Jesus Alone Saves the Lost Sinners

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus' House

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

8 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."

9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Jesus saves the lost sinners, not the ones found in their own righteousness.  When our Lord came through Jericho He encountered Zacchaeus who strived in some way to see Jesus, eventually climbing up a tree because he was a bit too wee to see over the crowd.  Jesus of course looked up because He knew the short man was there up high to see and be seen.  The Lord instructed him to make room for Him to come and dine at Zacchaeus' place.  The man was overjoyed to have the honor of Jesus coming to his house, especially since his fellow Jews looked down on him with contempt as a tax collector.  Not only was the man a servant of the occupying Romans but he was a chief tax collector, meaning he was higher up the food chain of those taking tribute tax for Israel’s enemies.  These tax collectors were usually swindlers as well, taking some of the inflated taxes for themselves to get rich as Zacchaeus was, so all assumed that he did the same on this lucrative trade route and all his wealth.  When accused as being such a sinner, however, the wee man showed righteous actions much like the examples of the rich ruler and blind man in the previous chapter of their faith and repentance.  In his defense, Zacchaeus recounted his honesty by telling how he restored money even when falsely accused and how he was generous toward the needy as well in loving his neighbor.  Jesus delivered salvation to save this outcast and made it clearly known that He came to save such sinners who were lost and needed to be found by Him in forgiveness of grace and restoration with the Father through Him.  The Pharisees and other religious people still murmured and complained among the crowd to stir them up against such a sinful traitorous man and did not grasp that they were sinners as well and likewise needed the same forgiveness as they repented of their own dishonesty and unloving behavior towards their neighbors which they falsely accused this man of.  The lesson here is to realize we all are sinners (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:21-23, Galatians 3:22) in need of the Lord seeking us out to rescue and restore us as undeserving offenders in need of unmerited favor of forgiveness despite our sins.  Nonetheless, this example also demonstrates how those seeking to do right (John 3:19-21) like the tax collector are invited as sons of believing Abraham (Galatians 3:9) in that grace.  He prepares those He has come for and is drawing to Himself (John 6:44, 65) because He alone saves us by His choice and never our own decision or work to earn salvation from sin’s penalty.  Jesus alone saves the lost sinners like Zacchaeus and like you and I.  May all climb the highest tree in the lowest humility to see and be invited in to dine eternally with Him!