Zacchaeus: A Walking Testimony

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

The famous London preacher Charles Spurgeon and his wife would not give away the eggs their chickens laid but would sell them—even to close relatives. As a result, some labeled the Spurgeons stingy and greedy. But when Mrs. Spurgeon died, it was revealed that the egg money had been used for years to support two elderly widows. The Spurgeons endured the criticism in silence, knowing that time would validate their actions.

Another man’s crafty financial dealings brought him far less praise when they were revealed. Zacchaeus was a Jewish tax collector in league with the Romans and hated by his fellow Jews. Tax collectors grew wealthy by charging citizens more than was due and pocketing the excess. But when Zacchaeus met Jesus, he immediately changed his ways. He confessed what he had done and purposed to pay back all he had stolen and more. Jesus validated Zacchaeus’s change of heart: “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9).

It’s good to talk about your salvation, but it’s even better to let your actions speak louder than your words. The world is waiting to meet Christians whose talk is drowned out by their walk.