A New Beginning
Read Luke 19:1-10
“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” (Luke 19:8)
The story of Zacchaeus is like many of us. We heard about Christianity and are curious with it. We accepted the invitation to hear the Gospel message and came face to face with Jesus. We decided to make Him our Lord and Saviour. Zacchaeus’ story went deeper, his was a life changing encounter.
The Person Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus is described as a chief tax collector and was very rich. (v.2) Tax collectors are disliked by the people because they worked for the Romans, creating hardship to their own people. They are never known to be honest and would have collected excessively from their own people to enrich themselves. The people “grumbled against Jesus’ decision for going into the house as a guest to a man who is a sinner.” (v.7)
The Life-changing Encounter
Zacchaeus heard a lot about Jesus and wanted to see Jesus. As he was short, and could not mingle with the people as a tax collector, he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus. He has expected nothing, it was just curiosity to see who is this Jesus. But Jesus called out to Zacchaeus and extended an invitation to him to allow Jesus to come into his house to stay (v.7).
In one brief encounter, Zacchaeus’ life was fundamentally changed and his values totally reversed. He gave half his possessions to the poor and made resolution to restore it four times more to anyone that he has defrauded. He became the rarest of beings in those days, from a corrupted tax collector to a honest one (v.8)..
Application: A New Beginning
We are now a new creation in Christ. We may have to relook and rethinking our principles and priorities, and perhaps act to put things right. Grow deeper into relationship with God. Read the Bible and seek God’s guidance in our daily living. Now that you have Jesus, what is one thing that you think need change?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for the life-changing experience from the story of Zacchaeus. I too, want to grow deeper in relationship with You. I have invited you into my house to stay. I allow you to open every doors in my house to help me clean every closets that may need to be put right. Guide me Lord to live a life pleasing to You. Amen.
Luke 19:1 - 10
19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And 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 and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”