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Jesus and Zacchaeus
Genesis 3:8-9; Revelation 2:1-7; Luke 19:1-10
October 31, 2004
The Rev. Kong Namkung

The common denominator between a terrorist, who tries to destroy a building, and a pastor, who tries to preach, is that they "cannot be negotiated with."  Today’s scripture lesson is a story about two collectors.  But there are two different kinds of collectors: Jesus and Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus means “righteous one,” how ironic for he was an unscrupulous tax collector. Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were little more than government sanctioned crooks, in the Gospels they were mentioned together with “sinners” and “prostitutes.”  Taxes were collected at three places inland – Capernaum, Jerusalem and Jericho, so Zacchaeus had one of the big three. Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector, but he was a chief tax collector in verse 2 “he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.”  His main concern was to collect money for Roman Empire and for himself. 

Jesus is The Collector of lost souls. For in verse 10 we read, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”  It is very important thing to see in today’s scripture lesson that Zacchaeus and Jesus are searching for each other.

Zacchaeus was searching for Jesus. Even though Zacchaeus had lots of money and a high social status, he was not happy with his life.  He was searching for true happiness and meaningful life. 

Jesus was searching for the lost soul before he entered into the city of Jerusalem, where he was betrayed by one of his disciples and died on the cross.   The trip to Jericho for Jesus was the last moment for him to save another soul before his death.  Jesus was searching for the lost soul in Jericho.

When it comes to this issue of us searching for God and God searching for us, the Bible is very clear that it is God who initiates the search.  In our Old Testament lesson, for example, immediately after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned, it was God who responded first.  And it was God who responded first to Moses by appearing to him in the burning bush.  It was God who called a young child Samuel in the temple. What is true in the Old Testament is also true in the New. God makes the first move when He sent Jesus into the world. It was God, who appeared to Saul and called him to be the missionary to the Gentile world. 

In Luke 19:1, we discover that the only reason Zacchaeus hears about Jesus is because Jesus makes the first move when he entered Jericho to pass through. It is a great thing to look for Jesus, but can I tell you something even greater. Jesus is looking for you and me.  The very moment you and I got up this morning Jesus was looking for us. As you and I were looking for our clothes this morning Jesus was looking for us.  When we are too busy to find Jesus in our work place, Jesus is still looking for us. 

Jesus is looking for us in order to give us two things. The number one thing he is looking to give us is spiritual salvation.  Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house…” (v9) Jesus came into the house of Zacchaeus.  Although it is not stated I believe that Jesus sat down to dinner with Zacchaeus. Wouldn’t you have liked to seat in on that meal with Jesus, listening to the dinner conversation? Did Jesus explain to Zacchaeus all about God, conversion and what it means to follow him? Or did Jesus just let Zacchaeus tell him about himself and his problems?

As we are sitting with Jesus, you and I can know today that we are saved. And the second thing he is looking to give us is an ongoing personal relationship with him so that we may have life abundantly.  “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today…” (V5) The word “Must” is a translation of the Greek word (dei) meaning it was necessary. This meeting was ordained before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-6). I believe that Jesus came to Jericho for the purpose of seeking Zacchaeus. The same Jesus comes into your heart today and wants to have a relationship with you.

Some people think that it’s only when we get to heaven that we will get to spend time with Jesus. No! He wants us to spend time with him down here. When we get to heaven and see Jesus he wants it to be a meeting of friends, not strangers. To further prove that Jesus is always looking for us take a look at verse 5. ‘When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus…” Jesus knows our name and he knows where we are.   Maybe the world does not know your name.  Maybe people in your neighbors do not know your name, or maybe people at this church do not know your name, but Jesus know your name.  God has inscribed your name in the palms of God’s hands.  Your name is the book of life and Satan cannot take away your name from the book of life.  Because Jesus knows your name and he is searching for you.

The question is not whether Jesus is looking for us, but are we looking for Jesus? There are two times people usually go looking for Jesus. Most of us fit into this one. We go looking for Jesus when we lose something or everything, or when you are in trouble.  A crisis happens in our lives and we turn to God. 

For example, after Jesus cast out unclean spirits from a man in Capernaum, many demon-possessed people came to Jesus, because they had a trouble in their lives.  As soon as Jesus healed them, they went their own way.  C.S. Lewis said that pain is God’s megaphone.  Then, we have people like Zacchaeus who look for Jesus not because they lose everything or we are in trouble, but because they have everything and yet they still feel empty.

