Luke 19:10 NIVUK
[10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’
Way back in 2003, I was in my in-laws’ house in their Filipino village when two people knocked on their door. These strangers had with them my slightly tanned and very sheepish looking uncle. He had taken a wrong turn out of the place where he was staying, had wandered off and was almost out of the village before they found him. Instead of going left, he had gone right, lost his bearings and, instead of going back where he'd come from, kept going.
It’s a good thing they found him. That village is twenty-five minutes away from the nearest city by car.
Who knows where he could have ended up?
Life is often made up of a series of junctions where we have to go one way or the other.
They can be part of our career, our religion, our ethics or our spirituality. Experts often pore over what it is that causes us to decide to go left or right. They try to explain why millions of these tiny decisions make up the course of our lives.
But they are unable to answer one question:
What if we get it wrong? Not just once, but multiple times. What if we wander off? What if we lose the path completely?
What then?
This well-worn passage speaks of a man who had made some serious mistakes in life. They may not have seemed like it at the time. I’m sure he was well and truly hypnotised, as many are, by the lure of power and power that came with them. But by the time he reached this point in his life, he should have reached a very simple conclusion:
Zacchaeus was lost. About as lost as it’s possible to be.
And so this man, with all his mildly comical foibles and his ingenuity has become an archetype for those who are deeply lost because of their own actions and need to find a way back.
Because as far as the occupants of Jericho were concerned, including the Jewish leaders, Zacchaeus was too far gone. He was irredeemable. Unsaveable.
But not for Jesus.
So let’s begin these thoughts on this well-known tale by looking at A Man on the Outside.
A Man on the Outside
Luke 19:1-3 NIVUK
[1] Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. [3] He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
Sometimes we are the odd ones out through no fault of our own. We can’t choose the place of our birth, or the family we were born into or the colour of our skin. Sometimes exclusion is entirely unjust and unfair.
Other times, however, we face exclusion because of the choices we have made – whether these were right or wrong.
Zacchaeus faced both of these.
We see that he faced exclusion because of his occupation. He was a tax collector. Given that he was a tax collector in Jericho – a city not far from Jerusalem that was known for its wealth – he would have been a man of substance and standing. He would have had some influence in the city too. He would have been known by the leaders of the city – both civic and military.
He was an important man.
But just because you are important doesn’t mean you are popular.
And Zacchaeus certainly would not have been popular.
Far from it.
And isn’t that interesting?
Every generation has craved money and power and influence in some form or other. Some have sought it through conquest. Others through knowledge. This current generation seeks it through posting vacuous videos on the internet. But at it’s heart, they all want the same thing.
This man had it all. In spades.
Yet he was deeply unpopular.
Because of how he got it.
And that led his community to repel him. Put simply, they feared him and were repulsed by him in equal measure.
And there is ample evidence in the text that he knew this – as well as why.
We also see that he faced exclusion because of his stature – which is something he could do little about. He was a small man. And the Jericho crowd had no issues with using that lack of height against him. He had taken them for a ride. They were about to get their petty revenge. They had something he wanted: sight of Jesus. They could take it from him, simply by blocking his view.
The Bible doesn’t tell us, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they got a certain glee out of this. He had power over them, but for one fleeting moment they had power over him.
So we see, then, that Zacchaeus was a man on the outside of his community, despite all his power and wealth and influence. And that should tell us something very profound. The Beatles once sung a song called ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’. That much is very true. For all that this man had, he lacked something of inestimable value: the love and support of his community.
Isn’t it interesting that he sought to get it through Jesus?
Because this man on the outside sought The Man on the Inside.
The Man on the Inside
Luke 19:3-6 NIVUK
[3] He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. [5] When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ [6] So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Have you ever been in an enormous crowd? I have, on several occasions. In my home city, huge crowds of around fifty to sixty thousand people turn out to watch two football teams every week during the football season, and when our national team plays, the same number watches them. It is quite something to walk through a city in a column thousands strong, all decked out in the colours of your team, singing and chanting.
Although I do feel sorry for the neighbours.
This is different. The crowd is not likely to have been that size, but the buzz around Jericho would have been intense. A walled city of Jericho’s size is not likely to have had a large arena like those football stadiums, so more than likely the crowd was gathering in some form of square. It may not have been so large, but a smaller number of people packed into a tight place would have been quite claustrophobic.
A man of Zacchaeus’ stature would have had no chance of seeing Jesus.
But Zacchaeus is utterly determined.
So, despite being a likely middle-aged man, he shins up a sycamore tree like a child, sacrificing all of the dignity of his role, and clambers along a branch so he can get a view.
This is truly extraordinary. And also a measure of how much this man longed to see Jesus.
But I don’t believe for a second he thought that what came next would happen.
There may have been mockery. Lots of it. Jesus seemed to attract it throughout His life. As did His followers.
But Jesus didn’t seemed moved by any of that.
This man at the centre of all the hubbub and attention, a man clearly fêted by the great and the good and the less good, and surrounded by eager, excitable noise, noticed one little man, perched in a tree.
