Salvation in the life of Zacchaeus
The story of Zacchaeus in the eyes of man, is easily overlooked, because he poses as no biblical hero. You would be hard pressed to find a person who has made their aim to identify their life with Zacchaeus. After all it has been 2000 years and the only thing we remember of him was that "he was a wee little man", but in reality this has allowed God to receive all the glory in this brother's testimony. And maybe in another 2000 years they will be singing songs about how ridiculous we were, and how mighty God is.
Luke chapter 19:1, "then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho."
God became a man and entered into time and space, that we might have a chance to commune with our Heavenly Father. And although it is highly debatable, I believe that God reveals Himself in every mans life, whether in manifold presence or in Creation itself...that a Zacchaeus could come face to face with the One who made him.
Knowing that Jesus was only passing through, Zacchaeus had a sense of earnestness to meet with the Lord. For how are we going to escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
19:2 "now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich."
It is interesting that before we are saved, we have the allusion that we are wealthy. Some are actually rich in material wealth while others believe that they are the smartest or strongest or the tallest. We are always the hero of our own story, aren't we? But even as a tax collector God is setting up Zacchaeus for salvation. To be hated by both the world and the religious people of the day. To go to the cross was a statement of the Roman Empire, to declare that you are neither worthy of the earth beneath you or heaven above. It is the ultimate disgrace.
19:3 "and he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, because of the crowd, for he was of short stature,"
Jesus has just given the greatest sermon this world has ever heard, called the sermon on the mount. And he began by saying "blessed are the poor in the Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." in other words that they have come to the realization that they have absolutely nothing to offer spiritually.
If Zacchaeus were a tall man, he may have attempted to see our Lord in his own ability, maybe barely catching a glimpse of Him as He walked by. How many christians do you know sit amongst the crowds, with little desperation to see our Lord, who suppose that in their own ability they might get close enough to see what the hype was all about.
I believe that God causes the believer to realize their own spiritual inadequacy. Not comparing yourselves with others, but recognizing the impossibility of ever coming close to God. We are the foolish things of the world...the wee little men. Jesus did not call educated men, but rather the lowly fisherman to come and follow Him. Men that possess no sense of entitlement. Even Moses couldn't believe that God would use a man like him.
When we become a christian, even what was gain to us, we now count it all as loss that we might know Him. God took Saul of Tarsus, who was a mighty scholar in the eyes of the educated, to become Paul which means "small".
God does not call able men to further His kingdom, but He calls unable men that He may have the glory in the work that is done. Even our strengths were nailed to the cross when we died to self and were crucified with Him. For it is not I who live but Christ who lives in me.
So when we find ourselves not measuring up to the worlds standards or the churches, maybe we have become like Zaccheaus, who needed to climb a tree.
The attribute of the philadelphian church is that of little of little strength, but in contrast we see that the laodiceans have need of the nothing. May God cause us to see our inability that we might get desperate for strength in Him.
19:4 "So he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way."
Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, that is not talking about our own righteousness, lest we become self righteous. In other words blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Him, who is righteous. Habakkuk 2:1 "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected." How much do we desire to see God?
Moses was a man who heard from God through a burning bush, and continually heard the voice of God and saw many miracles and wonders and even encountered God in ways that not many men have seen here on earth. Still after all of that, was unsatisfied, and asked "Lord, show me Your glory". There is never a place in our christianity where we have had our fill of God and our in need of nothing. So we climb to the highest place we know, to catch a glimpse of the Holy One. Some will go to their prayer closet to wait upon the Lord, because they are unsatisfied with an average christian life of cliches. May we study the word of God, not for knowledge alone, but to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear what the Lord would say. How much time do we spend debating endless genealogies rather then climbing higher? There is no equation to the climbing and the tree was not some magical formula because if you notice in the next verse Jesus came to him. Its not about the building we got saved in or the denomination we belong to but rather the heart that desires to see God.
And we notice that he didn't find a tree full of other men doing the same thing but it was in fact his idea. We can not rely on another mans experience, but our pursuit of God most be that of individuality. Every man must have a personal encounter of Jesus christ not based on anyone else's. And every man must take this journey alone.
The tree is an act of Humility. For a grown man to climb a tree in that culture would be disgraceful. But God gives grace to the humble.
19:5 "And when jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus is preaching the sermon on the mount and proclaims that if anyone would seek Him they will find Him and to knock and the door will be open to you.
The gospel of Luke expounds on this passage in chapter 11 by determining that our asking is primarily for the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. God's promise to all men is that He will be found by us, to the one who is willing to search for Him, not in a casual manner but with all their heart.
The first thing that came out of our Lord's mouth is Zacchaeus's name. Throughout the scriptures we see that God has declared to us that He calls us by name. He knows each one of us intimately and individually. Isaiah 43:1 "I have called you by your name, you are Mine."
He continues by saying "make haste" in other words, today is the day of salvation. Notice that our Lord did not say "I would like to dine with you next weekend" It is vitally important that when God calls, we come and that we come quickly. There is a moment in every christian's life when we have to come down from our tree, its not the tree that brings salvation or the pastor or the prayer closet or the friend, but the substance is of Jesus Christ. The day that I met the Lord God, I came to hear the preaching of men but walked away with the Living Savior. I praise the Lord for every man of God who preaches the gospel, I cherish every book the proclaims truth, but I never intended to gather information, but only to sit at the feet of Jesus Christ. God's intent is to make our heart His dwelling place. This is the essence of Christianity, communion with the Lord Most High.
19:6 "so he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully."
It is a joyful day when we are accepted and beloved by our Lord Jesus Christ into His kingdom. Philippians 3:10 "and that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection..."
19:7 "when they saw it, they all complained, saying, He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner"
"...and the fellowship of His suffering" Satan never lets us feel comfortable in our salvation, he will always seek to condemn us, even in the arms of our Lord. God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise...coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. Often we see the least likely candidate, being the one that God has chosen. This reminds me of when the prodigal son came home and the older son complained to his father about his brother who was unworthy of his father's blessings. But the father told the son that it was right that he rejoice, because his son was lost and now he's found.
19:8 "then Zaccheaus 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 fourfold.'
" Works are never a way to gain salvation but they are always the evidence of salvation. James 2:18 "But someone will say, you have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." It always happens in this order. that through regeneration we now have a desire to live a life that pleases God. Over the years ministers will commonly make the mistake of bringing the practical application of the scriptures, before the work of grace has manifested in a persons life. But every epistle in the new testament is laid out in a way in which the gospel is preached first, and then practical application. The supernatural must always come first and then man's responsibility. Upon meeting Jesus Christ Zaccheaus will declare that everything that he has strived for in this life, means absolutely nothing in the light of his salvation. Paul the apostle said yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. For whom I suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I might gain Christ.
19:9 "and Jesus said to him, today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham."
How do we know that we are saved, because God Himself will declare it to you. Romans chapter 8, which is the chapter in which a person knows that they are in Christ, we see the greatest evidence of the salvation of the believer is the witness of the Spirit, "the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry Abba, Father." This is the sweet confirmation that we belong to Jesus Christ. That God Himself would declare us accepted and beloved.
19:10 "For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
If you have the slightest notion that you are lost, your salvation is closer than you think. If there is a deep conviction that God would never accept a wretch such as yourself, you can rest assured that He has come for you. The person that feels the most condemned is the one that the Spirit of God has begun a good work in and will be faithful to complete it. Even in creation "the earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." The Holy Spirit has come into the world to convict the world of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come. When we see our need for Christ we will throuw ourselves on the Christ who alone can save, He is mighty to save! Amen.