Changes

Changes

Luke 19:7-8, NKJV

But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8Then 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.”

Setting the Scene

There can be little doubt that the crowd was not pleased with Jesus for interacting with Zacchaeus. The little chief tax collector had gone from being their intended outcast to suddenly being the center of attention. Verse 7 is often read as an immediate response to Jesus’ words, but it is more likely that there is a time gap between verses 6 and 7, during which Jesus was at Zacchaeus’s house. We can only guess at the content of the conversation at Zacchaeus’s table. The fact of Jesus’ presence may well have been more transformative for the tax collector than anything he said.

The grumbling of the crowd may have begun immediately, but the consensus of criticism about Jesus’ lack of judgment in accepting a sinner’s hospitality would have taken a little time. In response to the complaints of the crowd, however, Zacchaeus rose to the occasion. He “stood,” as a host would get up from the table in order to give a toast. The chief tax collector was about to make a public announcement. He would definitely be held to his next words. Zacchaeus immediately gave half his wealth away to the poor. With the other half, he promised to pay back 400 percent to anyone he had cheated. The crowd must have been shocked into silence as some of them began to do the math in their heads.

Zacchaeus didn’t make this stunning announcement as a way to gain God’s acceptance; this unexpected radical change in his behavior was evidence of God’s acceptance and transformation of his life.

Getting Personal

What clues might people discover in you that indicate your ultimate commitment to God?

How do you think acceptance from God alters a person’s understanding of righteous behavior?

We can get lost in comparing Zacchaeus’s sudden generosity with our own paltry giving, and losing ourselves there for a while might be healthy. But the crucial lesson to remember is that true generosity is always an expression of how much we value what we ourselves have been given by God. For those who realize they have received a priceless gift, all other artificial values become disposable.

Talking to God

Seek a transformation as complete as the change in Zacchaeus, no matter what the cost. Offer the Lord all you are and all you have for his purposes and his glory.