Zacchaeus had every want met except one. He wanted to see Jesus. And everything Zacchaeus did in order to see Jesus and everything Zacchaeus did after he met Jesus showed that his desire to see Jesus was more important than any other want he had. Can we see here that wanting to see Jesus takes some creativity and work on our part?  “He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” (V3-4)   He was willing to put himself in an unusual place in order to see Jesus.  He freely did something others might think was silly – like climb a tree.  Zacchaeus worked on his part, which caused him to have salvation.

Why did Zacchaeus want so desperately to see Jesus? I want to suggest several intriguing possibilities. First, It may be that he had heard of Jesus through the acquaintance of another tax collector, Levi also called Matthew, had also been a tax collector prior to becoming a disciple of Jesus (Luke 5:27-31). Perhaps Matthew reaching out to his former circle of friends had told Zacchaeus about Jesus and what a change he had made in his life.

Secondly, I have to believe that Zacchaeus had found his wealth and lifestyle unsatisfying.

How often even today, do we hear of people who seem to have it all as far as the things of this world, who find their lives very unsatisfying? You may be experiencing unease; nothing in your life is satisfying. Perhaps like Zacchaeus you lack peace, you lack wholeness, and you need something more than this life can offer. Third, It is very likely that Zacchaeus was tired of being hated. When people hassled him, he deserved what he got, but it no doubt made him miserable. In short Zacchaeus was tired of living his sad little life.

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus and climbed the sycamore tree.  If we will provide the “want to,” God will provide the “how to”.   When we speak of wanting to see Jesus, we are speaking of a wanting that is intense. We can’t be unsure or casual about wanting to see Jesus. Zacchaeus had an intense wanting to see Jesus so he ran ahead. And because Zacchaeus had an intense wanting to see Jesus God provided the how to. He needed a how to because being a short man he could not see Jesus because of the crowd. The” how to” God provided was the tree. 

After Jesus ascended into heaven, God provided another “how to” which is the word of God. This Bible is the only completely accurate way you and I can see Jesus. As we study and pray God’s word will reveal Jesus to us.

Finding Jesus will change your life. It changed Zacchaeus’ life. When Zacchaeus found Jesus, he immediately rearranged his priorities. “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (V8) Nowhere does it say that Jesus asked Zacchaeus to give so much money away or to pay back four times the amount he had cheated people out of. It appears that Zacchaeus made that decision all by himself.  I heard many sermons and discussion about how and what Zacchaeus responded to Jesus.  I believe that it is time that we should focus on Jesus rather than Zacchaeus.  I do believe that Jesus’ presence and his power were tremendous and beyond his imagination.  So Jesus’ presence changed him.   His power transformed Zacchaeus. His love for Zacchaeus made him give up half of his possessions.

I like what Kent Hughes says concerning this verse; “Jesus said over and over that it is useless to talk about loving him and trusting him and having the sweet assurance of forgiveness and the glorious hope of Heaven unless it makes a difference in our material attachments…. Jesus’ repeated emphasis is that though generosity is not the means of redemption, it is an evidence of redemption. In fact, generosity and giving are pillars of discipleship.” [Kent R. Hughes. Luke: That You Might Know the Truth. Vol. 2 (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1998) p. 226]

People, who have a genuine encounter with Jesus, do not always need to be told what to do. They just do everything both gladly and generously. And you know people have had a genuine encounter with Jesus when they start parting with their money.

In conclusion, God is here looking for you and me. He is looking to save us and he is looking to live in us. The question we need to ask ourselves is this, “Are we looking for him?”.  If you are looking for him, then you can find him today. ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.”(Rev 3:10)  If you hear him knocking on your heart today let him in. When Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in the tree, he asked him to come down. Zacchaeus then had to make that decision. He could stay in the tree or he could come down. He came down. It is possible that he was the most hungry for a new life that only God could give him. In the eyes of the world, Zacchaeus was a traitorous, despised nobody, but in the eyes of Jesus he was a precious lost sinner. Today you can come to Jesus. The possibility of being saved is God’s gift to everyone and it is never too late to repent and turn to God. Zacchaeus is one of examples of sudden and surprising conversions.

Perhaps you already know Jesus, but you are not free of those things that you once loved. Today God can give you a desire to rid yourselves of anything that would come between you and him. I mentioned that Jesus is a collector of lost souls. Today he would love to add some more people to his collection. Will you be the first today?

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Genesis 3:8-9

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
NIV

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Revelation 2:1-7

2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
NIV

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Luke 19:1-10

19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
NIV

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