Zacchaeus Who Climbed A Sycamore Tree To See Jesus
Did you know that the name Zacchaeus had a very special meaning?
Yes, of course! Zacchaeus‘ name meant pure, meaning one who cleanses himself and comes to the straight path. It is a wonder that Zacchaeus who came to the right path in the middle of his life was named Zacchaeus from the beginning and it meant clean. This suggests that he was already chosen by God to be purified.
Introduction
Zacchaeus was from Jericho. He used to work as a text collector there. At that time, the tax collector was looked upon very badly in the society. Because the tax collectors of that time used to pay more taxes and took more money from the people and kept their profits, because of which people called them cheaters and sinners. Zacchaeus also did the same thing, because of which he was looked down upon, but God chose him for Christianity. His life changed when he met Jesus. Zacchaeus climbs a fig tree to see him, but Jesus sees him and then Jesus stays at his house, which changes the life of Zacchaeus.
Verse
A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. (Luke 19:2)
Verse
He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. (Luke 19:3)
Zacchaeus’ Climbing a Tree
Zacchaeus was from Jericho. Once Jesus was going to come to Jericho and the news was already known to the people there. So the people gathered at the appointed place so that they could meet Jesus. Zacchaeus had great respect for Jesus in his heart. He wanted to see Jesus but the crowd was too big and he was too short to stand far away and see Jesus. So he decided that he would climb up a fig tree so that when Jesus passed by, he would see him. As Jesus was passing by, he noticed that Zacchaeus was up on the fig tree. Jesus knew everything, so he looked at Zacchaeus and said, “Come down, I want to talk to you.” When Zacchaeus came down, Jesus said, “I need a place to stay, and I will stay at your house today.” People objected a lot to this because according to them, Zacchaeus was a sinful person and Jesus should not live in the house of such a sinful person.
Verse
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. (Luke 19:4)
Verse
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5)
Arrival of Jesus in Zacchaeus’ House
When Jesus told Zacchaeus that he wanted to stay at his house that night, Zacchaeus was very happy. He gladly invited Jesus to his house and received him very well. It was a great honor for Zacchaeus. It was a detailed meeting of Jesus with him and this meeting changed the life of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus came to Christianity and thought to repent of his sins because he wanted to live a good life instead of sins and this was only possible if he got rid of those sins. Zacchaeus was later cleansed. This shows that God’s love is not only for honest and good people but also for sinful people.
Verse
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. (Luke 19:5-6)
Verse
All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7)
Zacchaeus’ Changing Life
Zacchaeus promised Jesus that he would give up this wrongdoing and repent of his sins because he wanted to follow the path of God and be a good servant of God. He had faith in his heart. Jesus said. So then you repent and leave this sinful act and do good deeds because only good deeds will work in the hereafter and because of this a person gets nearness to God. Zacchaeus did the same, he repented of his sins before Jesus and also said that I have gathered wealth by deception so I will give half of it to the poor. Also, if I have taken other people’s money by abuse, I will return them four times as well. This shows that Zacchaeus’ heart was drawn to faith and he was ready to give his dearest thing, i.e. wealth, to the poor in order to get closer to God.
Verse
Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” (Luke 19:8)
Verse
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. (Matthew 5:7)
Reaction of Jesus
On the repentance of Zacchaeus, Jesus congratulated him and said that your repentance has been accepted by God, now it is your duty to stay away from sins and obey the commands of God. Zacchaeus promised to live his whole life according to God’s commandments. Jesus was also very happy and said that today there has been happiness and salvation in this house. The story of Zacchaeus is proof that God showers His mercy not only on the righteous but also on His sinful servants. The condition is that the sinner should repent of his sins and seek God’s mercy.
Verse
Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. (Luke 19:9)
Verse
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Zacchaeus was a very sinful person and because of his sins, people did not think well of him. His relationship with people was very bad, yet God did not judge him for his sins. Rather, due to the state of faith in his heart, he was given the opportunity to repent of his sins and come to the path of goodness. That is why God made Zacchaeus firm on goodness and freed him from sins. This means that if our heart is pure and there is a state of faith in the heart, then God will forgive our sins and bring us to the right path.
Verse
For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
Verse
But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
