Aftermath

Aftermath

Luke 19:8-10, NKJV

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Setting the Scene

The brief scene in Luke 19:1-8 is the only time Zacchaeus is named in the New Testament. He is mentioned by one of the early church fathers, Clement of Alexandria, who indicates the former chief tax collector eventually became the bishop of Caesarea. So much happens in this short account that we arrive somewhat breathless at Jesus’ closing words.

Few of us can identify with the spontaneous clarity of Zacchaeus’s response to Christ’s acceptance. We can remember promises we have made to God, often much broader promises than the ones made by the newly converted tax man, but which we haven’t made good. Perhaps our efforts at impressive sacrifice were doomed from the outset because we assumed our grandiose commitment would impress Jesus. Jesus didn’t comment on the content of Zacchaeus’s commitment; he declared again what God had done for Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus made a specific public commitment. We might expect that his example made a deep impression on other lost sons and daughters of Abraham, even as it does on us, centuries later. Commitment to Christ is rooted in a private encounter, but the reality of that encounter will always be questionable without an external, public expression. This is why Paul tells us, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10, NIV). Zacchaeus got it right.

Getting Personal

Even if you’ve been familiar with this story since childhood, what strikes or convicts you now about the encounter between Zacchaeus and Jesus?

When was the last time you were able to speak publicly about your commitment to Christ?

Zacchaeus declared his changed life while he was surrounded by his closest enemies. He didn’t argue with those who had just called him a sinner. But he showed them what could happen in a sinner’s life after meeting Jesus. The world takes notice of such changes.

Talking to God

Take a minute to think of friends or family members whose lives have been transformed because of their relationship with Jesus. Thank God for those people by name, and praise him for his power that is at work in such personal ways.