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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadSpurgeon Verse Expositions - Luke 19:1 - 19:10
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Luk_19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
There was to be a miracle at each end of Jericho. Long before, it had been cursed; now it was to have a double blessing.
Luk_19:2. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans,—
That is, tax-gatherers—
Luk_19:2. And he was rich.
As they often were, for they farmed the taxes, and then squeezed every farthing they could out of the people.
Luk_19:3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
That was a fortunate thing for him. We need not all wish to be so tall as some people are. Perhaps Zacchaeus would not have gone up the sycomore tree if he had been a tall man; but the whole story turns upon something which many regard as a disadvantage: “he was little of stature.”
Luk_19:4-7. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured,—
There is a great contrast between this verse and the last one in the previous chapter: “All the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.” Here it is, “When they saw it, they murmured.” Yet, very likely, many of them were the same people; certainly, they were the same sort of people that we hear of every now and then: “When they saw it, they all murmured.” There are far too many of that kind about still; we do not quite know who they are, nor where they are, they have a sort of nondescript, mysterious existence that finds expression in the words, “They say so-and-so and so-and-so.” They have been saying something about the minister, something about the Sunday-school, something about the Bible-class, something about your work and mine. You see, there always were such people about, and they always would talk, and their talk often took the form of complaining: “When they saw it, they all murmured,”
Luk_19:7. Saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
If he had not done so, he could not have gone anywhere, for all men are sinners. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But this man was a sinner above others, for he had sold himself to the hated Roman power, and was authorized to collect the conqueror’s taxes from his own people; so, of course, in the estimation of the Jews, he was the worst kind of sinner that could be found anywhere.
Luk_19:8. And Zacchaeus stood,—
And he did not talk at all like a sinner,—
Luk_19:8. And said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;—
Some of those saints, as they reckoned themselves, had not done anything like as much as that: “The half of my goods I give to the poor;”—
Luk_19:8. And if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
Which restitution was an act of justice; and when charity and justice go hand in hand, what more can we expect of men?
Luk_19:9-10. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
And that day he had both sought and saved one of the lost ones, for he had found Zacchaeus up in the sycomore tree, and he had brought salvation to the tax-gatherer’s house. May he do the same for many who are here!
This exposition consisted of readings from Luk_18:35-43; and Luk_19:1-10.
Luk_19:1. And Jesus entered—
That is, he entered at one end of the town,—
Luk_19:1. And passed through Jericho.
And so came out at the other end of it.
Luk_19:2. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
It was an important station for the collection of customs; there was a good deal of produce at Jericho upon which there was a tax, so Zacchaeus had a good post: he was rich.
Luk_19:3-7. 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 sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down and received him joyfully, And when they saw it, they all murmured,—
Some of the very people, I suppose, who had just before given praise to God. So fickle are the judgments of men that we need not be elated when all of them speak well of us. It only needs that the wind should veer just half a point, and they will all speak ill of us. The cry of men, even when it is most clear and strong, is not to be depended on. They shout “Hosanna,” today; but, before the week is out, they cry, “Crucify him; crucify him.” So, here, “They murmured,”—
Luk_19:7. Saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
I do not know where else he could have gone, for they were all sinners; but they meant that this tax-gatherer was “a sinner” by public reputation, he was an excommunicated person, who was regarded by everybody as “a sinner” in a very special sense.
Luk_19:8. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;—
“Henceforth, one half of my income shall go in almsgiving; “—
Luk_19:8. And if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
“I will not give to the poor or to God that which is not lawfully mine. I will not steal a sheep, and give the feet to the poor; but I will give back, four times over, anything that I may have taken wrongfully, and still the half of my future income shall go to the poor.”
Luk_19:9-10. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
This exposition consisted of readings from Luk_18:36-43; and Luk_19:1-10.
Luk_19:1-2. And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans and he was rich.
