Zacchaeus is perhaps one of the most popular Bible characters for Sunday school children. Most Sunday school teachers would have probably taught their students about Zacchaeus. However, Zacchaeus was never a popular figure during the Bible times, at least not before his conversion.  

What made the story Zacchaeus so popular? This has to do with his conversion testimony and his wonderful transformation from a selfish and dishonest tax collector into a selfless and honest disciple of Jesus Christ. Above all, Zacchaeus’ new life in Christ was marked by evangelical repentance, joy, placability, generosity, integrity and teachability.

This is because a born-again Christian lives with a new set of conduct because the Spirit of God has renewed him, enabled him and empowered him to manifest and cultivate various Christian virtues. Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of Christians to cultivate these Christian virtues with the divine assistance of the Holy Spirit in his daily walk. Let us examine some of the marks of true conversion based on the nineteenth chapter of Luke where we find the story of Zacchaeus.    

 

Genuine Conversion Produces a Renewed Heart

It produces evangelical repentance (vv.1-2)

Luke 19:1 says, ‘And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.’ Back in the Old Testament, we were told that the city of Jericho was a city under the curse of God (Joshua 6:26). However, our Lord Jesus entered and passed through this city even though it was under the curse.

Not only that, He even died a cursed death on the cross at Calvary to redeem His people from sin! Galatians 3:13 says, ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, ‘Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ What a great Love that God has manifested unto His people through His death at Calvary that the Lord of glory was willing to enter into a cursed gate and die for His people on a cursed tree!

And verse 2 says, ‘And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.’ This verse brings Zacchaeus into the scene, and it also tells us who Zacchaeus was. The fact that he was chief of the publicans tells us that he was very wealthy!

The publicans or the tax collectors in those days were notorious for overcharging the people. In those days, if Rome for example, levied a 10% tax, the tax collectors could charge 15% or 25% or whatever they wished. As a result, the publicans were guilty of gross extortion of the people. They were viewed as the worst of sinners along with adulterers, fornicators and harlots. In fact, Luke tells us, ‘the scribes and Pharisees murmur to Jesus’ disciples and said, ‘Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?’ (Luke 5:30)

Clearly publicans were identified amongst the worst of sinners and were hated by the people. Yet, we see that the Spirit of God must have renewed his heart and enabled him to have begun a deep soul searching (Titus 3:5).

As a result, Zacchaeus realized his spiritual state, a wretched sinner, before he came to seek to the Lord in humility and with a contrite heart. Zacchaeus knew that he cheated and extorted his own people and he was penitent of his sins!

 

It was also marked by genuine humility (vv.3,4)

Luke 19: 3-4 says, ‘And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.’

As mentioned, Zacchaeus was able to seek Jesus because the Holy Spirit had already worked in the heart of Zacchaeus causing him to seek Jesus, but there is one technical problem—Zacchaeus was too short. 

Verse 3 tells us ‘[he] could not for the press, because he was little of stature.’ Because of his short stature, he was unable to see the road for the crowds that gathered to see Jesus as He passed by. Not to be deterred, Zacchaeus finds a tree, sycamore tree as we are told in verse 4, and climbs up into it to see who this Jesus is.

Verse 4 says, ‘And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.’ It is not hard to imagine that many people in the streets who hated him would have ridiculed him and even discouraged him and said to him harshly, ‘Don’t waste your time, Jesus would not be interested to talk to you’. Yet, Zacchaeus must have humbled himself and waited patiently on the sycamore tree and replied to not a word of their mockery.

By the way, what got Zacchaeus so interested in seeing Jesus? There is little doubt that he must have heard how an old blind man named Bartimaeus had been healed earlier that very day (Luke 18:35-43). It is also likely that Zacchaeus knew how Jesus had healed sick folks, cast out demons, raised the dead.

Yet above all, Zacchaeus knew that Jesus was able to forgive sin of a paralyzed man (Luke 5:20) and of a sinful woman (Luke 7:48)! So, when he heard about what Jesus had done for others, it may have stirred his heart and he must have thought to himself: ‘I believe Jesus is able to forgive my sins too, and I’ve got to see Him for myself.’

He knew that in spite of the power, position and prosperity he had, he was a miserable and lonely man who knew something very important was missing from his life. The Spirit of God must have been working ahead in the heart of this little lost man. And he was enabled to come to the Lord humbly as he was, a sinful human being, laying down all the pride that he had just like the way Lydia’s heart was opened to receive the gospel (Acts 16:14).

To be continued…

By Rev David Weng

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