He had much opportunity to abuse the system that funded the occupying Roman army. It wasn't enough for Zacchaeus to find and see Jesus. Because he was very short, he tried to find other ways in order to finally see Jesus. 5When Jesus arrived at the location, he raised his eyes to the sky and urged to him, Please, Zacchaeus, come down right away. Has your life changed since you gave your life to Jesus? Q. 1) There is no one who is too evil to be saved, or who is beyond the grasp of Gods mercy and love. What made Zacchaeus want to see Jesus and listen to his teaching? ("The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. It is because of this concern that Jesus declares salvation upon him and his family. He left behind all thought of business to climb a tree and get a glimpse of Jesus. But we are told in Luke 19:7 how the CROWD felt about Jesus going to the home of a tax collector: They began to whisper among themselves. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. He did this by climbing a sycamore tree. faith. To tell the story of Zacchaeus climbing a tree is enjoyable for children of all ages, especially when they are also referred to as little tiny people. He quickly thought of what he would do in his circumstances. A tax is money collected by a government from its citizens. Zacchaeus must have been efficient, organized, and aggressive in his work. Jesus desired for this young man to become one of His disciples, but He was well aware that the guy had made money into an idol in his own eyes. (Luke 19:5) For Zacchus to receive Jesus into his house How did the crowd react to Jesus' request of Zacchus? The good news is that, according to John the Baptist, these tax collectors may put things right by just being honest in their conduct. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. 19 Jesus was going through Jericho, 2 where a man named Zacchaeus lived. That was more than enough to make tax collectors unpopular, dont you think? After hearing Jesus remarks, the disciples were perplexed since the prediction ran counter to everything they had previously thought about the Messiahand they were at a loss for what to do. Because Jesus is God, He knew all there was to know about the man in the treehis name, his job, even the number of hairs on his head! No one is too far out of reach for him. There were so many people swarming about the Master, and since he was an outsider in the crowd and was also fairly little in stature, he was unable to approach near enough to see Him well. Jesus also wanted Zacchaeus to invite all his "non-believing" friends to join the . If youre running away from Jesus or youre hesitating to come to Him, come to Him today. In addition, Zacchaeus became not only a member of the genuine band of disciples who followed Jesus, but he also became a spiritual son of Abraham via his relationship with Jesus. Because Zacchaeus was a Jew did not mean that he was born saved. Zacchaeus the Tax Collector. In that light, I'm not sure "Zaccheus was saved because God chose him to be a type of Christ" is an answer to the question because it seems like you are there stating that God saved him ("how" unstated) so that he could be a type of Christ. His sin, not his height, is what was separating him from Jesus. And finally, he was a completely changed man after spending some time with Jesus. He cheated his fellow citizens, taking advantage of their powerlessness. April | 71 views, 5 likes, 1 loves, 2 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from South Asheboro Church of God: A Longing For God Rev. 'Why' is always because God chose to, 'How' is always the cross. Zacchaeus was well positioned to be wealthy even without his occupation but both are probably mentioned to heighten the stress on his wealth.. 3-4 Jesus was heading his way, and Zacc Luke 19:5 says, 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 (NKJV). After all, Jesus had come to save them from the likes of Zacchaeus and his cohorts. Help me to accept Jesus as a friend of sinners and to spread the good news of his salvation to people I know and meet in my daily life. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/zacchaeus-repentant-tax-collector-701074. Zacchaeus was so anxious to see Jesus that he literally "went out on a limb" to see Him. He continued on to Jerusalem because He understood that His death was required in order for us human beings to be rescued. But he can't see above the crowds or get through them. His encounter with Jesus changed his life. What Does the Bible Say About Paying Taxes? Can I use the spell Immovable Object to create a castle which floats above the clouds? The size of this territory was never revealed in the narrative, but Jericho and its immediate vicinity were renowned for their wealth as an oasis city with fruit, fig, balsam-wood, and other produce. The tax collector was overjoyed, but the rest of the throng was enraged that Jesus would chose such a deplorable individual to greet Him (Matthew 9:11). As you recall, Zacchaeus is sitting in a tree when Jesus "looked up and saw him, and said to him" these words. