A WEE LITTLE SINNER (LUKE 19:1-10)

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1 MEET THE MASTER A WEE LITTLE SINNER (LUKE 19:1-10) Many Bible characters are relatively unknown, but even children know about one little fellow, though he appears in only one brief scene in the New Testament: Zaccheus. 1 Most children s Bible classes sing this song: 2 Zaccheus was a wee little man And a wee little man was he; He climbed up in a sycamore tree, For the Lord he wanted to see. And when the Savior came that way, He looked up in that tree, And He said, Zaccheus, come down, For I m going to your house today; For I m going to your house today! 3 Unfortunately, many of us stopped studying about Zaccheus when we reached age eight. The story of Zaccheus contains beautiful and powerful lessons. For instance, many would immediately recognize this verse: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Have you ever thought about what event brought forth that great passage? It is in the story of Zaccheus. For a few moments, let us look at Luke 19 and study the story of this wee little man who was a wee little sinner. As we do so, I want to pull from the text some wee little lessons. A LITTLE LESSON ON WEALTH (LUKE 19:1, 2) The chapter begins, And He entered and was passing through Jericho (v. 1). Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. For months, He had been traveling with His face set toward Jerusalem, but now He was actually going there. He was very near; Jericho was only seventeen miles from Jerusalem. It had been an eventful trip. The closer He came to Jerusalem, the larger the crowds grew. One notable incident in Jericho had already occurred the healing of blind Bartimaeus (recorded at the end of Luke 18). Now Jesus would meet a wee little sinner there. Jericho is one of the most ancient of cities, dating back to prehistoric times. 4 If you were to visit that city today, you would be shown vast mounds with layer after layer of ancient cities built on top of each other. 5 When Jesus visited the city, the population was around 100,000. Jericho was a beautiful city, known for her palm trees 6 and rose gardens. Herod the Great and his son Archelaus had made Jericho even more beautiful. They had built a grand white palace there, and a theater and a hippodrome. 7 Some of the streets were lined with what the Bible calls sycamore trees. 8 These were mulberry-fig trees, 9 wild fig trees with leaves like mulberry trees. They grew thirty to forty feet high. They had short trunks and spreading branches close to the ground. Their shade was welcomed by weary travelers. Jericho had many riches. One source of riches 1

2 was the agriculture there. Many of the palm trees were date palms, whose fruit was sold around the world. Jericho was also world famous for her balsam groves that perfumed the air for miles. Balm derived from these balsam trees was fragrant and soothing, highly regarded for its healing qualities. Another reason Jericho was wealthy was her location. Jericho was at the heart and center of a vast trade route network. Situated in the Jordan valley, Jericho commanded both the approach to Jerusalem and the crossings of the river which gave access to the lands east of the Jordan. Jericho had trade connections to the north with Damascus, Tyre, and Sidon; to the west with Caesarea and Joppa; and to the south with Egypt. All goods that passed through Jericho were subject to taxation. (Keep that thought in the back of your mind.) Perhaps Jesus plan was to pass quickly through Jericho and continue on to Jerusalem. If so, something was about to happen that would cause Him to alter His plan. And behold, there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus (v. 2a). Zaccheus is a Hebrew name meaning pure or righteous. The name reflects the hope his mother had for her baby boy. However, Zaccheus was not looked upon as either pure or righteous by the citizens of Jericho. The reason is given in our text:... and he was a chief tax-gatherer 10 (v. 2a). Tax collectors were no more popular then than they are now. I have never known a parent to say, My dream for my child is that he will grow up to be a tax collector. I have never known a child to say, When I get big, I m going to be a tax collector! I have a friend who worked for the Internal Revenue Service for many years. Occasionally, he shared some details of his work. For a while, he worked under cover for the IRS. My friend hated the job of spying on businesses to see if they were paying enough in taxes. As soon as he could, he retired from the IRS. However, being a tax collector today is an honored profession compared to what it was in the time of Christ. In Palestine, tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Roman