Extending Grace • Luke 19:1-10
By Jessica McMillan
“Zaccheus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in the sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the savior passed that way he looked up in the tree, and he said, ‘Zaccheus, you come down, for I’m going to your house today.’” Did that song take you back to childhood? We teach kids the story about a short man who found a way to see Jesus, but there is so much more to learn from this encounter between Jesus and a man whose life was radically changed because of it.
Luke 19:1-4
Zaccheus is described as a “chief” tax collector. In Roman culture, that meant that he was not just part of a system that was known to exploit people financially, he likely supervised other tax collectors and profited from the taxes they collected. He was a wealthy man, and most people would have considered it to be “dirty” money. Curious about who Jesus was but unable to see above the gathering crowd, Zaccheus went and climbed up a tree so he could see. For a wealthy public official, climbing a tree would have seemed undignified, unexpected, and childish. Many in the crowd probably viewed Zaccheus with contempt because of his reputation.
Luke 19:5-6
As Jesus arrived at the spot where Zaccheus was watching, the use of words is interesting.
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (v. 5 NIV). First, Jesus called him by name. Zaccheus simply wanted to see who Jesus was, but Jesus already knew who Zaccheus was. Then Jesus told him to do something “immediately.” A man like Zaccheus likely did not take commands from others. Then Jesus said he must stay with him that day. What might have appeared to Zaccheus to be a coincidence was indeed a divine appointment that was completely intentional. Jesus took the initiative because that is what he does. He seeks out those lost ones who need him — from the woman at the well all the way to the thief on the cross, and so many others — including you and me.
Luke 19:7-10
The people in the crowd gasped and grumbled in disapproval that Jesus would lower himself to associate with such a traitor, and they were horrified because Zaccheus would not have been the most likely host. But the text states that Zaccheus welcomed him “gladly.” Jesus was not concerned about protecting his own reputation from those who misunderstood his mission to bring others into the knowledge and grace of God. The result of this unexpected meeting was the changed heart of a greedy man. Zaccheus acknowledged his wrongdoing publicly and committed to make restitution for what he had done. His promise of fourfold reimbursement echoes the generous restitution described in the Old Testament and demonstrates the sincerity of his repentance. And the point of this whole exchange was for Jesus to exemplify that he came to seek and to save the lost. Zaccheus thought he was the one doing the seeking and did not know he was “lost.” His encounter with Jesus led him to a change of heart and demonstrates how love for God overflows into love for others. It is important to remember that God’s grace is sufficient for all people and reaches those that others might dismiss. We want God’s grace in our own lives, but we should be careful to remember that no one is beyond God’s reach.
McMillan is on faculty at NOBTS and is a member of Roseland Park Baptist Church, Picayune.
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