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And Zacchaeus, standing, said to the Lord, ‘Half of my well-being, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I extorted from anyone at all, I repay fourfold.’

Luke 19:8

We may easily look at this verse and think Zacchaeus is arrogant, self-righteous, and feels his works merit heaven. But this verse needs close examination. Zacchaeus is only sharing these facts in response to allegations about himself. He is not grandstanding. He is defending a life of true innocence, consistent with his name.

Zacchaeus had given as his habit. Though he chose a profession that was frowned upon, he did not gain wealth by dishonest means. Instead he used the position to benefit those less privileged. Perhaps even the blind man from earlier in this chapter had benefited from his charity.

Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing us as we are. You see us in every particular. Nothing escapes Your gaze. You know our feelings and our choices. And Your will is wise above all else. You alone may give us the guidance we need. You use Your servants to help each of us, and You use us to help others. Your way is glorious! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But when they saw it, they all complained, saying that ‘He has gone to stay with a man who is a sinner!’

Like 19:7

Large groups of people can lack discernment, common sense, and even common decency. Very often the prevailing view will be adopted by all regardless of its veracity. Zacchaeus was not liked, and he was viewed in a very negative light by his fellow Jews. They assumed the worst. And here they voiced their opinion very emphatically.

Heavenly Father, You know us as we truly are. We can get so self-righteous. But only by Your great grace does any of us escape the terrible bonds of sin. We cannot beat it, we can only run to You for refuge. You work to rescue us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So he hurried down, and welcomed Him gladly.

Luke 19:6

What joy! I can easily imagine the spring in the step of Zacchaeus after he crawled down that tree. He had not only seen the Lord, but now he would have the opportunity to spend the remainder of the day with him. His prayers had been answered.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the profound impact You have on our lives! To live without You is to miss out on life itself. Having a relationship with You is at once joyous and invigorating. You make life what it is. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And when he came to the spot, looking up, Jesus saw him, and he said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry down because today I must stay at your house.’

Luke 19:5

We have no indication here that Zacchaeus called out. The implication is that he had met his objective. He could see Jesus, and if he intended to say anything to him he did not get the chance. Jesus of course knew already exactly what Zacchaeus had in mind.

Jesus had apparently intended all along to spend some time with this man. We may easily wonder how it is that Jesus had come to the conclusion that Zacchaeus would be ready to receive Him. But it seems very likely that the blind man Jesus had just healed could have had something to do with it. If Zacchaeus had been donating to the poor regularly as he later indicates, he would have been a benefactor of the blind man.

Whatever made Jesus choose Zacchaeus, the announcement that he would be staying at his house is almost completely unique among the words of Christ. Though not out of character for the Lord, it was no doubt unexpected. It creates a very stark picture of Christ’s concern for and compassion on those who seek Him out.

Heavenly Father, thank You for rewarding those who diligently seek You! You do not hide from us, though You do expect to see that we want You in our lives. Thank You for intersecting with us just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus so many years ago. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And running on ahead of the crowd, he climbed up on a sycamore that he might see Him, because He was about to pass through.

Luke 19:4

Zacchaeus was absolutely determined to see Jesus. He would let nothing hinder him. Imagine a man of Zacchaeus’ wealth and position running through the way and climbing a tree like a child! But it was a genuine act, from a heart yearning for Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for understanding our behavior. Sometimes we do strange things in our pursuit of You, but that is not a bad thing. You know You are so important to our lives. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

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.