I want you to see three things about this interaction:
Firstly, Jesus notices Zacchaeus.
Now, that might not be such a big deal. After all, the sight of a grown man, particularly someone like Zacchaeus, perched in the branches of a sycamore tree, would have been the source of much amusement. But Jesus doesn’t ignore it or deride it or mock it. Jesus sees Zacchaeus: the small man whom a whole town would rather did not have the chance to meet with Jesus.
Secondly, Jesus knows Zacchaeus. He knows him by name. He knows precisely and exactly who he is.
But that leads us to the third, and quite remarkable, step. Jesus befriends Zacchaeus.
This is really incredible. Remember: Zacchaeus is a man with a deserved, terrible reputation. He is a traitor. He is a schemer. He is a bully.
Yet Jesus wants to dine with him – a gesture of friendship that very few in Jericho, if any, would extend to him or anyone like him.
What is more, Jesus said that He ‘must’ eat at Zacchaeus’ house. The Greek word used there indicates something Jesus was bound to do, as if required by someone else.
And there is only One who could require Jesus to do such a thing:
God.
So here we have a situation where Jesus is constrained by the plan of God to spend time with a sinner with an awful reputation.
That can be nothing less than extraordinary.
But yet it’s precisely what Jesus came to do:
Matthew 9:11-13 NIVUK
[11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ [12] On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. [13] But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’
Luke 5:30-32 NIVUK
[30] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ [31] Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. [32] I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’
And this is absolutely critical.
Because this aspect of grace is being misunderstood by our culture.
Yes, Jesus ate with sinners. Yes, He ate with scoundrels. Yes, that was a gesture of friendship, even love.
But not for one fleeting moment was He ever condoning or approving of what they were doing.
He came not to sponsor their lifestyle, but to lead them to repentance.
He came so they would change.
That was why He dined with them.
That was why He dined with Zacchaeus.
Having seen a man on the outside and inside, we now move on to the last stage of this encounter: A Man on the Right Side.
A Man on the Right Side
Luke 19:7-10 NIVUK
[7] All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’ [8] But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ [9] Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’
In these few sentences, the narrative of this story entirely flips. At the start of the encounter, everyone in Jericho would have believed that the Pharisees were on the right and Zacchaeus was very much in the wrong.
But now it isn’t the case.
And the reason why is quite shocking for anyone from a religious background.
The change that took place in Zacchaeus that put him on the right side and the Pharisees on the wrong side has three aspects that happened and one, perhaps surprisingly, that did not.
Firstly, we see recognition.
Let me explain this with an example. I live in a small town around ten miles from Glasgow in Scotland. There are several ways for me to get to Glasgow. I can take the bus, take the train, take a taxi (if I’m feeling rich), hitch a lift with a friend or walk (if I fancy around three hours of exercise). But all of these methods require one thing:
I must recognise that I am not in Glasgow right now.
It’s the same with following Jesus. If we decide to follow Him just for a laugh or because we are bored or because our parents followed Him and we don’t want to disappoint them, sooner or later we will come across something that will put us off from following Jesus and we will abandon Him.
But if we come to Him because we are missing something important from our life that only He can provide, then we will follow Him sincerely.
That is what seems to have happened with Zacchaeus. No-one would sacrifice their dignity to this degree and be the mockery of those whose respect he depends on just to see a spectacle or a show. There must have been something deep driving this. I believe it was this recognition.
Secondly, we see repentance.
Now, some might question this. Look at what Zacchaeus said:
Luke 19:8 NIVUK
[8] But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’
He conditions his payment of money. He said ‘if I have wronged anyone’.
Of course, the likelihood is that he had done this.
But that, allied to his pledge to give away half of his possessions to the poor, is ample enough reason for Jesus to accept this as repentance, and so should we.
Repentance is one hundred percent a necessary part of coming to Jesus. We cannot face Jesus if we do not turn away from our sin. That is why the message of John the Baptist was as follows:
Matthew 3:1-2 NIVUK
[1] In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea [2] and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
And why Jesus Himself took up the same refrain:
Mark 1:14-15 NIVUK
[14] After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. [15] ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’
This was later echoed by the disciples:
Mark 6:12 NIVUK
[12] They went out and preached that people should repent.
Not to mention Peter:
Acts 3:19-20 NIVUK
[19] Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, [20] and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.
And also Paul:
Acts 26:20 NIVUK
[20] First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
There are many nowadays who would like to diminish the role repentance plays in coming to faith. I understand why – repentance implies that the life we have now is lacking in some way and that only Jesus can fix us.
But do you know what? It’s the truth. It has always been the truth. It will always be the truth.
If a doctor had to deliver bad news to us, would we rather he gave us that bad news so we have a chance to be treated and cured, or would we rather he hid it from us to save our ego?
Sin is bad news. Sin kills. If we know we are sinners, then the cure of sin-sickness is to repent and believe the Gospel – that Jesus died for us on the cross, paying the price for our sins, and rose from the dead.
Why would we ever keep that cure from anyone?
