Luke 19:1-10 –
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a `sinner.’" 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." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (NIV).
If you have your salvation, can you lose it?
While there are those who believe that they don’t work to be saved, they argued that they have to work for their salvation – to endure in order to preserve their salvation. Do we really need our good works to be saved, or to preserve our salvation?
If God is the One who saved, does it mean that men should be the ones to preserve their salvation?
Or, should we be believe that Jesus is the ONLY Savior – He saves the lost, not to lose the saved?
Let’s have those questions in mind, as we take another reading of Luke 19:1-10.
We read in verse 1, “Jesus entered… passing through” – God is seeking… to save the lost, as we read in verse 10. If we have also the concern in our heart to save the lost, do we also seek them – have we entered a certain place, perhaps, just a certain house of our neighbor, relative, or acquaintance and “pass through” as we invite him to come to Jesus? If not the house of our relative, have we ever entered the room of a member of our family – of our child or parent who is not yet aware about the grace of God? What is our “Jericho” that we need to enter and pass through to “seek and to save what was lost”?
In verse 2, we learn that Zacchaeus was a “chief tax collector.” – during those times, a tax collector was regarded at the lowest level of the sinners, together with the prostitutes.
In chapter 18 of Luke, we read about of the Pharisee and the tax collector. We will notice how the Pharisee looked down upon the tax collector. Let’s review verses 9-14:
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Notice that God accepted someone not by being obedient to the law – not by good works, as we read in verses 13 to 14. The tax collector acknowledged that he was a “sinner” – a lawbreaker. In fact, not just an ordinary sinner, he could not offer to God any good performance. He felt so unworthy, so undeserving not just to receive something from God, but even undeserving to be in His Presence – “he could not look up heaven.”
The tax collector regarded himself as nothing before God that he could not even ask any approval, or even “forgiveness.” He only petitioned God for “mercy.” Yet, Jesus said, the tax collector was “justified,” or, in other words, “saved.”
When God removed our spiritual blindness, not only we see His Greatness and Glory. We also realize our emptiness, our unworthiness, our helplessness! We recognize our incompetence to become righteous before the Holy and Perfect God. We acknowledge that only His mercy can save us.
Like the tax collector, we need also to accept that we have nothing to offer before God. We are so nothing, so undeserving that we don’t regard ourselves even worthy of forgiveness. That’s the humility we ought to have and to say, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “…for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” The tax collector was saved by grace; the Pharisee, in his boasting, was not saved by his works.
Now, let’s go back to chapter 19. Zachaeus was not only a tax collector, but a chief tax collector.
If the tax collector in chapter 18 was a sinner, Zacchaeus could be a chief sinner. In verse 3, we read: “He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.”
This “chief sinner” wanted to see “who Jesus was”. How about us – are we also interested to see Him – to become more familiar with Him? Or, are we more interested to see the many doctrines of the church – to see what would happen in the future? – to see the place of safety? Or, to see how the income and membership of the church to increase?
Or, to see how our business will grow? Or, how we will have success in the future? Or, how we can eat many times a day? Or, to see how to that have a mansion and car(s)?
Perhaps, to have some of our longings are not really wrong, but do we want also to see Jesus, just like Zacchaeus? Do we really want to see Jesus, to become more familiar with him?
But, what prevented us from doing so?
Zacchaeus had his short stature and the crowd. In our case, perhaps, we have “short of time” that we could no longer study the bible, that we could not pray enough, or that we no could not always attend to worship God. Perhaps, it is because of our “short of funds,” or “crowd of problems.”
To really see Jesus is not easy. There will be an obstacle always. But should we allow those obstacles to prevent us from seeing Him? Or, should we allow anything to prevent us to become more familiar with the One who gave His life for us, so that we’ll enjoy His Presence in His Kingdom for eternity?
We read in verse 4, “So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore -- fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.“ Zacchaeus did something to overcome the obstacle. He ran ahead and climbed a tree to see Jesus when he would pass that way.
Are we also willing to “ran ahead and climb” just to see Jesus? It was God who provided the sycamore tree and Zacchaeus climbed. God also provided the means, so that we could become more familiar with him – prayer, the bible, the worship service, fasting, Christian literatures and others – are we going also to climb them?
