is not to detach himself from his possessions but to make a significant contribution to Jesus mission to the poor. 1-4 Since Zacchaeus is small he is overwhelmed by the crowd in his attempts to see Jesus. Maybe you remember the story. by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? April | 71 views, 5 likes, 1 loves, 2 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from South Asheboro Church of God: A Longing For God Rev. The tax collector was overjoyed, but the rest of the throng was enraged that Jesus would chose such a deplorable individual to greet Him (Matthew 9:11). Nobody is born saved. righteousness. It is likely that people were jeering at Zacchaeus as he was climbing that tree. He worked as a tax collector, which meant that he was despised by the majority of the population. Then, as Jesus passed by, he suddenly stopped, looked up and called out Zacchaeus by name. And John 10:3, which tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His dearly loved sheep, says: The sheep listen to His voice. Yet, he desired to see Jesus, and he was determined to do so. According to Jesus response, Things that are impossible with people are possible with God. (Luke 18:26-27; Matthew 18:26-27) Today we will hear a tale about another wealthy individual who came face to face with Jesus. Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? Jesus answered, Things that are impossible with people are possible with God. (Luke 18:26-27), Today we are going to read a story about another rich man who met up with Jesus. Luke also records this but there is not such an emphasis on the Jews, because Matthews gospel was written to the Jews. Jesus went from Palestine to an area east of the Jordan River known as Perea, where he remained for about four months before his death on the cross. Based on this story, we can easily see Zacchaeus' character. Website: www.cedarministry.org. Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus, suggesting that his interest went deeper than mere curiosity. He serves as the worship pastor at Calvary Longmont in Colorado, and on his weekends, he and his family go hiking and exploring in the Rocky Mountains. Its extremely possible that the Holy Spirit had been looking for Zacchaeus and encouraging him from the beginning of the story. Every time a citizen had to pay money to a tax collector, they probably thought really bad thoughts about the person taking their money. In 5e D&D and Grim Hollow, how does the Specter transformation affect a human PC in regards to the 'undead' characteristics and spells? As a result, please forward this communication to your friends and coworkers. Some of us recall that Jesus once stated something to the effect that it is difficult for affluent people to join the kingdom of God. This tells us that Zacchaeus was desperate, almost obsessed with seeing Jesus. Zacchaeus had a similar appearance to a caterpillar before he met Jesus. Jesus singled him out and invited himself to Zacchaeus' house for dinner, much to the grumbles of the crowd. But how is that possible? Small in stature, Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus passing by. But he was a short man. As a procrastinator, Zacchaeus would have remarked something like, The crowds likely to be enormous today. It wasn't enough for Zacchaeus to find and see Jesus. @Kazark, I added ending statement in response. Youll be pleased you took the time to read this. That is exactly what occurred to Zacchaeus when he made the decision to repent and follow Christ. And Making reparation will help me maintain my moral integrity as a believer. He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.. He had a birds-eye perspective of everything that was going on. There was a guy there by the name of Zacchaeus, who was a renowned tax collector and a wealthy man in his own right. Jesus didnt come to call the righteous but sinners, to repentance. Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. One day Jesus was passing through Jericho, and as usual, the crowd gathered because of Him. Jesus' repeating of the noun "oikos-house/home" shows a connection between the two references. List of Zacchaeus actions that I believe expose his heart in the text: "he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him". He like some of the things that Jesus said, but he wasnt ready to give up everything to be part of the kingdom. If he had considered his status, he wouldnt have done so and Jesus wouldnt have seen him. Main Point: Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The rich man must humble himself as Zacchaeus did. However, the significance of this occurrence in the life of Christ, and definitely in the life of Zacchaeus, did not lie in the type of tree, the size of the tree, or the difficulty of climbing the tree. In the concluding verse of our lesson, Jesus outlined the primary reason for His entry into the world. Knowing that Jesus would pass by a certain sycamore tree, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed the tree, figuring he could see Jesus passing below. This would have been an extravagant donation, given that rabbinic law actually discouraged giving in excess of twenty percent of ones goods. He also represented Jesus being 'least' in stature. Why did Jesus call himself the Son of Man? "Meet Zacchaeus: Short, Dishonest Tax Collector Who Found Christ." If only the people in the crowd had opened their eyes to that truth, they would have been rejoicing that Zacchaeus was about to become a whole new person instead of complaining about Jesus friendship with a sinner.. Jesus must pay a visit to our home today, just as he did to Zacchaeus. He could have allowed his ego or peoples hatred for him to prevent him from going to see Jesus. The vast majority of adults pay taxes on their earnings at work, on the items they buy, on their houses, and on their automobiles. By Zacchaeus accepting / receiving Jesus into the place he lives, is expressing the fact that Zacchaeus has nothing to hide and in fact gladly receives Jesus into the most intimate place of his life. CHAPTER 19. He most likely collected taxes from other tax collectors and then sent the money over to the Roman authorities to be spent. In effect his sin blinded him. He loved his money so much that he didnt want to give it up, even to follow the Son of God. Then who can be saved? they asked. So people began to whisper and complain, even though every single person in Jericho that day was a sinner just like Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus is a man who wants to see Jesus but because of his short . The account closely follows the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-30), in which Jesus declares that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The people following him asked, Then who can be saved? Jesus reply was that What is impossible with men is possible with God (vv. Also that he was a rich man. Jesus died for the world. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? As a result, whenever I heard the Bible narrative of Zacchaeus, as told in Luke 19, I always thought of that tree and felt a connection to the tale since we had a sycamore tree growing in our backyard. As a crowd forms around Jesus, Zacchaeus is too short to see Him through the crowd. Those who are well, have no need of a physician but those who are sick. @Jed - To my mind, I guess I feel it doesn't do justice to Luke's own voice to explain him simply by using Paul. Jesus wanted to find Zacchaeus. This does not match the context or the tone of the narrative which is that of a shocking reconciliation of a traitor, nor does it match the immediacy of Jesus declaration that Today salvation has come. Additionally, Metzger argues for the possibility that Zacchaeus is not pledging to give half to the poor and keep half of his wealth but to give away his half of all that he owns, on the basis of an early Greek uncial that includes a possessive, genitive pronoun. Jesus sees value in every person. Respond as Zacchaeus did. Everybody needs Jesus whatever is his social and financial status. Perhaps you recall the events in the narrative. In fact, Zacchaeus was so moved that he sprang to his feet and said (in the original Greek), Here and now, I am donating half of my assets to the needy! He also agreed to restore whatever money he had wrongfully taken from others, as well as 400 percent of the money he had wrongfully taken from them. You are a member of Abrahams family line. My soul will be cleansed as a result of the restitution. It was a sycamore fig tree. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will make good on my promise to reimburse them. Zacchaeus in the Sycamore Tree by James Tissot. So Jesus told the man to sell everything and give the money to the poor. He worked as a tax collector in the city of Jericho and learnt that Jesus, the prophet, would be travelling through the town. We cannot emphasize this enough: Jesus is always available to save those who are willing to accept Him, 3) A converted person is a different person from before.