We also see restitution in this passage: that is, Zacchaeus tried to make amends. We see him promising half of his wealth to the poor and a huge over-payment of sums he had cheated from people.
Now, this is quite some restitution.
Legal restitution require a fifth of the value of an item to be added as a fine (Leviticus 5:14-16; 6:1-7, 22:14, 27, Numbers 5:5-10). But Zacchaeus offered four times the amount, which is the amount he had cheated plus sixteen times the restitution required by Jewish law.
Yes, we can see here that Zacchaeus was a man of financial substance.
However, we now see that after meeting with Jesus, he has become a man of moral substance. He is paying way above and beyond what would normally be required to make amends.
That is to his tremendous credit.
But there is one thing that we don’t see here that might surprise us. Despite his clear repentance, and Jesus’ enthusiastic reception of this man into the family of God, there is no mention of his resignation from the Roman tax authority being required.
And that should really surprise us.
Roman taxes were profoundly unjust and unfair: why should one people be utterly dominated by another, and yet have to pay for the privilege? This unfairness was exacerbated by men like Zacchaeus blatantly over-charging to make an indecent profit. Of course, he had repented of this sin.
But he was still an employee of the hated Roman state, and his responsibility was still to levy a very unfair tax on his own people.
In case you think this is unusual, look at this teaching from John the Baptist, also recorded by Luke:
Luke 3:12-14 NIVUK
[12] Even tax collectors came to be baptised. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’ [13] ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them. [14] Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.’
These two people – Roman soldiers and Roman tax collectors – were vassals of a brutal pagan power oppressing the Jews. And yet even a man like John – normally so forthright and utterly uncompromising - did not tell them that their repentance would involve resigning their commission.
It’s the same throughout the Gospels. Tax collectors repent, but are not once told to stop collecting Roman taxes, except when Jesus calls them as His disciples.
Jesus heals a Roman centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10). He does not condition the miracle on the centurion resigning his position.
Peter even leads Cornelius and his entire household to Christ, yet does not insist that he leaves the regiment (Acts 10).
So what could be going on here?
I believe that we are facing a very challenging truth. Unless we are specifically required by the nature of our job to violate Christian teaching and act unethically, we can, and in some cases should, remain where are.
After all, there is no such thing as a one hundred percent ethical job.
Not even in Christian circles.
I have seen financial impropriety in a Christian missionary organisation and even in a church.
It happens. No-one is perfect. People make bad decisions. That doesn’t excuse it, but it does explain it.
Before I left for the mission field, I worked for a car repair and insurance company whose practices were decidedly dodgy. After I returned, I worked as a contractor in a bank, and they don’t have a great reputation, and a savings company that offered gambling instead of interest. I worked for an oil major, whose senior executives were indicted in corruption scandals, as a contractor for an American health insurance company that regularly put its subscribers’ data at risk, and I now work for a publisher of certain brands that most Christians don’t go near.
In all of these jobs, I have faced elements that challenged me and my faith. But I have come to realise that repentance needn’t mean resignation. What it means is that you shine for Jesus in your dark place.
After all, you cannot be held accountable for the decisions of others, but you can be held accountable for your own.
Zacchaeus here was becoming a repentant tax collector – someone who proved that taxes could be collected without extortion.
What could God do through you, where you are right now?
Conclusion
I was once in a job where more than just my face didn’t fit. I didn’t understand the politics and nuances of the job. I didn’t think the training I had been given was appropriate. My colleagues didn’t understand me and I didn’t understand them.
On top of it all, I was just bad at the job. I didn’t get it. I thought I should. On paper, I really should have. However, there was little doubt that I was a square peg in a round hole.
Or, as one of my senior bosses described my situation, it felt like I was ‘in the wrong movie’.
I took a leap of faith. I jumped before I was pushed. Soon enough, God led me to where I am now.
But that feeling of being in the wrong movie, of not feeling like you belong, of needing a change but not being sure what, is quite a dreadful feeling.
If that is where you find yourself, you have my understanding and my empathy.
It’s not a great place to be.
And neither is it a place where you should want to stay.
For any reason.
That seems to be where Zacchaeus was. For all his wealth and power and influence, he was a man who was driven by much more than curiosity to seek Jesus. He clearly was a man on the outside. It seems that in Jesus he found everything he needed because Jesus was a man on the inside. And when he chose to realise where he was, repent of his sins and make restitution, he, unlike many of the religious leaders of his day, became a man on the right side.
Today, you might feel the same sense of chronic dis-ease, that same angst, that same pain, that tells you all is not as it should be.
You're correct. It isn’t.
But if you choose, like Zacchaeus, to follow Jesus and put things right, it can be much better, before you find yourself in the perfection of heaven.
Regardless of where you are now.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I feel the deep pain of imperfection. I know things are not as they should be. I know I need to change. I know only You can change me. I surrender myself to You right now. Change me, O Lord. Amen.
Questions
What did Zacchaeus have before he met Jesus? Why was this not enough?
What did Jesus have that Zacchaeus needed?
Do you feel lost, like Zacchaeus? Will you let Jesus find you?
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