Zacchaeus Stands Before Jesus With Open Treasure Chestby CBPepper
19:9Luke 19:9
And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
On that day in Jericho salvation came to Zacchaeus's household when Jesus came to him, entered his home, and was welcomed and received joyfully as a personal Saviour to abide within, blessing the household by teaching them the things of the kingdom. Though he was a chief tax collector whose work was associated with injustice and extortion and who was regarded as a sinner, he was called a son of Abraham because his faith and character resembled Abraham's and those who have faith belong among Abraham's children in the family of faith. Having heard Jesus' teaching and been convicted of wrongdoing, he confessed publicly out of love and loyalty and promised generous giving to the poor and fourfold repayment for fraud, which Jesus accepted as sincere repentance and evidence that genuine conversion produces practical reform by abandoning dishonest practices and repairing wrongs. His generosity and restitution could not replace his need for Christ, and salvation came only when he received Jesus, for the Son of man came to seek and save the lost, showing that even those condemned as sinners may receive salvation and a better life while those who consider themselves righteous and in no need of repentance may be shut out. Salvation still comes to a house when a sinner makes entire surrender to God through earnest, persevering prayer with confession and tears and joins with family in daily resolve to seek God and watch against temptation, and this calls for dealing tenderly and mercifully with objectionable, straying and erring ones as sick needing extra help, bringing them to Christ with love and prayer rather than cutting them off.
Setting and Declaration
The setting is Jericho, a busy center of trade and customs collection where many tax collectors lived, together with many priests and residents from varied backgrounds. Zacchaeus himself was a chief tax collector whose work was associated with injustice and extortion. Though religious leaders regarded him as a sinner, salvation still came to his household.
The declaration belongs to the account in Luke 19:1-10. It means that on that day salvation came to Zacchaeus's household when Jesus came to him, entered his home, and was welcomed and received joyfully. He received Jesus not merely as a guest but as a personal Saviour to abide within. Christ then blessed the household by teaching them the things of the kingdom.
To call him a son of Abraham affirmed that he belonged among those receiving salvation and in the family of faith. Those who have faith are Abraham's children. His faith and character resembled Abraham's, and his reception of Christ showed that belonging.
Repentance and New Life
Before the declaration that salvation had come to his house, Zacchaeus had heard Jesus' teaching and been convicted of his wrongdoing, recognizing his need to reform his life and beginning to desire repentance and repayment toward those he had wronged. The truth he had received was growing in his heart and preparing to bear fruit for God. Even though his work as chief tax collector was associated with injustice and extortion, a better life was possible for him because he had begun to repent.
Out of love and loyalty to Jesus he confessed his wrongdoing publicly and promised generous giving to the poor and fourfold repayment for anything he had taken by false accusation or fraud. Jesus recognized his sincere repentance and accepted his reformation. His decision to give to the poor and repay those he had defrauded was evidence of genuine conversion and of his response to Christ's words. Genuine conversion produces practical reform through abandoning dishonest practices and making restitution and repair of wrongs.
His generosity and restitution were Christian works, but done before meeting Christ they did not replace his need for Christ. Salvation came to his household only when Jesus came to him and he received Jesus joyfully as his personal Saviour, not merely as a guest but as One to abide within him. This reflects that the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.
Hope and Present Application
Even for a chief tax collector whose business was bound up with injustice and extortion, a better life was possible, for conviction of wrongdoing had begun to work repentance, reform of life, and repayment of what had been wrongly taken. When Christ entered the home and was received as a personal Saviour, salvation came to that household that day. That reception showed belonging to the family of faith, for faith and character like Abraham's make a son of Abraham. Those condemned as sinners may thus receive salvation, while those who count themselves righteous and feel no need of repentance may be shut out of the kingdom.
Because He came to seek and save what was lost and hopeless in the eyes of others, the objectionable and straying are to be regarded as sick, needing extra help rather than being cut off and left. Erring youth and students are therefore to be dealt with tenderly and mercifully, drawn to Christ with cords of love, prayed for, led and guided, until hard hearts are melted. Harshness and arbitrary rule are to be put away, and this merciful course is to be followed even when others find fault, as the Pharisees found fault with tenderness toward such sinners.
Salvation still comes to a house when a sinner makes an entire surrender to God through earnest, persevering prayer, confessing wrongs with a broken spirit and tears and pleading in agony of spirit. That surrender is joined with family resolve to seek God daily and to watch against temptation, so that God's presence fills the home with light and victory over the powers of darkness. So it was when, after confession of wrongs, surrender to God, and prayer for family, salvation had indeed come to that household.
