I. A whole paragraph is devoted to the delineation of one man's life, while so many great subjects are hardly touched upon in the Christian Scriptures. Yet let us not complain of what looks to us like capriciousness and incompleteness of Divine revelation, for in these portrayals of individuals we have not only the most practical aspects of the Christian faith, but we get nearer to God than would otherwise have been possible.
II. Zacchæus sought to see Jesus through natural curiosity, yet such curiosity may be turned to the highest uses; Zacchæus only sought to see the Man, but in the end he saw the Saviour; he desired to see a wonder, in the end he was made into a wonder himself.
III. Zacchæus would never have been chief among the publicans, and been rich, if he had succumbed to difficulties. His character was brought out by opposition. I contend that, what ever a man's disadvantages may be, he can see Jesus Christ if he so determine in his heart.
IV. Jesus Christ looked, saw,and said.When Christians look and see and say, there will go forth into the world such an evangelising commission as never yet sought the recovery of men.
V. "He made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully." This is a striking harmony with all that we have seen of Zacchæus. The man who could run and climb was just the man to make haste in coming down, and to give a joyful answer to such an appeal. Zacchæus would never have known himself if he had not first known Jesus Christ. It is ever noteworthy that by contact with the Saviour men become greater, and to their fuller strength is added all the charm of generosity. In this case there is a noticeable combination of liberality and justice; the poor and the wronged alike feel the blessed influence of this man's renewal. All with whom he had to do were the better for his having received Jesus Christ into his heart.
Parker, City Temple,1870, p. 74.
References: Luke 19:1. T. T. Lynch, Sermons for My Curates,p. 71.Luke 19:1-10. H. Scott Holland, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxviii., p. 373. R. Rainy, Ibid.,vol. xiii., p. 296; Homilist,vol. vii., p. 332, Ibid.,new series, vol. i., p. 130. Luke 19:3. Sermons for Boys and Girls,p. 194; Parker, Cavendish Pulpit,vol. ii., p. 302.Luke 19:5. Spurgeon, My Sermon Notes: Gospels and Acts,p. 104; Ibid., Sermons,vol. ii., No. 73.Luke 19:7. Ibid.,vol. xxii., No. 1,319.