Come down immediately, I must stay at your house today (Luke 19a)

“Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

Luke 19:1-10
Key verse 19:10

Now Jesus was about to pass through Jericho, which was the last city on the way to Jerusalem. In today’s passage, Jesus encountered a man who was an outcast. Jesus welcomed the man and declared his salvation. This teaches why Jesus came to the world and what he did for it. I pray that Jesus who came to the man may also come to you today so that you can receive salvation and become God’s children.

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 

Jericho is about 20 miles east of Jerusalem and located near the Jordan River in the West Bank. She was well known for her tropical climate. So, Herod the Great built a palace for himself in Jericho and stayed there during winter time. Jericho was also a major toll collection point where goods passed east and west.  A man lived there by the name of Zacchaeus. He farmed taxes in Jericho. Such a person was called “publican.” And he was a chief tax collector. That meant that he was the boss of tax collectors working in Jericho. He was rich. He had a luxurious house with a pool. But he always carried a stigma on himself that he was a traitor to his fellow Jews because he worked for the Roman government. People regarded him as a sinner and despised him. Though he was rich but he suffered loneliness, a guilty sense about his job, and fear of his fellow Jews who hated him. However, he had no way to go back. No one could turn his life around. He should have lived as a public sinner all his life.

3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

One day while he was sitting in his office as usual, Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was passing though the city. He went outside because he wanted to see Jesus. But he soon found out that it was not easy for him to see Jesus coming because he was short to see over the crowd. But he did not give up. He ran ahead of people and found a good spot to see Jesus. There was a sycamore-fig tree where Jesus would pass by. He climbed up the tree. Probably, he slipped down several times while climbing. Some people pointed their fingers to Zacchaeus who was climbing the tree. “Hey, look at the shorty! He was climbing up the tree! It is so funny, isn’t it?” Regardless, Zacchaeus did not care about what people said and thought about him. His concern was seeing Jesus. Finally, he climbed up the tree and waited there until Jesus passed by. Why then did he want to see Jesus?

The original text reads “he sought to see who Jesus was.” He was not just curious about Jesus but actually he was earnestly seeking Jesus to know who he was. That implied that he already had foreknowledge about Jesus and even had belief that Jesus could solve his life problem. Now he wanted to see Jesus in person and know more about Jesus. He hoped that Jesus would accept him and solve his problem. His earnest desire for Jesus eventually caught Jesus’ attention and made a dramatic encounter with Jesus. God is pleased with such desire. God is happy to show himself to those who seek. So, in Jer 29:13, God said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

When passing by the spot, Jesus immediately noticed Zacchaeus on the tree and saw his desire. Jesus stopped his procession and then looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house. It sounded like Jesus was forcing Zacchaeus to invite him. But actually Jesus invited Zacchaeus to himself. Jesus already knew his name, understood him, had compassion on him, and received him. Zacchaeus’ desire was to see who Jesus was. Jesus gave him grace to know who he was, by staying at his house. Jesus himself also wanted to have fellowship with him, and have a personal relationship with him. “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” I feel honored when a servant of God comes and stays at my house. How much more with Jesus? It is an overwhelming honor and grace.

At Jesus’ invitation, Zacchaeus was so much moved. He was so thankful that Jesus recognized him and wanted to associate with him. He had never received such kind of attention and love in his life. Most of all, Jesus’ invitation implied forgiveness of his sin because Jesus accepted him and embraced him as he was and wanted to be with him. At once Zacchaeus’ self-consciousness and guilt sense, which burdened him so much, disappeared from his heart. He strongly felt Jesus’ affection for him and freedom and joy that he had never experienced before. This was the moment when a sinner finally met the Savior after a long wandering. Zacchaeus was moved so much that he came down at once from the tree and then welcomed Jesus joyfully. When we meet Jesus personally, we also have such overwhelming joy. I hope that such joy may be with all of you here. Come to him by faith and he will accept you as you are. Jesus wants to see you today!

