Public enemy No. 1

Devotional

Zacchaeus was one of the wealthiest men in the Gospels. And perhaps the most despised by his neighbors.

When we focused earlier this week on Jesus’ story about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14), we learned that the tax collector occupied the most hated profession in Jesus’ society. As we noted when we told Matthew’s story, such people were rejected by their fellow Jews.

And the more tax collectors extorted from their victims, the more hated they became.

Enter Zacchaeus, the “chief tax collector” of Jericho, who we find in Luke 19:2. This title isn’t found anywhere else in the literature of the day and explains why Luke describes him as “rich.” As a “chief” tax collector, Zacchaeus organized the other tax collectors in the region and took a cut from their labor.

And Zacchaeus worked in Jericho, one of the most lucrative places for tax collecting in all of Israel. As the most significant city on the major east-west road between Judea and Perea, it saw travelers from across that part of the world. This provided the perfect environment for Zacchaeus and the other tax collectors under his leadership to take advantage of those passing through.

Now Jesus has come to town and has called this notorious man by name (v. 5). Everyone there must have been wondering: Would he condemn Zacchaeus for his corruption? Would he challenge him and his employees to repent of their many sins?

Shocking everyone who heard him—probably Zacchaeus most of all— Jesus said, “I must stay at your house today” (v. 5). Unsurprisingly, the crowd “grumbled” and complained, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (v. 7).

But Zacchaeus himself responded differently. He received him joyfully and later announced, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (v. 8). His “goods” referred to everything he owned, not just his income as a chief tax collector. And by restoring the money he defrauded by “fourfold” he was fulfilling the requirements of the Law found in Exodus 22:1 and the prophets in 2 Samuel 12:6.

And in Luke 19:9–10, Jesus replied, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.” He then added, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

As we have focused this week on God’s call for his people to “turn from their wicked ways,” Zacchaeus reminds us that genuine turning from sin must produce practical results in our lives. When we turn from our ways, we live differently. When we are forgiven, we must forgive others. When we are made right with our Lord, we must seek to be right with our neighbors.

Is your repentance changing how you live? When last did repentance cost you something significant?

Let’s ask God to show us how to respond like Zacchaeus today as we enter a time of guided prayer.

today’s devotional is written by Jim Denison