government. They collected taxes from their own people to support the nation that had overrun their country and who kept them in subjection! Furthermore, tax collectors were often dishonest. To become a tax collector, one had to get a concession from the Roman government (often a hefty bribe was involved). The Romans then told him how much he was expected to collect each year; sometimes this had to be paid in advance. He made his profit by charging more than he had to pay the Roman government. Many tax collectors charged as much as they thought they could get away with. 11 It was a system ripe for greed, dishonesty, and corruption. As a result, other Jews considered tax collectors traitors and turncoats, no longer true sons of Abraham. A tax collector could not cast a vote. A tax collector could not testify in court. A tax collector was not allowed to go into the synagogue. The Talmud 12 said that there were three people to whom a Jew could lie: a thief, a robber, and a tax collector. In the Scriptures, tax collectors are invariably lumped with undesirables: Tax-gatherers and sinners (Matthew 9:10 13 ); a Gentile and a tax-gatherer (Matthew 18:17), taxgatherers and harlots (Matthew 21:31, 32); swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or... this taxgatherer (Luke 18:11). Zaccheus was not merely a tax collector; he was a chief tax-gatherer. Barclay translated the phrase commissioner of taxes. Apparently, Zaccheus had purchased the tax concession for that entire area. Three tax centers were located in Palestine: Caesarea, Capernaum, and Jericho. Zaccheus may have had the contract for at least one-third of the country. If so, he would have had tax collectors working for him all over that part of Palestine and he would have gotten a percentage from each of these tax collectors. To the Jews in that region, Zaccheus was the head of the local Mafia, the Jewish Godfather. 14 Considering the widespread nature of Zaccheus enterprise, we are not surprised to read the next words: and he was rich (v. 2c). 15 We have already noted the key position of Jericho on the trade routes. It was a lucrative spot for tax collectors, and Zaccheus had taken full advantage of it. Had Zaccheus wealth made him a happy man? I do not think that I am reading too much into the text to say that although Zaccheus had money, he did not have happiness. He was probably the most hated man in Jericho. When Jesus went home with him, the text says, They all 2

3 began to grumble, saying, He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner (v. 7; emphasis mine). How would you like to be the most despised man in town a total outcast? Imagine what this would do to your wife, to your children! I do not know what it would be like to be that despised, but I do know that it is no fun being on the outside. As I thought about Zaccheus lack of popularity, an incident from my boyhood came to mind. Several of us got together to play baseball. I have never been good at baseball (a coach once explained that I have poor hand-eye coordination), but I wanted to be with the other boys. The game started with choosing up sides. This boy was chosen, and that one. Finally, only one boy was left: me. The big boy, whose turn it was to choose, sighed and said, Okay, I ll take Roper. 16 If they had chosen up sides in Jericho, nobody would have chosen Zaccheus. He would not have been allowed to play on anyone s team. He was hated and despised. He must have been miserable. I believe that, either consciously or unconsciously, Zaccheus was seeking Jesus because he wanted Jesus to help him turn his life around. Perhaps he had heard that Jesus was the friend of tax-gatherers and sinners (Matthew 11:19). Perhaps he had heard that Jesus had called Matthew, a tax-gatherer, to be one of His disciples (Luke 5:27). Perhaps Matthew had even been a friend of Zaccheus. I do not know Zaccheus exact motivation for seeking Jesus, but I believe that he wanted help. Hear this little lesson on wealth: Money and things cannot buy happiness. Possessions are quickly gone, 17 and things do not comfort. To be happy, we need relationships with others. Especially do we need a right relationship with our God. A LITTLE LESSON ON SEEKING THE LORD (LUKE 19:3, 4) And he was trying to see who Jesus was (v. 3a). Literally, the text reads, And he was seeking to see Jesus, who He was. Wherever a form of the word seek is found in the New Testament, it always indicates a diligent effort; 18 it never denotes a halfhearted attempt. Zaccheus had heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho, and he was determined to see Him. However, when he tried, he was unable because of the crowd (v. 3b). Many of the pilgrims going to Jerusalem for