Civil Servants #2
| Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " 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." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke19:1-10) |
There's similarities and differences between Zacchaus and Matthew...
When Jesus called Matthew, he was minding his own business in his tax collector's booth but it is Matthew who takes the initiative and organises a banquet. With Zacchaeus it is different: Zacchaeus is the one seeking Jesus, but it is Jesus who invites Himself to Zacchaeus' home for a meal.
This is a powerful thing - in Graeco-Roman times people clamoured to host well-known teachers for a meal. When Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus' home, it gives Zacchaeus worth and dignity.
Again, the presence, love and grace of Jesus powerfully transforms Zacchaeus. His immediate response is heartfelt remorse, repentance and restitution. He undertakes to make right his wrongs.
This is no flash in a pan - Jesus declares that salvation has come to Zacchaeus' house.
So what do we learn from our two civil servants?
- Jesus finds us, sometimes when we're seeking Him and even when we're not.
- His presence transforms us.
- The meal is symbolic of fellowship with Jesus, but it also points to a faith made public.
- In the case of Matthew, discipleship is demonstrated in outreach, evangelism and the desire to share the great gift he has received.
- In Zacchaeus' case, there is something else that must happen first: Sin has to be faced and made right.
