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Luke 19:1-10 New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus and Zacchaeus
19 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Words are cheap!Who was Florrie Evans?
Let me tell you a little story.
. In a Sunday morning prayer meeting for young people, Pastor Jenkins asked for testimonies of spiritual experiences. Several tried to speak on other subjects but the pastor stopped them. At last a young girl named Florrie Evans, who had been gloriously converted just a few days before, stood and with a trembling voice said: "I LOVE JESUS CHRIST - WITH ALL MY HEART"! With these simple words the sparks that God had planted in so many hearts burst into flame and the great Welsh Revival began. The fire quickly spread to Blaenanerch, New Castle-Emlyn, Capel Drindod, and Twrgwin. Streams spread abroad like lava from a great volcano - soon multiplied thousands were aflame with the Holy Spirit's testimony of the glorious Son of God. As the blessing in New Quay was quickly noised abroad, doors began to open on every hand. Led by their pastor, this group of young people, most of who were between sixteen and eighteen years of age, conducted meetings throughout the south of the country. The fire continued to increase and lept over every boundary that tried to contain it. Conventions and conferences sprang up all over Wales, emphasizing holiness of heart and life in the Spirit.
Proverbs 25:11
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.
Words are cheap – but when the Holy Spirit speaks it is like Gold.
What was so special about Florrie Jenkins?
Something was special because it sparked a revival.
Jesus is travelling through a village in Jericho crowds gather around to see him – can’t you imagine it the popular and important, the learned and the pompous, and yes the spiritually eager all keen to hear the gems that would come from this great teacher – the marginalised, the poor, the broken the crafty and the elite and Jericho was a prosperous centre powering forward in the economic climate of it’s time. But words are cheap.
What a great season to be a tax collector, money was plenty, and the law was on his side to take and to take again. Here in Riversdale people are always passing through - What would it take for someone passing through Riversdale to draw great crowds who were pushing and shoving to see him what kind of person would get such attention?
A wealthy person like Bill Gates – A famous performer like cilice dion – A great Sportsperson like Kieren Read All black captain – I guarantee in our towns if a great preacher walked through carrying the truth as Jesus did – in this time – I don’t think he would get much attention – but in those days when someone carried the recognisable truth of God – in fact the person who called himself the truth gathered huge crowds – The truth is Jesus said No one comes to the Father except by me. In fact when Pilot who stood before Jesus – World power versus truth – and Pilot asks Jesus What is truth?
That is the question and the answer to what is truth is Jesus.
You see there are people today who are seeking truth but they find cheap imitations that continually are proven to be inadequate.
But Jesus was carrying the real thing – this was the moment of truth -
There was something special about Jesus – he was passing through the village of Jericho – People recognised that he was carrying the truth – but truth presses in and demands an answer. Many scream yes – but only a few are prepared to answer yes not just with their lips but with their lives as well. Talk is cheap.
Jesus is passing through – Many people have made a great fuss as Jesus is passing through – but the truly amazing ones are those who cause Jesus to come into their lives and make a lifetime of a difference.
Jesus is making his way through Jericho – crowds around him – it seems that no-one impresses and the tax collector the man who extorts money on behalf of the hated Romans – the man whom everyone despises – that man stops Jesus in his tracks. Why – why not someone more socially acceptable?
I want to tell you something.
1 Samuel chapter 16: 6When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him." 7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."
Samuel was confronted with the sons of Jesse and he knew instinctively that these were not the ones. The one he was to anoint as King was the Shepherd boy – not necessarily impressive in appearance nor immediately amazing but he had one thing and it wasn’t connected to physicality nor talents it is a matter of the heart – Samuel looks at the heart.
Looking back to the Old Testament from the viewpoint of Acts 13:22 – it says, “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'”
Among the gaggle of people flocking around him Jesus spots little Zachaeas sitting up a tree and he spots something – something that takes him beyond his family and societal position his looks and physique – he sees something in Zachaeas something that is more than words because talk is cheap - Jesus is suddenly no longer just passing through Jericho –
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
Jesus spotted something in Zacchaeus – it was his heart and it didn’t matter where he was sitting because when Jesus spots a genuine open yielding heart he will come in.
I think words are cheap but if you want your words to be meaningful – examine your heart and give your heart to God fully not partially nor in theory – when your heart is God’s then your talk – your words take on meaning and Jesus will come and stay at your house tonight.
Secondly - 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Talk is cheap but not with Zacchaeus he quickly climbs down, backs up his words and takes Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
What we witness here and what enriches Zacchaeus’ life is his immediate obedience with great excitement and Joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Jesus though wasn’t looking at his past – his grace would cover that as Zacchaeus truly repented, but what was so significant was that Zacchaeus immediately started obeying Jesus. Zacchaeus was wealthy – but as a chief tax collector he couldn’t have been that happy – isolated and despised – but here his response to Jesus is described not just with obedience but in great excitement and joy.
It is this excitement and joy we see in Florrie Evans, who had been gloriously converted just a few days before, stood and with a trembling voice said: "I LOVE JESUS CHRIST - WITH ALL MY HEART"! they were not cheap words they were the words helped begin the great Welsh Revival.
It is this excitement that flows out of a heart that is yielded to God that God longs to see. Can you just imagine the reaction of Zaccheas’ wife and children and the whole family. This brief encounter with Jesus has transformed him – words are cheap and the words of Zacchaeas have suddenly taken on a whole lot of more meaning this brief encounter with Jesus has instantly transformed him.
This is what happens to Paul on the road to Damascus – instant transformation.
From now on the words of Paul will become very powerful and will be requoted for centuries.
Thirdly we read:-
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Zacchaeus’ wors are given more weight and value by his enthusiastic repentance.
In the Greek, as many of us know the word for repentance means metanoia which means a complete change of direction. Here Zacchaeus completely turns his life around – his most precious commodity – money is suddenly put into perspective as he recklessly commits it to God.
A commentator said:-
. When Jesus announced that he would stay that day at his house, and when he discovered that he had found a new and wonderful friend, immediately Zacchaeus took a decision. He decided to give half of his goods to the poor; the other half he did not intend to keep to himself but to use to make restitution for the frauds of which he had been self-confessedly guilty.
In his restitution he went far beyond what was legally necessary. Only if robbery was a deliberate and violent act of destruction was a fourfold restitution necessary (Exodus 22:1). If it had been ordinary robbery and the original goods were not restorable, double the value had to be repaid. (Exodus 22:4; Exodus 22:7). If voluntary confession was made and voluntary restitution offered, the value of the original goods had to be paid, plus one-fifth (Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:7). Zacchaeus was determined to do far more than the law demanded. He showed by his deeds that he was a changed man.
Dr. Boreham has a terrible story. There was a meeting in progress at which several women were giving their testimony. One woman kept grimly silent. She was asked to testify but refused. She was asked why and she answered, "Four of these women who have just given their testimony owe me money, and I and my family are half-starved because we cannot buy food."
A testimony is utterly worthless unless it is backed by deeds which guarantee its sincerity. It is not a mere change of words which Jesus Christ demands, but a change of life.
Our words need to be backed by a life yielded to God.
Proverbs 21:23
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.
