The account of the Lord’s visit to Zacchaeus’s house, found in Luke 19,is a favorite of many a child of God, young and old. It has inspired songs, children’s books, gospel messages, and even an occasional magazine article. Contained in this story is a unique and consequential act of the Lord Jesus. But let’s start at the beginning.
The Lord’s journey
The Lord was on a journey, and He had two specific stops. He was passing through Jericho, but this was not His final destination. He was actually on a journey to Jerusalem where He would fulfill the purpose for which He came to Earth. Earlier in Luke, we are told that “He set His face toward Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51). Jerusalem, or rather the cross on Calvary, a hill outside Jerusalem, was the Lord’s ultimate destiny.
Everything else along the way was merely part of the journey. But everything along the way was also consequential. Nothing happened by chance. Rather, every event was designed to teach those who were watching that Jesus was the promised Son of God. John ended his Gospel by reminding us that “these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:31). This story of Zacchaeus is no exception. It, too, is recorded so that we would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners.
But before Jerusalem, the Lord had another stop in mind. He planned to go to Zacchaeus’s house. It was not a spur of the moment decision even though, in this case, the host wasn’t aware of the role he would play. We understand that Zacchaeus is the supporting actor in this event. The Holy Spirit inserted into the account the word behold. In other words, “Readers, pay attention! Something special is about to happen.”
Zacchaeus was an unlikely host. He was a rich man and tax collector. As a tax collector, he was an employee of the Roman government and, by default, not a very popular person in Jericho. His name actually means “pure” and you can only imagine how much abuse he took being the city tax collector with such a name. However, despite being disliked, he was an important man in town. Jericho was known for its prosperous balsam trade, and Zacchaeus would have played an important role in that trade. Everyone in town would have been acquainted with him. Everyone in town would have an opinion about the type of person he was.
Zacchaeus’s journey
When Zacchaeus is introduced to the readers, we find him striving to get a glimpse of Jesus! Praise God when people hear a little about the Son of God and want to know more. When the Spirit of God moves people to respond to the revelation of truth, great things happen—in fact, miraculous things happen! Zacchaeus is an excellent example.
Zacchaeus went to great lengths to see the One whom he was seeking. He was too short to see Jesus Christ merely by standing on his own two feet. He searched, and found a sycamore tree. The fruit of the sycamore tree is normally fed to pigs—a thoroughly unclean animal. This meant that Zacchaeus had to abandon virtually all of his pride in order to see the Lord. He had to admit to the crowd (by his actions) that he was too short to see the Lord, and he had to climb a tree known for being unclean. In other words, Zacchaeus had to humble himself, reckon himself inadequate, and come to an end of himself. That is the first step necessary in order to truly see Jesus as the Son of God who came to save sinners. We must follow Zacchaeus’s example. We must abandon all concern over what others think; we must abandon our concern over our own reputation, and must be willing to bear the shame to identify with Christ.
The Lord’s invitation
Notice the excitement and the commitment with which Zacchaeus pursues his desire to see Jesus. The Bible says that “he ran on ahead” (Lk. 19:4). People run when they have a purpose, and Zacchaeus was determined to see the Lord Jesus. But Christ was even more determined to see Zacchaeus. The Lord Jesus “looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down.” Normally as one walks through the streets, he looks forward. However, Jesus looked up! He knew where Zacchaeus was, He knew who Zacchaeus was, and He knew what Zacchaeus needed. Jesus Christ may have been just passing through Jericho, but His journey had a purpose—to seek and to save the lost.
The Lord Jesus not only looked up for, and called to, Zacchaeus, but also invited Himself to Zacchaeus’s house. A careful study of Scripture will reveal that this is the only time when the Lord Jesus invited Himself to someone else’s house. Clearly this is something noteworthy! The only time that Jesus Christ invited Himself to someone else’s house involved a short, but determined, tax collector. In visiting Zacchaeus’s house, Jesus Christ declared, “Today, salvation has come to this house” (Lk. 19:9). When the Lord Jesus said that salvation had come to this house, He wasn’t talking about a doctrine or a sacrament; He was referring to Himself, for salvation is a person: the Son of God.
What lessons can we learn from the Lord’s unprecedented invitation to Zacchaeus’s house?
The crowd declared, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (v. 7). However the Lord didn’t care that the whole crowd grumbled that He was going to a tax collector’s home. He cared about only one thing: salvation for a sinner!
The Lord uses this event to once again declare His purpose: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). The Lord’s actions reinforced His statement. He sought Zacchaeus and then saved him. The Lord continues to do the same today. He seeks sinners and saves them.
Next, look at the reality of the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. Zacchaeus received the Son of God with joy. His countenance changed, and so did his character. All his life, Zacchaeus had accumulated wealth. It is very likely that much of his wealth was accumulated dishonestly. However, after a visit from Jesus Christ, Zacchaeus declared his intention to give away half of his earthly goods to the poor and to restore fourfold that which he had gained dishonestly. Zacchaeus met the Savior, and the Savior changed the sinner. The crowd complained when Christ invited Himself to Zacchaeus’s house, but their grumblings soon changed to amazement. No one could argue that Zacchaeus was a new man.
Isn’t that the expected result of a visit from the Lord Jesus? Shouldn’t the fact that He sought us and saved us result in an obvious change in our lives? Of course, the answer is yes! Yes, we should expect that a visit from the Master will result in a dramatically changed life. Yes, we should expect that when Jesus saves us, He changes us. In that sense, Zacchaeus is an accurate representative of many of us. Prior to the Lord’s saving us, we were living our lives for our own satisfaction and our own benefit.
Jesus Christ invited Himself into your life when He took your place on the cross! Have you answered the invitation? If not, please follow Zacchaeus’s example.
If Christ is a guest in your home, do you make Him feel welcome? There is no better houseguest than the Son of God who has come to seek and to save sinners.