On that day in Jericho salvation came to Zacchaeus's household when Jesus came to him, entered his home, and was welcomed and received joyfully as a personal Saviour to abide within, blessing the household by teaching them the things of the kingdom. Though he was a chief tax collector whose work was associated with injustice and extortion and who was regarded as a sinner, he was called a son of Abraham because his faith and character resembled Abraham's and those who have faith belong among Abraham's children in the family of faith. Having heard Jesus' teaching and been convicted of wrongdoing, he confessed publicly out of love and loyalty and promised generous giving to the poor and fourfold repayment for fraud, which Jesus accepted as sincere repentance and evidence that genuine conversion produces practical reform by abandoning dishonest practices and repairing wrongs. His generosity and restitution could not replace his need for Christ, and salvation came only when he received Jesus, for the Son of man came to seek and save the lost, showing that even those condemned as sinners may receive salvation and a better life while those who consider themselves righteous and in no need of repentance may be shut out. Salvation still comes to a house when a sinner makes entire surrender to God through earnest, persevering prayer with confession and tears and joins with family in daily resolve to seek God and watch against temptation, and this calls for dealing tenderly and mercifully with objectionable, straying and erring ones as sick needing extra help, bringing them to Christ with love and prayer rather than cutting them off.
Setting and Declaration
The setting is Jericho, a busy center of trade and customs collection where many tax collectors lived, together with many priests and residents from varied backgrounds. Zacchaeus himself was a chief tax collector whose work was associated with injustice and extortion. Though religious leaders regarded him as a sinner, salvation still came to his household.
The declaration belongs to the account in Luke 19:1-10. It means that on that day salvation came to Zacchaeus's household when Jesus came to him, entered his home, and was welcomed and received joyfully. He received Jesus not merely as a guest but as a personal Saviour to abide within. Christ then blessed the household by teaching them the things of the kingdom.
To call him a son of Abraham affirmed that he belonged among those receiving salvation and in the family of faith. Those who have faith are Abraham's children. His faith and character resembled Abraham's, and his reception of Christ showed that belonging.
Repentance and New Life
Before the declaration that salvation had come to his house, Zacchaeus had heard Jesus' teaching and been convicted of his wrongdoing, recognizing his need to reform his life and beginning to desire repentance and repayment toward those he had wronged. The truth he had received was growing in his heart and preparing to bear fruit for God. Even though his work as chief tax collector was associated with injustice and extortion, a better life was possible for him because he had begun to repent.
Out of love and loyalty to Jesus he confessed his wrongdoing publicly and promised generous giving to the poor and fourfold repayment for anything he had taken by false accusation or fraud. Jesus recognized his sincere repentance and accepted his reformation. His decision to give to the poor and repay those he had defrauded was evidence of genuine conversion and of his response to Christ's words. Genuine conversion produces practical reform through abandoning dishonest practices and making restitution and repair of wrongs.
His generosity and restitution were Christian works, but done before meeting Christ they did not replace his need for Christ. Salvation came to his household only when Jesus came to him and he received Jesus joyfully as his personal Saviour, not merely as a guest but as One to abide within him. This reflects that the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.
Hope and Present Application
Even for a chief tax collector whose business was bound up with injustice and extortion, a better life was possible, for conviction of wrongdoing had begun to work repentance, reform of life, and repayment of what had been wrongly taken. When Christ entered the home and was received as a personal Saviour, salvation came to that household that day. That reception showed belonging to the family of faith, for faith and character like Abraham's make a son of Abraham. Those condemned as sinners may thus receive salvation, while those who count themselves righteous and feel no need of repentance may be shut out of the kingdom.
Because He came to seek and save what was lost and hopeless in the eyes of others, the objectionable and straying are to be regarded as sick, needing extra help rather than being cut off and left. Erring youth and students are therefore to be dealt with tenderly and mercifully, drawn to Christ with cords of love, prayed for, led and guided, until hard hearts are melted. Harshness and arbitrary rule are to be put away, and this merciful course is to be followed even when others find fault, as the Pharisees found fault with tenderness toward such sinners.
Salvation still comes to a house when a sinner makes an entire surrender to God through earnest, persevering prayer, confessing wrongs with a broken spirit and tears and pleading in agony of spirit. That surrender is joined with family resolve to seek God daily and to watch against temptation, so that God's presence fills the home with light and victory over the powers of darkness. So it was when, after confession of wrongs, surrender to God, and prayer for family, salvation had indeed come to that household.