Zacchaeus ...

The time with Jesus in Jericho has been a never-to-be-forgotten experience. As we climb up out of this magical Valley there’s one man we cannot get out of our minds. Zacchaeus.

Jericho was a Roman Central Station for the collection of Taxes, and management of Customs. Commerce flourished there. And the great Caravan Route from Arabia and Damascus ran right through it.

Zacchaeus was the Head of Tax and Customs, a Publican, contracted with Rome. He was very wealthy. Tax Contractors usually were. They would estimate the amount of Tax they could assess and bid for the contract accordingly. It was common for them to rig the rates to their advantage so excessively that their prosperity soared and their reputation plunged.

Zacchaeus was hated. A scoundrel to the people he plundered in the name of their despised oppressors.

Thinking back, now, on our encounter with him we remember that he seemed desperate to see Jesus. Jostled by the crowd, and a little man, unable to jostle back, he climbed into a Sycamore tree overhanging the roadway. That’s desperation!

What followed will be forever etched in our conscious recollections of this day. When Jesus “got to the tree, He looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’” Zacchaeus “came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” The “bystanders,” pilgrims and locals, “muttered disapprovingly, ‘now He’s gone to be with a real sinner!”

Something momentous had taken place that afternoon. Four worlds collided.

The world of fallen, desperate humanity.

The Kingdom of Jesus, the One destined to salvage these “lost,” the One who must “stay,” for “the many who are held hostage.”

A world of self-righteous pietists who habitually cast off all whom they consider to be worthless.

And a world of those salvaged by the Man, today exultant that one “lost” has been found and now lives in the “blessing” of Abraham the Father of Faith.

For all of his power and prestige Zacchaeus was a desperate man. He had to see Jesus. There must be someone who can help Him. Maybe this Teacher and Healer from Galilee can. We saw how acutely he felt his need when he heard the accusations of the crowd and “just stood there stunned,” How telling it was that he resolved, then and there, before Jesus, “Master, here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” We could see the guilt and shame had overwhelmed him. We knew without doubt that he was done with the abuse of power and exploitation. He was broken. He knew it. He acknowledged it. Whatever followed would be different from what lead to this.

In the Kingdom of Jesus those who are “lost;” “held hostage,” and know it, can and will be “salvaged” the moment they let go of whatever they’re clinging to and reach out to Him.”

Zacchaeus was trashed by his accusers so often that he’d lost hope. The Temple at Jerusalem and its operators had been closed to him forever it seemed. This Jesus had to be his final hope.

Jesus was his Hope!

Exulting He declared for Zacchaeus; for us who are following Him; and for the masses, “Today is salvation day in this Home! Here he is, Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.” He’d been Abraham’s Kin since birth. The religionists disowned him. But, the Son of Man took him in; reinstated him; and bequeathed to Him the long ago promised blessings of those who, like Abraham, “believe God.”

We mustn’t forget!

In him, that is Abraham, all “the families of the earth will be blessed!”

Following Christ, WE MUST STAY FOR EVERYMAN TODAY … EVERDAY!”