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.'". You are a member of Abrahams family line. The baptismal service was attended by tax collectors as well. But Zacchaeus overcame whatever could be an obstacle because of his willingness. John the Baptist also emphasized the need for the Jews to bear fruits worthy of repentance and not say that Abraham was their father. Every time a citizen had to pay money to a tax collector, they probably thought really bad thoughts about the person taking their money. It is not known what Jesus said to Zacchaeus once he arrived at the tax collectors house, but the outcome of their encounter is revealed. My soul will be cleansed as a result of the restitution. They are part of the kingdom of God! Some of us recall that Jesus once stated something to the effect that it is difficult for affluent people to join the kingdom of God. However, Jesus notices Zacchaeus up in the tree and, when Jesus arrived at the location, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. Why are players required to record the moves in World Championship Classical games? The young man was good at keeping the rules, but Jesus told him that the kingdom of God wasnt just about keeping rules. He not only saw Jesus, Jesus saw him. Gillman takes this to mean that Zacchaeus accepted Jesus invitation to invite him into Zacchaeus home and that makes contextual sense. Other information concerning Zacchaeus, on the other hand, are less likely to be known by the children. When Zacchaeus died, he left a physical and financial legacy. want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of They had to obey Roman laws and submit to Roman authority. As a result, please forward this communication to your friends and coworkers. "Meet Zacchaeus: Short, Dishonest Tax Collector Who Found Christ." Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. I can see several possible interpretations of the text: Which of these (if any or many) is to be preferred? 1. According to the spirit of the Old Testament restitution requirement, he repaid four for one. Jesus told Zacchaeus that salvation would come to his house that day. And Jesus wants everyone to trust in Him so that they, too, might be transformed into new creations! Anything they raised over that amount was their personal profit. And why? We cannot emphasize this enough: Jesus is always available to save those who are willing to accept Him, 3) A converted person is a different person from before. This tells us that Zacchaeus was desperate, almost obsessed with seeing Jesus. In fact, he wasnt just going to pay back what he stole from people, he was going to pay back FOUR TIMES what he stole! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He had a birds-eye perspective of everything that was going on. Clement of Alexandria claimed that Zacchaeus became a friend of Peter and subsequently became the bishop of Caesarea, however there is no other solid source to support this claim other than Clements writing. Therefore, he raced ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to have a better view of him, since Jesus was on his approach to him from that direction. At the time of Jesus birth, Israel was under the dominion of the Roman government. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. Zacchaeus was the chief of tax collectors and a very rich man but in all his busyness and riches he was interested in seeing Jesus! But not Zacchaeus he was glad to give it even without being asked and was following Jesus as he said those things. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? Jesus was pure as he bore the sins of man. When Jesus arrived in Jericho, it was as if this was something he had planned ahead of time. Zacchaeus encountered Him as He was passing through Jericho. He was joyful to receive Jesus. The Gospel of Luke informs us that when Jesus went beneath the tree, He raised His eyes and addressed Zacchaeus by his given name. Zacchaeus - Bible Story, Verses & Meaning - Bible Study Tools vv. Does Luke 17:2631 describe the destruction of Jerusalem? Meet Zacchaeus: Short, Dishonest Tax Collector Who Found Christ. People are appalled. Jesus was well aware of what was in store for Him in Jerusalem. Plot No. believer in Jesus. Climbing the tree was difficult, even for the youngest member of the family, who was just 18 at the time. It is even harder for the rich to enter Gods kingdom! (Luke 18:24-25), This worried the disciples. I'd cite my sources here, but there are a lot. After reaching the tree, Jesus raised his eyes to find a guy in a nice suit perched on the branches, which he immediately recognized. Because of his encounter with the Son of God that day, the wee little tax collector became a new creation. This is a hazardous attitude to hold because we never know when we could be given our final opportunity to hear the Gospel and accept Christ as our personal Savior. They uncovered the roof where He was and let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. The vast majority of adults pay taxes on their earnings at work, on the items they buy, on their houses, and on their automobiles. One of them was the encounter of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector or tax-gatherer (publican) or a superintendent of customs at Jericho. In Luke 15:1-7 is the shepherd in the parable equated to the Pharisees and the scribes? 3Are you so foolish? Similarly, we could have been tempted to write him off as well. When Jesus traveled through Zacchaeus town of Jericho, He was on His way to Jerusalem, where He would celebrate the last supper with His disciples. When a butterfly flits by on a sunny summer day, it brings joy to all who see it because it is so beautiful! They are so greedy that if you put one in a jar with a bunch of green leaves, the leaves will disappear before you know it! God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live (Ezekiel 33:11). Clement of Alexandria wrote that Zacchaeus became a companion of Peter and later the bishop of Caesarea, although there is no other reliable documentation to substantiate these claims. Jesus sees the hand of the Father in the intimate details of what happened and declares salvation because of the presence of the hand of God in it all. First, Zacchaeus became a son of Abraham.