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But all the people there did not join Jesus in welcoming Zachaeus. They rather grumbled because Jesus was associated with such a sinner. To them, it was unthinkable that a rabbi like Jesus, who was supposed to stay away from sinners, was willing to stay at a sinner’s house. Jesus’ unconventional behavior greatly annoyed them. They criticized Jesus. Then the sinner they judged greatly surprised them.

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Zacchaeus said that he would give away the half of his possessions to the poor and pay back four times the amount if he had cheated anybody. He was rich. The half of his possessions must have been a lot. His assets should be worth more than million dollars. It is not easy to give away a half of our biweekly wages. It is much harder to give the half of our annual salary. How come Zacchaeus could give the half of all his possessions?  

Money was what he had pursued all his life. He worked for money and wanted to enjoy his life with richness. But now he was willing to give the half of his possessions to the poor. He was not told or forced to do so. He wanted to do it joyfully. This meant that money was no longer his goal or his joy. He found the true joy and meaning in Jesus and in helping the poor. This was an unbelievable change. In chapter 18, the rich man looked for eternal life and Jesus said that he should give his possessions to the poor and follow Jesus. But he could not because he loved his money and put money over eternal life. But Zacchaeus put Jesus over money. It was because his value system was changed from himself to Jesus and from money to the kingdom of God. Zacchaeus came to know the true value and meaning in Jesus after his long wandering. Zacchaeus also said that he would pay back four times if he had cheated anyone, according to the law (Ex. 22:1; 2 Sam. 12:6). He wanted to restore the relationship with the people whom he cheated or extorted money from. He looked for a way to fix his life before God. And he desired to live as God’s people, obeying the law.

All this showed that he genuinely repented of his past life that valued money and his ego only. What a dramatic change! When he came to know who Jesus was, he was totally changed. His values system, his life goal, and the source of his joy were all changed. When we meet Jesus, the first change is on our view of money. How to view and use money tells about the person’s value system and the depth of his faith. We cannot serve both God and Money at the same time. (Matt 6:24)

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

Seeing all this, Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house. People said that his house was the house of sinner and so no one should go to his house. But Jesus said that Zacchaeus’ house was no longer the house of sinner because salvation had already come to the house and Zacchaeus became a son of Abraham. Zacchaeus was an outcast. He was far away from the promise and blessing God gave to Abraham that he would build his kingdom through Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:6-8; 18:18-19). So being a son of Abraham meant that he was restored back to God and privileged to inherit God’s blessing that was given to Abraham and his descendants.

Here we should know that Jesus did not declare salvation to Zacchaeus because he was giving away his possessions. Rather, salvation had already come to his house when Jesus received him, which was proved through his willingness to give away his possessions as the token of his appreciation. In other words, his acceptance of Jesus and his willingness to give away his possessions were just evidence of his salvation. When Jesus came into his heart, he was changed. When Jesus received him and welcomed him, he was saved. So, Jesus was happy to stay with Zacchaeus’ house though he was overwhelmed with his upcoming crucifixion in Jerusalem. Who is this Jesus, then?

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Interestingly, Jesus referred Zacchaeus to a lost one. To people, Zacchaeus was a sinner who was incorrigible and hopeless. But to Jesus, Zacchaeus was just one who was stuck in a wrong place and lost his life direction. Here the lost refer to sinners. We humans sinned against God and left Him, thinking we could be like God. Without God we cannot satisfy ourselves. But foolishly we humans try to satisfy ourselves with something else like money, fun, pleasure, flirting, knowledge, achievement, power, and so on. But none of them can make us happy because only God can satisfy us and give us life. Worse still, we humans cannot come back to God by ourselves because of our sins. Absolutely we are powerless. That was why Jesus himself came down to us in flesh to seek and save us.

