And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of
Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:9,10
Jesus is coming into Jericho, the same city that centuries before Joshua and the Israelites had marched around for 7 days; the same city where God’s people were being taught that obedience, expectation andworship would bring the intervention and blessings of God. When Israel obeyed, the walls came tumbling down. Now we fast forward to Luke 18:35, we read that Jesus has arrived in Jericho. His followers are present with Him, a blind beggar on the road side shouts out “Jesus, Son of David, have pity and show me mercy!” The religious try to quieten this man down but Jesus stops suddenly, requests the man be brought to him. Result, the blind man is not only healed but received salvation as well. Jesus said, “your faith in Me has given you sight and new life.” This scene serves as a backdrop to what happens next, the atmosphere is charged with curiosity from the people but Jesus is very intentional in the verses to follow.
Now you could imagine the air of expectation and excitement that is beginning to evolve. A wealthy resident named Zacchaeus caught wind of the fervour of the gathered crowd, heard the news of this visitor and witnessed that everyone was keen to come near this celebrity. Zacchaeus hears the commotion, a very large crowd, standing room only. Zach being short in stature couldn’t see this visitor, so he climbed a blossoming sycamore-fig tree to get a better look. That blossoming tree is an indicator of what is about to happen, harvest is coming! It’s also an indicator of the days in which we live.
Here we have a picture of a man who is rich, yet poor. He is considered a recluse, he was ostracized and despised. People went out of their way to avoid him. Being a short man, he was generally overlooked. However he wasn’t ignored, the state empowered him to be the Chief Revenue Officer and backed up his authority. His only friends were within his profession, and they weren’t much. Loneliness seemed his best companion so you can imagine how he felt when this teacher, needing a place to stay picked him out of the crowd and asked if he could come to his house and stay.
Needless to say, Zach was shocked, finally someone had favoured him; but that ticked the community, people began to sputter and mutter. Like- Is this teacher mad? What is he thinking? Why did Jesus pick this outsider’s place to stay.
However, Zach made the most of it, this encounter changed his entire life! He cashed in 50% of his assets and gave them to the poor. That folks is a changed life. When we turn our finances over to the Lord, we acknowledge and trust that He is our supply. We are called to be stewards of those resources. When we turn our fears and doubts over to Him, the Lord will give us supernatural peace and assurance. Zach learned to overcome many daily obstacles in life his own way, he knew how to survive. Unfortunately it was done out of rejection and loneliness, had no sense of his lostness. But for some reason unknown to him, he wanted to see Jesus so much that he ran ahead, a government official – very undignified. He was trying to see Jesus, that hunger, that desire allowed him to see Jesus. When we drop our expectations and agendas – we can come face to face with Christ and nothing will ever be the same again. What caused him to do this? Did he want change, acceptance, did he want to give his loved ones more than riches and position? Jesus knew his heart, He knew Zach had no peace, joy nor contentment. When called to come down from his resources, Zach responded immediately and walked with Jesus. You know, God knows your need, even as you read this short message, admit it – You may have a void in your life, you have unanswered prayer, maybe relational issues. Maybe struggles with isolation issues, trying to cope by relying on self-preservation initiatives but still not experiencing contentment. Maybe you have stopped going to church because someone said something and it pushed you away. Time for us to get over us! Its all about Jesus! Is He asking you for some space in your heart, He wants you to allow His Presence, His Provision and His power to guide your life. It means change, it means trusting, He wants to stay in your house today. Jesus wants you to admit your need for Him, admit your limitations and turn frustrations and fears over to Him. Isn’t it amazing, Zach surrendered everything he had to Christ, he stopped cheating realizing that only Jesus could give him true purpose and meaning. How much time do we spend looking horizontally at our world and maybe not discerning that our redemption is drawing nigh.
In closing, Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to your household.” This visit affected his entire household. A visit from God is the greatest thing that could ever happen. When He visits, the sick are healed, the weak made strong, sinners saved, saints filled with His glory and society transformed. Time to pray for a flood of God’s love, there are many Zacchaeus’ outside the kingdom, how we all need a visitation like never before. May He be welcomed into our hearts and homes.
Jesus had never been in Jericho before – He came looking for one person, would that be you?
D.B.