Luke 19:1-2. And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans and he was rich.
Jesus Christ had just blessed a blind man who was poor, so poor that he was a common wayside beggar; will he bless the rich man, too? Oh, yes! he knows no distinction of persons, he is ready to bless all classes; whether they be rich or poor is nothing to him.
Luke 19:3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was;
Possibly he had not much respect, but he had great curiosity; he would like to see the man about whom everybody was talking: «He sought to see Jesus who he was.»
Luke 19:3. And could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
The crowd round about him was so thick that the little short man could not see over the heads of the tall people. Though he pushed, and tried to get in front, there was always some bigger body before him, so that he could not see the great Teacher.
Luke 19:4. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree
Do you not see the little short man running in front of the throng, and climbing up a tree that stood in the way? Rich men do not generally climb trees, but here was a man whose curiosity overcame his dignity, so he «climbed up into a sycomore tree»
Luke 19:4-5. To see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him,
Cannot you imagine that you see the blessed Master stopping, and looking up at that tree? Somehow, he always made himself one with those whom he meant to bless. When he spoke to the blind man, he stood as if he were himself blind, and asked him, «What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?» And now he stops under this sycomore, and looks up at curious Zacchaeus as if he, too, were taken with a fit of curiosity, and asks, «Who is that up in this tree?» «He looked up and saw him,»-spied him out,
Luke 19:5. And said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.
Oh, how astonished must the little Jew have been when he heard Christ's words! Never was a man so taken with surprise before, but with the word there came a divine softness into the heart of the chief of the publicans, and he yielded to that singularly condescending invitation, that strangely unexpected command.
Luke 19:6. And he made haste, and came down; and received him joyfully.
A great change had been suddenly wrought in him; the opening of the blind man's eyes was not at all more remarkable than the renewing of the heart of Zacchaeus: «He made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.»
Luke 19:7. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
I wonder where he could have gone and not been guest with a man that was a sinner; but Zacchaeus was thought to be a sinner beyond ordinary sinners. Our Lord still loves to be the guest of a man that is a sinner, he still wants a place where he can stay. O man, thou who art a sinner, ask him home with thee! O woman, thou who art in thy very trade a sinner, ask him home with thee, and we will say again, not murmuringly, but joyfully, «He has gone to be guest with one who is a sinner.»
Luke 19:8. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
That was a grand proof that the conversion of Zacchaeus was genuine; I should like to see the same kind of proof in many professors whom I know: «Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.» I remember one who was converted in this place, and he at once gave ВЈ50 to some good object, and I said to his brother, «I think your brother I converted.» He answered, «I hope he is, but he is a dreadful skin-flint.» «But,» I replied, «only yesterday, he gave ВЈ50 to such-and-such a work.» «Ah, then!» said the brother, «I am sure he is converted, for nothing but the grace of God would make him do such a thing as that.» Now Zacchaeus was, no doubt, a man of that kind, one who loved his money, and kept it to himself as long as ever he could; but now that he is converted, he says, «Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;»
Luke 19:8. And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
He acts in charity and justice, for he is determined to do the right thing with his substance. You see, he was a rich man, so his money was a source of trouble. The blind beggar had no such difficulty, for he had not any money that he must distribute when he was converted; but this rich man this camel, as our Saviour called such men, went through the eye of a needle by the grace of God, and thus the Lord proved the reality of his conversion.
Luke 19:9. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
«He does not look like it, he has become a tax-gatherer for the Romans, he has oppressed his own countrymen. But he is a son of Abraham, and salvation has come to him.»
Luke 19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
If, at this time, we ask our Lord Jesus, «Whither goest thou, Divine Master?» his answer still is, «I am come to seek and to save that which was lost.» «Art thou come after those who think themselves good enough without thee?» He shakes his head and says, «I am a Physician, and the whole have no need of a Physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.» The gospel of the grace of God is for the guilty; if you are not guilty, there is no gospel for you; but if you are guilty, and confess it, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
This exposition consisted of readings from Luke 18:31-43; Luke 19:1-10.