Scuzzball Meets Jesus
When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?" Luke 19:5-7, Message.
The most hated man in town being forced up into a tree must have been an entertainment that day for the citizens of Jericho almost as interesting as the passing of Jesus. After all, it's not every day that you find a super-rich guy like Zacchaeus hoisting up his fine clothes and climbing into a tree.
Zacchaeus really didn't have much choice if he wanted to see Jesus. I imagine that he had already tried to get a viewpoint on the road. Being short, he had probably tried to worm his way through the crowd to get up front. For someone else that may have worked, but for Zacchaeus it was an experience of elbows in the ribs and kicks from people in the pushing crowd who could do it without getting marked for higher taxes in the future. A great day for an angry crowd, but one of bruises for Zacchaeus. He was getting what he deserved.
But he also had his needs. And one of them was at least to view Jesus, although he realized that seeing was all he would get. After all, the Jews held tax collectors to be unclean. Not only did they work for the hated Romans; they extorted. They could hit you up for more of your hard-earned money at will. Such men were not even allowed into a synagogue.
Up the tree was the only solution. And then the wonder of wonders. Jesus stopped right in front of the tree and invited Himself to dinner at the little sinner's home.
Everybody was shocked, but nobody more than Zacchaeus. But the crowd wasn't only shocked--it was scandalized, grumbling (murmuring) that this so-called prophet would cozy up to a blatant crook.
Here, as in Luke 15, we have the murmuring of the scribes and Pharisees once again. But this time Jesus is not dealing in parables but in real life. He sensed need wherever it was. The purpose of His life was to meet those lacks. Zacchaeus was not only the richest man in town, but also the loneliest. And in Jesus he found a friend.
The good news is that Jesus wants to be friends with each of us if we will humble ourselves and let Him in.
When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?" Luke 19:5-7, Message.
The most hated man in town being forced up into a tree must have been an entertainment that day for the citizens of Jericho almost as interesting as the passing of Jesus. After all, it's not every day that you find a super-rich guy like Zacchaeus hoisting up his fine clothes and climbing into a tree.
Zacchaeus really didn't have much choice if he wanted to see Jesus. I imagine that he had already tried to get a viewpoint on the road. Being short, he had probably tried to worm his way through the crowd to get up front. For someone else that may have worked, but for Zacchaeus it was an experience of elbows in the ribs and kicks from people in the pushing crowd who could do it without getting marked for higher taxes in the future. A great day for an angry crowd, but one of bruises for Zacchaeus. He was getting what he deserved.
But he also had his needs. And one of them was at least to view Jesus, although he realized that seeing was all he would get. After all, the Jews held tax collectors to be unclean. Not only did they work for the hated Romans; they extorted. They could hit you up for more of your hard-earned money at will. Such men were not even allowed into a synagogue.
Up the tree was the only solution. And then the wonder of wonders. Jesus stopped right in front of the tree and invited Himself to dinner at the little sinner's home.
Everybody was shocked, but nobody more than Zacchaeus. But the crowd wasn't only shocked--it was scandalized, grumbling (murmuring) that this so-called prophet would cozy up to a blatant crook.
Here, as in Luke 15, we have the murmuring of the scribes and Pharisees once again. But this time Jesus is not dealing in parables but in real life. He sensed need wherever it was. The purpose of His life was to meet those lacks. Zacchaeus was not only the richest man in town, but also the loneliest. And in Jesus he found a friend.
The good news is that Jesus wants to be friends with each of us if we will humble ourselves and let Him in.
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