Jesus Christ had just blessed a blind man who was poor, so poor that he was a common wayside beggar; will he bless the rich man, too? Oh, yes! he knows no distinction of persons, he is ready to bless all classes; whether they be rich or poor is nothing to him.
Luk_19:3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was;
Possibly he had not much respect, but he had great curiosity; he would like to see the man about whom everybody was talking: “He sought to see Jesus who he was.”
Luk_19:3. And could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
The crowd round about him was so thick that the little short man could not see over the heads of the tall people. Though he pushed, and tried to get in front, there was always some bigger body before him, so that he could not see the great Teacher.
Luk_19:4. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree —
Do you not see the little short man running in front of the throng, and climbing up a tree that stood in the way? Rich men do not generally climb trees, but here was a man whose curiosity overcame his dignity, so he “climbed up into a sycomore tree” —
Luk_19:4-5. To see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him,
Cannot you imagine that you see the blessed Master stopping, and looking up at that tree? Somehow, he always made himself one with those whom he meant to bless. When he spoke to the blind man, he stood as if he were himself blind, and asked him, “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” And now he stops under this sycomore, and looks up at curious Zacchaeus as if he, too, were taken with a fit of curiosity, and asks, “Who is that up in this tree?” “He looked up and saw him,”-spied him out, —
Luk_19:5. And said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.
Oh, how astonished must the little Jew have been when he heard Christ’s words! Never was a man so taken with surprise before, but with the word there came a divine softness into the heart of the chief of the publicans, and he yielded to that singularly condescending invitation, that strangely unexpected command.
Luk_19:6. And he made haste, and came down; and received him joyfully.
A great change had been suddenly wrought in him; the opening of the blind man’s eyes was not at all more remarkable than the renewing of the heart of Zacchaeus: “He made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.”
Luk_19:7. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
I wonder where he could have gone and not been guest with a man that was a sinner; but Zacchaeus was thought to be a sinner beyond ordinary sinners. Our Lord still loves to be the guest of a man that is a sinner, he still wants a place where he can stay. O man, thou who art a sinner, ask him home with thee! O woman, thou who art in thy very trade a sinner, ask him home with thee, and we will say again, not murmuringly, but joyfully, “He has gone to be guest with one who is a sinner.”
Luk_19:8. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
That was a grand proof that the conversion of Zacchaeus was genuine; I should like to see the same kind of proof in many professors whom I know: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.” I remember one who was converted in this place, and he at once gave £50 to some good object, and I said to his brother, “I think your brother I converted.” He answered, “I hope he is, but he is a dreadful skin-flint.” “But,” I replied, “only yesterday, he gave £50 to such-and-such a work.” “Ah, then!” said the brother, “I am sure he is converted, for nothing but the grace of God would make him do such a thing as that.” Now Zacchaeus was, no doubt, a man of that kind, one who loved his money, and kept it to himself as long as ever he could; but now that he is converted, he says, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;” —
Luk_19:8. And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
He acts in charity and justice, for he is determined to do the right thing with his substance. You see, he was a rich man, so his money was a source of trouble. The blind beggar had no such difficulty, for he had not any money that he must distribute when he was converted; but this rich man —this camel, as our Saviour called such men, went through the eye of a needle by the grace of God, and thus the Lord proved the reality of his conversion.
Luk_19:9. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
“He does not look like it, he has become a tax-gatherer for the Romans, he has oppressed his own countrymen. But he is a son of Abraham, and salvation has come to him.”
Luk_19:10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
If, at this time, we ask our Lord Jesus, “Whither goest thou, Divine Master?” his answer still is, “I am come to seek and to save that which was lost.” “Art thou come after those who think themselves good enough without thee?” He shakes his head and says, “I am a Physician, and the whole have no need of a Physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The gospel of the grace of God is for the guilty; if you are not guilty, there is no gospel for you; but if you are guilty, and confess it, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
This exposition consisted of readings from Luk_18:31-43; Luk_19:1-10.