the feast had gathered around Jesus and were traveling with Him. In addition, word had gone ahead; people no doubt lined the streets of Jericho three or four deep. Zaccheus problem is stated in the last part of the verse: He was unable... for he was small in stature (v. 3c). Let us say it plainly: He was short. I can see him trying to push through the crowd to get where he could see. When people saw who it was, it was their chance to get back at the hated tax collector. They shoved him, stuck elbows in his side, and stepped on his feet. 19 I then imagine him standing at the back, hopping up and down, straining to see over the crowd, with no success. Soon Jesus had passed, and Zaccheus did not get even a glimpse because he was too short. I have to pause to say a few words about folks who are small in stature. My guess is that some in Jericho made up hateful jokes and ugly songs about Zaccheus being short. We sing about a wee little man and mean no disrespect; but I imagine when the children of Jericho saw Zaccheus, they sang a song filled with derision about his being short. 20 I am as bad as anyone when it comes to kidding people about their height, 21 but most individuals I have known who have been small in stature have been very special people. Most were motivated and were top achievers. Historically, we think of Napoleon. When I was a boy, a small man named Audie Murphy was one of our war heroes; later, he became a movie star. Other movie stars of past and present who were small of stature 22 could be mentioned. Another small man, a vocational-agriculture teacher of years past, comes to mind: Archie Garrison. 23 Archie had no discipline problems with the overgrown farm boys in his classes. He looked them in the eye and said, I may be small, but I m wound up tight! I imagine that Zaccheus was also wound up tight ; he was not one who gave up easily. He was determined to see Jesus... but how? Perhaps he looked up at the trees that lined the streets and saw little boys sitting on the branches, watching the impromptu parade and a smile crossed his face. And he ran on ahead (v. 4a). Grown men 3

4 did not run in those days, especially important men. They walked slowly, with dignity. As far as Zaccheus was concerned, however, seeing Jesus was more important than dignity. Pulling up his robes, he stretched out his short legs. Skirting the crowd, he ran until he was ahead of the slowmoving mob. Zaccheus climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way (v. 4b). Zaccheus swung a leg over one of the low branches that grew horizontally from the trunk and laboriously climbed up. This tax collector was almost childlike in his enthusiasm: running and climbing trees! 24 (I do not do much running these days and it has been a long time since I climbed a tree!) Zaccheus was determined that he would see Jesus, and he would let nothing stand in his way not the crowd, not his height, not his pride! Moses put our little lesson on seeking the Lord this way: But... you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29; emphasis mine). Years ago, a student and a teacher walked together along a street. The student asked the teacher how he could find the Lord. The teacher grabbed the young man, pulled him over to a watering trough, thrust his head under the water, and held him there. When he released him, the young man stood, water running down his face, gasping for air. The teacher said, When you want to find the Lord as keenly as you wished for air, you will find Him! Zaccheus was willing to do what it took to find the Lord! We need to be that determined to find truth (John 8:32)! A LITTLE LESSON ON COMPASSION (LUKE 19:5 7) And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up (v. 5a). The KJV says, He looked up, and saw him. Zaccheus probably thought no one would see him hidden among the broad leaves of the tree, but Jesus saw him. Remember the verse with which this story closes (v. 10). Zaccheus was not the only one seeking; Jesus was also seeking. Jesus was seeking the lost. And said to him, Zaccheus, hurry and come down (v. 5b). How astonished Zaccheus must have been when Jesus called out his name! 25 Jesus knew everything about him: his name, his needs, the ache in his heart... and even his potential. Zaccheus, hurry... for today I must stay at your house (v. 5c). Isn t that amazing? Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheus home for dinner! What would you think if we had never met before, and I walked up to you and said, I m going home with you. What are you having for supper? 