He searches for us like a shepherd who searches for his lost sheep. He searches for us like a woman who searches for her lost coin in her house. You know that you did not seek him but he sought you. By his grace we are found. Do you remember where you were when he found you? Someone was found on campus. Someone was found in street. Some others were found when they were deep in sorrow and frustration and sin. By his grace, we were saved and have received salvation. If Jesus did not come to seek us, no one could be saved. Otherwise, you would be still in your sins and in suffering.

However, it was not done without cost. Saving others always entails cost. Do you know how many firemen died on 9/11? Over three hundred firemen died to save the people caught in the buildings. Even now many firemen die while saving people. It is not free to save people. How much more then did it cost for Jesus to save all humankind?

To seek and save sinners like us, Jesus became flesh for us and was crucified by us. When he saved Zacchaeus, Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem, where he would suffer and die for the sin of the world. To seek and save us, Jesus gave his life. This is God’s love. Rom 5:6-8 say,

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Pet 2:24-25 also say, “24 He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Even now God is searching for the lost. Are you still lost? Where are you now? Are you still wandering, not knowing what to do? Are you still in your sin?

Jesus is seeking you. He is seeking you earnestly and compassionately. He is knocking on your doors. He wants to save you and have a personal relationship with you.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28);

“Come now, let us settle the matter. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson they shall be like wool.”(Isa 1:18)

He wants to associate with you and stay at your house and in your heart.

I was walking on campus in March, 1981. Then I was approached by a stranger. He invited me to Bible study but I gently rejected his invitation, excusing that I was so busy with school. Then a week later one of my friends said he was seeking a religious group. On that day I met the stranger again on campus. I told him that my friend and I would go to the Bible study on a certain date. But suddenly my friend showed no interest in the Bible study. So I had to go there by myself. That was my first Bible study. The Bible study was attracting. However, I was interested more in other campus club activities. During my first college festival, I really enjoyed things. I myself participated as a news anchor in my club. Some girls were interested in me. But after the festival I felt empty. For some reason, I felt I was going in a wrong direction. I studied really hard in high school to go to a good college. But in college I got lost. No one told me why I should live and who I was and what to live for. One day while I was sitting in my campus club with blank eyes, suddenly I felt I should try out the Bible. Later I learned that God had searched for me and found me there and led me to the Bible study. I gave more time to Bible study and then I could meet God the Creator. God gave me answers for my question – what I must do and how to live. Through the Bible study, I came to know that I was a sinner before God. When I repented of my sins, God forgave me all my sins and then grew me to be a Bible teacher. Now I am preaching the gospel here.  As I grow older, I am realizing that nothing is more urgent and important than my salvation. Nothing is more valuable than the gospel. Even my job and my house are nothing in comparison with the kingdom of God. In the past, I was lost. But Jesus came to seek and I was found and saved in God. Thank God for Jesus who sought me and found me and saved me!

In today’s passage, Jesus sought Zacchaeus and saved him. That was the reason he came to the earth. By his grace we were found in God and saved. He is still searching for the lost. However, that does not mean that we shouldn’t do anything.  Many people saw and even touched Jesus when he came to them. But they were not all saved. Jesus searches for us but we should respond to him and come to him. Do you know how rescue crews find survivors caught in a collapsed building? They first knock on the debris and then listen quietly until they hear some sound from the survivors. That way they locate survivors and dig out the spot.

Likewise, it is also important for us to respond to Jesus and seek him as Zacchaeus did. Zacchaeus sought to see who Jesus was, climbing up the tree. Jesus finds those who have such desire and wants to have a personal relationship with them. I hope that you were already found in Jesus. If not, seek him. He is seeking you. I prayed that during this summer break you can draw near to God and seek earnestly to see who Jesus is. Think about what you can do in search of Jesus. Then Jesus is happy to come to you and you will surely enjoy the fellowship with him and the salvation that he can offer by his suffering and death.

Remember again that Jesus is searching for you. May God give you faith in Jesus and fill you with joy of salvation.

by David Yun