Do we also “ran ahead” – perhaps, waking up early to have time for prayer and bible study, do we forego our snacks or even our meals, so that we can save some fares to attend worship service?
Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed, how about us?
In verse 5, we read: “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’"
Jesus invited Zacchaeus, “Zacchaeus, come down…” In other scripture, Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16.) Also, He said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).
It was not Zacchaeus who invited Jesus; it was the other way around. We should learn here that Jesus seeks and invites us. We did not choose Him. He was the One who chose us.
His invitation to Zacchaeus was, ‘…come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Suppose, we receive also that invitation from God. He invited us to come down from our comfortable position in life – perhaps, just an observer. Perhaps, we are enjoying the high regard of other people, or even enjoying the comfort of high financial gain, or the comfort of towering personal knowledge, or high regard for personal ability – are we willing to leave our comfort zone, or to come down from our bloated belief in whatever, so that Jesus can dwell in us? Are we really willing to become the temple of God?
Are we ready to respond positively to the invitation, “come down…”? What is our response to Isaiah 55:1, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost”?
Not all who received that invitation from God would be willing to leave his comfortable position in life. Not all are willing to leave his high regard for the past, his high regard for money, high regard for financial security, his high regard for particular doctrine, his high regard for his own belief – not all are willing to come to Jesus and allow him to dwell in him and control his life.
But we read in verse 6, we read: “So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” Zacchaeus came down from his comfortable position, as an observer. And he came down at once and welcomed Jesus into his house.
He came down from his comfortable position, as an observer. And he came down at once and welcomed Jesus into his house. Can we imitate also Zacchaeus? To come down from our high comfort zone and welcome what Jesus would like us to do?
Jesus said in john 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever come t me I will never drive away.”
Not all who received the invitation of Jesus will come to him and welcome him gladly in their life. But all that the Father draws to the Son will come to Jesus. We read in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him us at the last day.”
We can be sure, the longing of Zacchaeus to see Jesus -- his coming down at once and his welcoming gladly of Jesus was NOT the product of his sinful heart. God the Father Himself planted those desires and attitudes in his heart.
Do we feel also those desires and attitudes?
We should pray for it. Philippians 2:13 states, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” In the Amplified Bible, we read: “[Not in your own strength] for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire]. Both to will and to work for his good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”
Let’s read Luke 19:7-8, “All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a `sinner.’ 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.’"
Notice that when Jesus is our guest – and today, if His Spirit dwells in us, it will be natural for to make also our life in order – just like what Zacchaeus did.
We must realize that God had chosen us and called us not only to be saved, but also to live a holy life.
Notice 1 Thess. 4:7 states, “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
In 2 Timothy 1:8-9, we read in part, “…God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
Observe Titus 3:3-8, especially verse 8: “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” (Also Col. 3:1-2.)
You can also read Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
You are saved first, in order for you “to do good works…”
Now, notice Luke 19:9, “Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ..’”
Salvation did come to the house of Zacchaeus, not because of the restitution or the new way of life that he promised. He was saved because, he was a son of Abraham.
We, too, can be saved, if we are sons/daughters of Abraham – that is, if we have faith (Romans 4:1-11).
And finally, verse10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
It was not an accident that Jesus entered Jericho, passed through it and happened to meet Zacchaeus. He was seeking for Zacchaeus to save him. Like him, we are saved if we believe of what Jesus did, of what He is doing and what He will to our life.
Jesus came to seek and to save. He did not come to lose the saved.
He said in John 10:27-29, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
Jesus seeks, saves, and keeps (Jude 24) those He would save.
We do not keep our salvation, or preserve our salvation, or work for our salvation. We WORK OUT our salvation – meaning, we do good works to act out the salvation given to us. And even the good works that we need to do after we are saved have been prepared for us by God to be acted out (Eph. 2:10)!
Whatever good works we have to do -- as saved individuals, as children of God, as the called out or chosen ones – are not for the assurance, preservation of our salvation, but for the promotion of God’s glory.
It is God who works for our salvation. And if He “began a good work in you (He) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).
PRAYER: Our Merciful Father – the Only God and Savior – we exalt Your Holy Name for seeking, saving, and keeping us – Your children – saved not just for a season, but forever! We thank You that our assurance does not rest on our unreliable hands, but in Your Almighty Spirit, who works in us that we may be able to desire and perform what You have prepared for us to do. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
