SEEING ZACCHAEUS

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Perhaps you remember hearing about the man too short to see over the crowd who climbed a tree to see Jesus? That makes for a good image to hang on the wall in kids’ church, but it does not tell us the point of the encounter. 

In today’s study of the way that Jesus Christ interacted with the people that he came across in life, we are going to learn even more about how our Lord treated those that others looked at with subhuman disdain. 

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 because he was short he could not see over 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 the lost.”

(Luke 19:1-10 NIV11)

In the kids’ stories from church, this man is depicted as a tiny, shrew-like person that only wanted to see Jesus out of selfish curiosity. But when we stop and recount what the text says about this man, here is what we learn:

Zacchaeus – This name is the Greek form of Zakkai, which when not used as a proper name has a meaning of clean or innocent. 

Chief Toll Collector – This is the only use of this term in all of ancient Greek literature. He was a significant official that headed up the collection of duties and taxes from those traveling up from Egypt to Jerusalem. We do not know for whom he collected taxes. He could have been a part of the Jewish taxation system or the Roman, we just can’t say. 

Short – The man was of small stature (Greek word is that of “micros”). This is nothing more than a physical attribute, it has no bearing on his character. 

Tree Climbing – Even though he was wealthy and carried significance in the city, the crowds dismissed him and would not make room for him. This shows a rejection of the man by the populace. 

What can we learn from the way Jesus treated this man?

•  The man that the crowds refused to recognize was singled out by Jesus and called by name in the hearing of everyone in the community. 
•  Jesus made it clear that Zacchaeus, who did not even know what Jesus looked like, was well-known to the Lord. 
•  By seeking the hospitality, Jesus showed Zacchaeus and the whole community that this man was someone with whom Lord wanted to associate and be friends. 
•  Those watching did not like the idea of Jesus and Zacchaeus sharing hospitality. They murmured against this invitation based on their views of Zacchaeus’ character. 
•  Unlike the encounter with Matthew, Jesus did not have to step in and defend the man, Zacchaeus spoke for himself and made it plain that he was no longer the man that he had once been. Now he would serve the people rather than take from them. 
•  Jesus declares that this once lost man was now included in the change of heart, mind, and soul that accompanies all who are followers of Jesus Christ. 

Point

Jesus took a chance on Zacchaeus. 

He refused to write the man off as a lost cause and instead engaged with him and showed him that the Lord was deeply involved in Zacchaeus’ life. This is a story about the power of showing love over hate and the results speak for themselves. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me see those in my life today that I would normally write off as unimportant or a lost cause. Help me engage with others in a way that shows them that they are loved. Help me be a part of another Zacchaeus moment. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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