Luke 19:1-10 KJV – 1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
From there to the ground, from the top of the tree to the feet of Jesus, somewhere between the heavens and the earth, Zacchaeus had a heart transplant. The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel foretold of the grace of God that would perform this type of miracle in the hearts of sinful mankind. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
Previous to his personal encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus was as hard-hearted as a man could come. Luke tells us that Zacchaeus was the “chief among the publicans,” which is to say he was the head or boss over all the tax collectors. The Jews hated very few things more than a tax collector for Rome, and Zacchaeus was the boss of them all and was Jewish by birth. Luke emphasized that Zacchaeus was “rich”! Today we would call him filthy rich. The sycamore tree was not the only thing Zacchaeus had climbed―he had reached his lofty status of head tax collector, by climbing on the backs of other people.
Luke is telling this little story of Zacchaeus, within his narrative of perfect understanding of the *Gospel of Jesus Christ, to relate to his readers the effects of true salvation upon a repented sinner. One should call to mind the story of the Tower of Babel, in which men tried to build a tower to Heaven and God destroyed it. We don’t climb up to Heaven, Heaven came down to us in Jesus. Zacchaeus had to hastily come down off his lofty perch to meet Jesus on Gods terms, not mankind’s terms. When Zacchaeus obeyed the Lord, Jesus went home with him.
The false religious crowd responded to Zacchaeus’s salvation by saying Jesus was a friend of a sinner. The broad way crowd was implying that Jesus was not righteous because he associated with an unrighteous sinner like Zacchaeus. When in truth the exact opposite had happened, Zacchaeus the former sinner had become righteous, by association with Jesus. True salvation always comes with an immediate change of heart!
“And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house.”
I humbly ask everyone reading this little article to ask yourself: Has salvation come to your house? Ask yourself and God, have I truly been saved? If you stood before the judgement of God today, is there enough evidence available to convict you of being a Christian? Have you had a spiritual heart transplant or are you the same old person you have always been? Most of us believe we are not as bad as someone like Zacchaeus, and it is true―many of us are not as bad as he appeared, but we are bad enough! Are you worshipping God your way, or are you worshiping God his way?
Here are a few things Gods word says in relation to the above thoughts that we all should contemplate:
John 5:39 KJV: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Matthew 7:20-24 KJV: 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
Ephesians 4:22-25 KJV: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Luke 12:34 KJV: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
*Luke 1:3: It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,