Jesus, friend of sinners
"Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." -Luke 19:5
This was scandalous and, to both the elite and poor alike, it was downright wrong.
Jesus was traveling through town. He was a household name with 'rock star' status by this point in His earthly ministry. He was known all over the region for His miraculous works, signs and wonders and people gathered by the thousands to see just what He would do next.
The religious leaders, the Pharisees, scribes and elders, already had major problems and run-ins with Jesus. They were unequivocally opposed to what He was doing, what He was preaching and the following He was accruing. He was a threat to their power, authority, and religious system that kept the Jews under their thumb.
This scene recorded for us tells the story of Jesus choosing to meet with a notorious chief tax collector named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus not only was a tax collector, but he was a "chief tax collector", meaning he owned his own tax franchise - his office likely in Jericho where Jesus was traveling through on that day. It was no accident that Jesus and Zacchaeus would cross paths - it was a divine appointment orchestrated by God.
What made this meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus so unacceptable to the majority of Jewish society, let alone the fact that Jesus actually went and had dinner at his house, was his status as a tax collector. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews. They were seen as sellouts to the Roman government. Tax collectors worked for the Romans to collect taxes owed to Caesar, which was bad enough because both the Jews and Romans hated each other. Thus, to be a Jew working to take money from your own people for your people's enemy was seen as the ultimate act of treachery. Furthermore, tax collectors were known for extortion. They would charge ridiculous interest rates on the taxes so that they could make their own cut in the profits. This practice meant nothing to the Romans - so long as Rome made its money, the tax collector could charge however high an interest rate as he wanted. In many cases, tax collectors, especially chief collectors in Zacchaeus' position, would operate almost like a mob, using force and 'muscle' to get the interest out of the people when it came time for collections.
Tax collectors were viewed as nothing more than despicable, lying, thieving turncoats who were branded as outcasts in Jewish society. To associate with them meant you were of the lowest of life forms.
Of all people Jesus could have fellowship with that day, He chose to have dinner with a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus. What was He thinking? Did He not know that this would make Him, an esteemed Rabbi, unclean?
We aren't told what Jesus said to Zacchaeus that day in his house. We don't know what questions Zacchaeus had or how Jesus even approached evangelism in this instance. But what we do know is that Zacchaeus was a changed man after meeting with Jesus. Zacchaeus was regenerated that day - he was forgiven of his sins and he was born again! How do we know? We see this by the immediate response he has to Jesus after their encounter. He vowed to not only give half of his possessions to the poor, but he also vowed to pay back all that he had stolen/extorted from the people by quadruple! This shows true repentance and a transformation of the inner man.
Jesus then affirms that salvation that moment in stating, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (v.9-10)
What an amazing story! There are Zacchaeus's in our cities, in our neighborhoods, in our world - they all need the Gospel. Are we willing to take the Gospel to the hated? To the outcasts? To the turncoats of society? Jesus was and did and salvation came, despite the people "grumbling" about it (v.7). Although we need to be wise and keep ourselves out of sinful situations, we must be bold enough and unashamed enough to take the Gospel to people who truly need it. Perhaps that will take us out of our comfort zones and even into places we normally would not go. But if Jesus modeled that for us, shouldn't we as Christians do the same?
This was scandalous and, to both the elite and poor alike, it was downright wrong.
Jesus was traveling through town. He was a household name with 'rock star' status by this point in His earthly ministry. He was known all over the region for His miraculous works, signs and wonders and people gathered by the thousands to see just what He would do next.
The religious leaders, the Pharisees, scribes and elders, already had major problems and run-ins with Jesus. They were unequivocally opposed to what He was doing, what He was preaching and the following He was accruing. He was a threat to their power, authority, and religious system that kept the Jews under their thumb.
This scene recorded for us tells the story of Jesus choosing to meet with a notorious chief tax collector named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus not only was a tax collector, but he was a "chief tax collector", meaning he owned his own tax franchise - his office likely in Jericho where Jesus was traveling through on that day. It was no accident that Jesus and Zacchaeus would cross paths - it was a divine appointment orchestrated by God.
What made this meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus so unacceptable to the majority of Jewish society, let alone the fact that Jesus actually went and had dinner at his house, was his status as a tax collector. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews. They were seen as sellouts to the Roman government. Tax collectors worked for the Romans to collect taxes owed to Caesar, which was bad enough because both the Jews and Romans hated each other. Thus, to be a Jew working to take money from your own people for your people's enemy was seen as the ultimate act of treachery. Furthermore, tax collectors were known for extortion. They would charge ridiculous interest rates on the taxes so that they could make their own cut in the profits. This practice meant nothing to the Romans - so long as Rome made its money, the tax collector could charge however high an interest rate as he wanted. In many cases, tax collectors, especially chief collectors in Zacchaeus' position, would operate almost like a mob, using force and 'muscle' to get the interest out of the people when it came time for collections.
Tax collectors were viewed as nothing more than despicable, lying, thieving turncoats who were branded as outcasts in Jewish society. To associate with them meant you were of the lowest of life forms.
Of all people Jesus could have fellowship with that day, He chose to have dinner with a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus. What was He thinking? Did He not know that this would make Him, an esteemed Rabbi, unclean?
We aren't told what Jesus said to Zacchaeus that day in his house. We don't know what questions Zacchaeus had or how Jesus even approached evangelism in this instance. But what we do know is that Zacchaeus was a changed man after meeting with Jesus. Zacchaeus was regenerated that day - he was forgiven of his sins and he was born again! How do we know? We see this by the immediate response he has to Jesus after their encounter. He vowed to not only give half of his possessions to the poor, but he also vowed to pay back all that he had stolen/extorted from the people by quadruple! This shows true repentance and a transformation of the inner man.
Jesus then affirms that salvation that moment in stating, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (v.9-10)
What an amazing story! There are Zacchaeus's in our cities, in our neighborhoods, in our world - they all need the Gospel. Are we willing to take the Gospel to the hated? To the outcasts? To the turncoats of society? Jesus was and did and salvation came, despite the people "grumbling" about it (v.7). Although we need to be wise and keep ourselves out of sinful situations, we must be bold enough and unashamed enough to take the Gospel to people who truly need it. Perhaps that will take us out of our comfort zones and even into places we normally would not go. But if Jesus modeled that for us, shouldn't we as Christians do the same?
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