Author: Bill Hall

And he was looking to see who Jesus was, but he could not from the crowd, because he was a little person.

Luke 19:3

Zacchaeus was born with a name that meant his parents expected he would be ‘pure and innocent’. But not far into his life it became obvious that he would have a unique physical characteristic that his society would not accept well. The Greek here indicates that he was not simply shorter than most. Zacchaeus was, very likely, a little person.

And just as the blind man earlier in this chapter, Zacchaeus had a different understanding of Jesus than most of the people. He understood the significance of Jesus, and he wanted so very much to see Him because of it. He knew that Jesus held the key to the innocent purity that his society had refused to ascribe to him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and understanding. You know our makeup. Many of us may think well of ourselves because society accepts us. But, truly, only being accepted by You makes any difference at all. You are the ‘measure of a man’, and only You can determine our true value. We praise You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Now look, there was a man whose name was called Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and this man was rich.

Luke 19:2

The Greek here surrounding the name of Zacchaeus is very interesting. It basically says that this man’s name was named Zacchaeus. This indicates that there was some present significance to his name.

Names are a big deal, especially in antiquity. Their meaning can hold a lot of significance and meant to be consistent with that person’s character. Zacchaeus was likely named this at birth, but he had evidently not strayed far from it in his practice in spite of his choice of occupation. Thus, it seems, at least to those who knew him well, Zacchaeus lived in a manner consistent with this moniker. Zacchaeus means ‘pure’ or ‘innocent’ in Hebrew.

Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing us so well! You understand us like no other. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. We cannot live without You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Luke 19:1

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the Triumphal Entry. Jericho holds a lot of history and was a particularly significant illustration of the victory the Lord had given to His people. Jesus may have thought of the walls that fell flat as He rode through.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the victory You can give us. There is nowhere else to turn for peace. You alone have it, and you alone can impart it to us. It is perfect peace, powerful peace, and personal peace. This world will never know such peace until You change all things. Thank You for Your peace! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And immediately he regained his sight. Then he followed Him, praising God. When all the people saw, they gave praise to God.

Luke 18:43

This man did not simply get a miracle and walk away. He followed the Lord right away. This is one of the most public miracles of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love, mercy, and faithfulness. You are wise beyond all of our knowledge. Thank You for Your goodness! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And Jesus said to him, ‘Regain your sight. Your faith has saved you.’

Luke 18:42

Notice here how Jesus heals this man. It is simply by command. Jesus then thanks about the man’s faith, which is the more important thing by far. The regaining of sight was a small matter in comparison to the saving of a soul.

Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation in Christ. Regardless of the physical difficulties we may face, salvation is the most important thing. We will lead others to Christ, our only hope! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Saying, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And he said, ‘ Lord, that I might regain my sight.’

Luke 18:41

He has done so much! But, examining this, one might ask, why did Jesus ask this? Didn’t He know what the man wanted? Anyone could have answered that question. Was it merely rhetorical?

First, Jesus is here confirming for the blind man that it was ok to shout after Him, regardless of what the crowd had said. Second, Jesus could help this man with far more than just his eyesight. Jesus was interested in his faith. He wanted this individual to once again share the faith he had in Christ.

Notice that after this miracle this man was not told to keep it secret. This man followed Christ and praised Him. His was one that Jesus chose to be a very public miracle, and a confirmation of His title as the Son of David.

Heavenly Father, every day we are reminded that Your truth makes a difference in our lives. We cannot live as we would, but instead are lead to live as we ought. Thank You for mercifully staying involved with Your creation, and for making salvation possible. Our sin is overshadowed by Your great compassion! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then, standing still, Jesus commanded that he should be brought to Him. When he drew near, He inquired of him,

Luke 18:40

When Jesus comes to a stop, we must do the same. How often do we keep right on walking while Jesus has stopped to help someone?

As the church here on earth we are meant to be the body of Christ. This means we should do what He does. Now, though we should care for the physical needs of others, we must care for their spiritual needs as well. We must not keep moving on with business as usual while Jesus has stopped to address a specific spiritual need.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Bible! It is a great joy and blessing to be able to read Your chosen words and learn Your truth. You have shared so much with us! I am always able to go to Your book and find something for my soul. You are so wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then those who went before rebuked him that he might not shout, but he shouted much more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

Luke 18:39

How many times have the children of this world sought to silence His people? And friendly fire is the most common form of this! We must shout, we must cry, for He can hear even our thoughts, so why hold back? Shout!

Heavenly Father, thank You for listening to us! We so often forget that You are at work even now. You have not stopped for a break. You are listening, hearing our prayers. You are active in our world by Your Holy Spirit in the church. We praise You for Your work in this world! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And, shouting, he said, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’

Luke 18:38

He did not wait a second! The blind man knew exactly what he needed to do. There was no time to be lost. And, he understood very clearly Who he spoke to and what he was asking for.

The way this man addressed Jesus is unique, though completely accurate. The lineage of Jesus’ family would have been no secret. What people had to say about the circumstances of His birth may have been a different matter. In any case, the blind man recognized the significance of Christ’s royal pedigree. By this very statement he was making a declaration of faith. No Jew who heard it would have had any question in their mind as to how the blind beggar felt about Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ! His work for us is so gloriously beautiful! Redemption is the source of hope for millions and millions. How could I ever shout Your praise loud enough? From the sky we should shout ‘Son of David have mercy!’ Oh thank You for the grace that You have made available! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

Luke 18:37

I can only imagine what was going on in this man’s heart at the time. Possibly he had anticipated this moment. Apparently he had already thought out what he would say and do in this situation. Unlike others who had not yet made up their minds about Jesus, he had evidently already done so.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy! Forever I will learn more about You. I know there is so much I have not yet seen, and I have heard so much more than I have really listened to. You are holy beyond all I can imagine! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.