Why Zacchaeus Climbed The Tree

LUKE 19:1-10 "WHY ZACCHAEUS CLIMBED THE TREE"

A) Zacchaeus was a very rich man.

* This is the only time the title "chief" is used with a tax collector.

* This probably means that he was the head of the local taxation office.

* Therefore, Zacchaeus would be responsible to the Roman government for the employment and

management of the local tax collectors and their moneys!

B) He had all the pleasures and comforts of life which money could buy!

* He was a man who would find it difficult to enter the kingdom of heaven.

* Let’s go back to the time of Zacchaeus’ conversion and see some people he had met.

(1) IMAGINE ZACCHAEUS (ZACH) IS OUT COLLECTING TAXES!

* He comes to a blind man’s house, his name is Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-52

A) Zach demands the taxes he owes, but Bartimaeus doesn’t have it!

* You see, I am just a poor old blind man. * Zach could care less!

* So Zacchaeus gives him 30 days to come up with the money for taxes!

(2) ZACCHAEUS GOES TO THE NEXT HOUSE, A LADY COMES TO THE DOOR!

* Zach demands the taxes they owe. * The lady begins to explain to Zach,

A) "Sir, my husband is a demon possessed man!"

* He is known as the Maniac of Gadara - Mark 5:1-20

* He dwells in the tombs - He runs crazy, screaming and hollering!

B) She begs him to give her more time to get the money!

* So, reluctantly, he gives her 30 days to come up with the money to pay taxes!

(3) ZACCHAEUS GOES TO THE NEXT HOUSE, A WREATH IS ON THE DOOR!

* A lady comes to the door, she is the widow of Nain - Luke 7:11-15

A) Zach demands the taxes that she owes!

* She explains to him that her son has died, and all the burial expense has wiped her out!

* She begs him to give her more time & Zach says, "I’ll be back in 30 days!"

(4) THE 30 DAYS PASS ... ZACCHAEUS GOES BACK TO THE FIRST HOUSE!

* He knocks on the door and a bright-eyed man answers the door.

A) Old Zach can’t believe it! * This man looked a whole lot different than before!

* Zach says, "I don’t understand, I thought you were blind!"

* Bartimaeus tells him how he met Jesus and Jesus healed him!

B) He says, "I sold my seeing eye dog and here’s the money I owe you for taxes!"

* Zach walks away scratching his head wondering what kind of man this Jesus is!

(5) ZACCHAEUS GOES TO THE SECOND HOUSE AND KNOCKS ON THE DOOR!

* And a big, nice dressed man answers the door!

A) Zach says, "I’m Zach the tax collector, and you are?"

* He said, "I’m the Maniac of Gadara, my wife told me you came by."

B) "I met Jesus a few weeks ago and He saved me and cleaned me up!"

* "Now I have a job making good money, and here’s the money we owe for taxes!"

* Old Zach can’t believe what he’s hearing! * "Who is this Jesus?" he asked himself!

(6) ZACCHAEUS GOES TO THE THIRD HOUSE AND KNOCKS ON THE DOOR!

* A young man answers the door! * Zach introduces himself and asks, "Who are you?"

A) The young man says, "Well sir, it’s a long story, I’ll let my mother tell you!"

* He goes gets his mother and she says, "You’re not gonna believe it!"

* She said, "They were carrying my son in a casket to the graveyard."

B) "And as they were almost at the grave site, there was this man, his name was Jesus."

* "He touched the casket and said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise!"

* "Next thing I know, my son sat straight up in the casket and began to talk!"

C) "Zach, death met deity and when death met deity, there was a resurrection!"

* "It scared the undertaker so bad, He gave me all my money back for the funeral, and here is

the money I owe you for taxes!"

(7) NOW, ZACCHAEUS HAS COLLECTED ALL THE TAX MONEY!

* He is amazed by what he has seen and heard! * He asks himself:

A) "A blind man is seeing now, how is that possible?"

* "And that Maniac of Gadara, I do remember hearing about that man before."

* "And that boy that was raised from the dead, that’s almost unbelievable!"

B) Jesus was passing through Jericho and Zach heard about it!

* And Zacchaeus, being a short man, could not see for the crowd - v.3

* Old Zach hung in there in his attempt to see Jesus and he had to humble himself to do it!