26 However, if Jesus was to go into Zaccheus house, He would have to invite Himself for Zaccheus would never have invited Him. Rabbis would not go into the houses of tax collectors, nor would Pharisees, Sadducees, or scribes. (I can imagine Zaccheus preparing a magnificent banquet, sending out hundreds of invitations, and the night of the banquet, not having a single guest.) No, Zaccheus would not have invited Jesus so Jesus invited Himself. Notice the word must : Today I must stay at your house. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost, and here was one of the lost. As Jesus looked up at the little man, He realized why He was at that spot at that time. In effect, He said to Zaccheus, I must stay at your house if salvation is to come to your house! Keep in mind, however, that Zaccheus could have refused Jesus invitation. Jesus has never forced Himself on anyone. This story illustrates Revelation 3:20, where Jesus said to the Christians at Laodicea: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. Jesus was asking for entrance into Zaccheus house so He could dine with him, but it was up to Zaccheus to open the door to allow Jesus to enter. (Jesus also stands at the door of our hearts asking for entrance, but whether we let Him in or not is up to us.) What was Zaccheus response? And he hurried and came down (v. 6a). See him scrambling down out of the tree; he still was not worried about appearing dignified. And received Him gladly (v. 6b). Perhaps it had been a long time since Zaccheus had been happy, but now he must have had a big smile on his face. 27 Joy came into his life because Jesus came into his life. Children familiar with the work of Walt Disney know about Scrooge McDuck, the richest duck in the world. Scrooge McDuck is happy because he has a swimming pool full of money. Scrooge finds joy in diving into his swimming 4

5 pool and swimming through his money. Scrooge McDuck is just a cartoon character, but he represents multiplied thousands who think that is the way to find happiness. Zaccheus, however, discovered that happiness did not come through amassing fortunes. Instead, it came when Jesus showed concern and compassion for him. Regardless of what has happened in a person s life,... Jesus loves him and so should we! As Jesus and Zaccheus walked away, 28 verse 7 tells of the reaction of the crowd: And when they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. The word all seems to be inclusive: Those traveling with Jesus began to grumble. Those who lived in Jericho began to grumble. Everyone was unhappy. Jesus had often stressed that His purpose was to find and help the lost (Luke 15). Earlier, when He was criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners, He had said, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick (Matthew 9:12). However, it was a hard lesson for His hearers to learn. 29 You and I need to learn this little lesson on compassion: Jesus loves everyone. Regardless of what has happened in a person s life, how deep in sin that individual may be, or how bad his reputation, Jesus loves him and so should we! A LITTLE LESSON ON REPENTANCE (LUKE 19:8) Luke does not give the details of Jesus stay in Zaccheus home. Wouldn t you like to know how long Jesus stayed, what they talked about, and how Jesus touched the little man s heart? Luke just gives the result in verse 8: And Zaccheus stopped (v. 8a). Whatever Zaccheus was doing, he suddenly stopped to make an announcement. The original text has And standing, Zaccheus said. 30 Since they reclined when they ate, Zaccheus announcement possibly took place during or after a meal. Zaccheus got to his feet to attract everyone s attention and to emphasize the seriousness of what he was about to say. Zaccheus spoke to Jesus: Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor.... (v. 8b). In the original language will give is in the present tense 31 literally, I am giving to the poor. In those days one did not have to look for the poor; day and night the Jews were surrounded by them. Perhaps at this point, Zaccheus scooped up a handful of coins, ran to the door, and thrust them into the hands of a surprised beggar! 32 Outside Zaccheus house, there was grumbling. Inside the house, conversion was taking place. Zaccheus continued with his announcement: And if I have defrauded anyone of anything (v. 8c). In the original, this is a first-class conditional sentence, which gives a statement assumed to be true. We do not know if the fraud was deliberate or inadvertent (remember that Zaccheus had others who worked for him). I will give back four times as much (v. 8d). The law said that if a thief confessed, he had to repay what he had stolen plus one-fifth. 