Sunday sermon: "Jesus Meets a Curious Man"

Zacchaeus has always been a rather sympathetic character to many who grew up in Sunday school. The song certainly helped, but I think we all feel sorry for this poor, short man who can't get through a crowd to see Jesus. The truth is, Zacchaeus was reaping what he had sowed. By his own admission later in the passage (Luke 19:1-10) he had cheated people out of their money to make himself rich. As the chief tax collector for Rome he had taken up with the enemy of his people. If he expected sympathy he was sadly mistaken. For those in the crowd, this may have been a way of exacting a small revenge on this odious man.

Yet Zacchaeus refused to give up. He wanted to "see who Jesus was"; he didn't just want to see Jesus, as if he was watching a parade, but try to find out what kind of person Jesus was. Perhaps he had heard of Jesus' reputation for caring for the outcasts of society. In any case, he threw his dignity to the win and climbed up in a sycamore tree so that he might see Jesus as He passed by. No doubt this too amused any who happened to see him climbing, but to Zacchaeus only one thing mattered-seeing Jesus.

Jesus stopped where Zacchaeus had climbed, looked up at him, and called him by name. There is no indication in the Bible that Jesus had any idea who Zacchaeus was before this, but He knew him at this moment. Jesus passed through Jericho not only because it was on the road to Jerusalem, but to keep a divine appointment. He "must" stay at Zacchaeus' house that day.

Zacchaeus responded immediately, and as the story unfolds we see a clear transformation in the life of a confessed sinner. Yet the crowds still murmured against Jesus for going in and eating with a "sinner." Many may have been religious, but they lacked a concern for the lost. The Messiah was to be reserved for the respectable, those who had earned the right to be part of the people of God. Jesus was upsetting all their preconceptions.

Jesus clearly states His mission, not only for Zacchaeus but for others to hear as well: "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost." He was, in fact, on His way to secure the salvation of the lost on the cross. This encounter was a microcosm of His concern for those who were in desperate need of Savior. Whether the crowd would reach out to the sinner or not, Jesus would go out and seek those who needed Him.


Are there Zacchaeuses in your life today? Do you know someone who is searching for Jesus, not just out of curiosity but to see what He is all about? Are you willing to reach out to them with the good news of Jesus, no matter what others might say? We need to take the mission of Jesus, the mission He left for us (Matthew 28:19-20), and continue to carry it out today.

Whatever Happened to...Zacchaeus?

As those who have heard me preach or teach know, I like to speculate on what happened to Biblical characters who we see come onto the stage in the Scriptures briefly, never to be heard from again. These speculations are not themselves Biblically authoritative, but I try to use the Biblical data to project what happened. Sometimes we are helped by church traditions; if they are early enough and/or show up in multiple sources, we can at least give them some credit. Many are late, or just the speculations of a single writer, though, and as such are no more authoritative than, well, me.

I found myself chasing clues today on the later career of Zacchaeus. He appears just once in the gospels, and then only in Luke. His story is touching and familiar to most who grew up in and around church (possibly helped by the song: "Zacchaeus was a wee little man..."). His old career is told to us in Luke. He was the "chief tax collector"- not just a tax collector, but the boss tax collector. His encounter with Jesus dramatically changed his life. (I'm going to stop with that, since I'm preaching on this passage this Sunday.)

But what happened to Zacchaeus after Jesus left Jericho? Did he follow Jesus to Jerusalem? Did he witness the Triumphal Entry or the crucifixion? Was he one of the 120 on the day of Pentecost, or maybe part of the crowd Peter preached to? I could certainly see this transformed man going to Jerusalem for the Passover with his newfound faith, and being caught up in the events surrounding Jesus.

A fairly early church tradition, dating back into the 2nd century, says that Zacchaeus became the first bishop of Caesarea. It is certainly possible that this could happen. Perhaps with the persecution that broke out after Stephen's death Zacchaeus, who lived in relatively nearby Jericho, moved to the coast. Caesarea was an important city, and as a former Roman employee Zacchaeus may well have felt at home there. He probably was a well-educated man, and the Biblical account shows us an exuberant personality. All of these seem to fit together well.

This doesn't mean that we know this for sure.  Still, given the early tradition and the way the facts can fit together, it wouldn't surprise me. From a hated collaborator with the enemy to one proclaiming forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ, Zacchaeus shows us the power of Jesus to truly transform our lives.