Examining The Men
By Raeline Latimore
When you do ordinary things in an extraordinary way, the world will stand up and take notice. In this article, we will be focusing on a wee little man named Zacchaeus. Just the name Zacchaeus alone, brings to memory the song we often would sing in Bible class growing up, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in the Sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And, as the Savior passed his way, He looked up in that tree, and He said, ‘Zaccheaus, you come down from there! For I’m going to your house today.’” We will examine not only the physical stature of Zacchaeus, but also his spiritual stature i.e. his big heart, his zealous attitude, and his love for Jesus.
We can read the whole account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Here are some things we know about him. First, he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. In Bible times, and even nowadays, tax collectors aren’t exactly accepted by others with eagerness. The tax collectors in the New Testament did not have reputable characteristics, as they often charged more tax than was due and kept the excess amounts for themselves. Tax collectors were often dishonest and cheats. In the case of Zacchaeus, we see that if he made a mistake, he was willing to admit it. He was willing to repent and make it right. In fact, in Luke 19:7-8, it says, “But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, ‘He (Jesus) has gone to be a guest of a sinner.’ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore it fourfold.’” Here is a repentant tax collector, and a “willing to make things right” chief tax collector even. This brings 1 Peter 3:15-17 to mind which says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evil doers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Zacchaeus was most likely over other tax collectors and hopefully, taught them the right way to do their job. He was a good example to others.
Secondly, we can deduce from the text that Zacchaeus, though short, was an eager go-getter. He had to have grit and determination to do his job, but also it says in verse three that “he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So, he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him.” I can just picture Zacchaeus as an American football running back, darting through the crowd and running ahead to find the endzone. Running backs are usually short, by the way. I don’t know about you, but being short myself, big crowds can often dissuade me from going the extra mile. I would sometimes rather just give up, turn around and go home. Not Zacchaeus. He sought to see who Jesus was. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find.” Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus. He ran ahead and climbed up a Sycamore tree, and not just any tree, a tree that was in the path that Jesus was going to take. How many trees have we climbed lately?
Zacchaeus didn’t give up, and God provided a way for him to see Jesus. Zacchaeus reaped a reward for his diligence in seeking Jesus. Jesus, as He passed by where Zacchaeus was, looked up and saw him and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So, Zacchaeus made haste, came down, and received Jesus joyfully. A few things to note here: One, Jesus looked up and noticed him; two, Jesus called him by name; and three, He planned to give him individual attention by staying with him at his house. Zacchaeus obeyed Jesus promptly. He didn’t waste any time scrambling down the tree and received Him joyfully which means he was probably ecstatic over the fact that Jesus gave him notice and recognized him. Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ heart and He knew who he was just like He knows each one of us.
Lastly, Zacchaeus was a sinner, but aren’t we all sinners? Isn’t being a sinner all the more reason to seek after Jesus in the first place? In verses 9 and 10, Jesus says “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
We can learn some good lessons from Zacchaeus - from his repentant heart, from his determination to see Jesus, and from his joy and speed to obey. We can have faith as a mustard seed, which starts out as a tiny speck but then grows into a large tree (Luke 13:19). We can seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). If we search with our whole heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Let’s be seeking and doing whatever we need to do to find Jesus just like the wee little man, Zacchaeus.