33 If he stole $100, he had to repay $120. In certain extreme cases, restoring twofold or fourfold was required, 34 but these did not fit Zaccheus situation. Zaccheus was not required to repay fourfold, but he was not interested in the bare minimum. He said, in effect, If I have taken $100 from a man, I will give $400 back! Zaccheus attitude is a beautiful demonstration of an important aspect of biblical repentance. The word repentance is translated from a compound Greek word that means change of mind or attitude. When the term is applied to men, it usually refers to a change of mind or attitude about sin. It indicates that one has come to see the terribleness of sin and determines to root it out of his life with the help of God. A key aspect of repentance is the willingness to make restitution for the past, as far as humanly possible. I use the term as far as humanly possible, because sometimes there is no way we can undo the past. For instance, Peter told the people who had crucified Jesus to repent (Acts 2:23, 38), but there was no way they could undo their terrible 5

6 deed. In most cases, however, some kind of restitution is possible. Thus, John the Baptizer told his hearers:... bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8; emphasis mine). We read in the case of the son who refused to go into the field as his father requested, afterward he repented, and went (Matthew 21:29; KJV). Unfortunately, the importance of restitution is often overlooked in the matter of repentance. The hardest part of conversion is not baptism, but repentance. Repentance involves being brokenhearted. Repentance means that one is moved enough to bring about real changes in his life! If your conversion has not made a difference in your life, you may want to consider whether or not you have really been converted. 35 Zaccheus conversion made a difference in his life! We need to learn this little lesson on repentance. A LITTLE LESSON ON SALVATION (LUKE 19:9, 10) Jesus responded to Zaccheus words: Today salvation has come to this house (v. 9a). Salvation had come to Zaccheus house because Jesus had come to Zaccheus house and because Zaccheus had responded to the love and compassion of Jesus. Jesus added, Because he, too, is a son of Abraham (v. 9b). The Pharisees did not believe that Zaccheus was a son of Abraham, but Jesus said that he was. However, Jesus was saying more. Jesus was saying that Zaccheus was a true son of Abraham because he had come to faith as Abraham had. 36 On the other hand, the Pharisees who prided themselves on their ancestry were not true sons of Abraham, for they did not believe in Jesus. Next, we have these stirring words: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (v. 10). This verse declares that we are lost lost in our sins. Most of us have heard the word lost so often in sermons that we think of it simply as the opposite of saved. The root meaning of lost, however, is that which is out of place and is, therefore, worthless. This meaning can be illustrated by Jesus stories about the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost boy in Luke 15. Man was separated from God and unable to fulfill his purpose for being. When you and I are lost in our sins, we cannot fulfill our purpose in life, which is to glorify God (Matthew 5:13 16)! The most wonderful part of the verse, however, is that Jesus came to seek the lost. Remember that the word seek means to search diligently, to put forth whatever effort is necessary to locate and find. Jesus came to find us and bring us back to God so that we would be where we ought to be and accomplish what we ought to accomplish! This is the little lesson on salvation. Jesus came to seek and to save. Jesus was soon to start up the rugged incline leading from Jericho to Jerusalem. He would face His enemies and, in a little over a week, He would die on the cross. That was Jesus purpose for coming to this world. (When you and I do not respond to the invitation of Jesus, we are defeating Jesus purpose for our own lives!) What an exciting day it was for Zaccheus as this wee little sinner became a big little follower of Jesus! 37 CONCLUSION It is not hard to put ourselves in Zaccheus place. Like that little man, some of us are up a tree 38 spiritually and emotionally, our lives in a muddle. Jesus sees us, whatever our condition, wherever we are, and still says, I want to go home with you; I want to be a part of your life. Like Zaccheus, we can accept Jesus invitation or we can refuse it. When Zaccheus awoke that morning, he could not have known how exciting the day would turn out. I do not know how this day started for you. Perhaps you woke up still tired and sleepy. Maybe the day has not improved much. 39 However, if you can see Jesus standing at the door of your heart, asking to come in, what an exciting day this can end up! If you will respond to His love, it can also be said of you, Today salvation has come to [your] house! NOTES 1 In a sermon, all the children who have heard of Zaccheus can be asked to hold up their hands. 2 This song could be sung with the children. 3 Different areas have variations: For I m going to your house to dine, etc. In Australia and other countries with a British background, they sing, For I m going to your house for tea. 4 This means that its beginning predated written records. 5 Seven levels in all have been built successively on the site of Jericho. 6

7 6 It was called The City of Palms. 7 The beauty of the city is reflected in the fact that Mark Antony gave the city to Cleopatra as a token of his affection. 8 This is a literal rendering of the original text. The NIV calls the tree a sycamore-fig tree. 9 Mulberry-fig trees were specified in a footnote in early editions of the NASB. 10 The KJV has publican, which refers to a man in public service. In some parts of the world, however, a publican is a man who operates a pub a place that sells beer. 11 John the Baptizer commanded the tax collectors, Collect no more than what you have been ordered to (Luke 3:13). 12 The Talmud was a Jewish commentary on the law. 13 See also Matthew 11:19; Luke 7: Mafia and Godfather are gangster terms familiar to most Americans. Other terms can be used to communicate this idea. 15 The possibility exists that Zaccheus riches came by completely honest means. I believe, however, that the position of these words in the text, plus the context, are intended to imply that Zaccheus had been the kind of rascal that the Jews thought tax-gatherers were. 16 Most adults had some experience in their childhood when they felt left out. A personal experience can be substituted. 17 The latest headlines on floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters that have destroyed property can be used here. Judsonia, Arkansas, where I live, was completely destroyed by a tornado in Note Hebrews 11:6 in the KJV, where the Greek word for seek is translated diligently seek. 19 Zaccheus was probably taking his life in his hands to go among the crowd to try to see Jesus, but that is how determined he was to see Him. 20 A demonstration can be used by singing something to the tune of the children s song, something like Zaccheus was a wee little man; ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. 21 How many times have short people been told to stand up after they have already stood up? 22 One star in the past is Alan Ladd, and others in the present are Dudley Moore, Dustin Hoffman, and Danny Devito. Of course, there are also small actresses. 23 Archie Garrison was the vo-ag teacher at Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, who preceded my father there. 24 When my grandson Seth visits, anytime we are near a tree, Seth has to climb it! 25 My guess is that Jesus knew Zaccheus name the same way He knew what was in man (John 2:24, 25; see also Luke 6:8; 11:17). 26 In a sermon, I say, What if I walked up to you after the service and said, I m going home with you for lunch....? 27 Joy is one of the key themes in the gospel of Luke. The word joy is found over twenty times in one form or another. 28 The text does not say whether or not Jesus disciples went to Zaccheus house. I would guess that they did. 29 Matthew 9:11; 11:19; Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30; 7: This is indicated in the KJV and NIV. 31 This is indicated in the KJV and NIV. 32 The movie Jesus depicts Zaccheus laughing as he flings coins to the beggars clustered around his front door. We cannot know if this was the case or not, but it is certainly in character with what was happening in Zaccheus life. 33 Numbers 5:7; Leviticus 6:5. 34 Exodus 22:1, 4, One writer even suggested that if our conversion has not made us as generous as Zaccheus, we may need to question our conversion! 36 Galatians 3:29; see also Romans 4:12; Galatians 3:7. 37 According to tradition, Zaccheus continued on that pathway. Clement of Alexandria wrote that Zaccheus became a bishop (elder) at Caesarea. 38 This expression means at a loss to know how to proceed. 39 In a sermon, I note: You may have even struggled with whether to be here today or not. Seeking the Lost Jesus prospect list was amazing: He chose Matthew the tax collector as one of the Twelve, He taught the woman at the well who had had five husbands, and he ate in the home of Zaccheus! How different are our lists of those we think will make good prospects for the gospel message! Have we learned from Jesus really to seek the lost? Jesus knew His purpose in life: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). God, help us to be as clear on our mission as Jesus was on His! Copyright, 1994, 1998 by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7