Luke 19:1-101And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:1‑10).
When riches are trusted in they are a terrible hindrance. “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” Jesus Himself has given us a picture of the awful surprise of a rich man who had lived in luxury with every earthly comfort, when he died. “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments.” What a change! How many are hasting on to that awful surprise.
Here was a little rich man who lived at Jericho, the place of a curse. Now it is well to remember that this world is still the place of a curse—it is still Jericho. And whether it is the poor blind beggar, or the rich publican, or tax-gatherer, sin and the curse are here, and death is here. And neither poverty nor riches can remove one or the other. It is difficult to get the gospel before the rich, but if one should read this, who is unsaved, let him ask himself this question, “With all my earthly comforts, is not this world a very Jericho?” Oh, the sting and curse of sin! That sting is as dreadful in the mansion as in the cottage. And every day brings you nearer to the end of it all, and then the sad surprise of that flame of torment—unending torment. And all these undeniable facts on the very testimony of the word of God.
Well, there was nothing in the riches of Jericho that could satisfy the little rich man. He was chief of the tax-gatherers, and he was rich, but this did not satisfy the desires of his heart. There was a crowd, a press of people, but to merely mingle amongst that crowd would not satisfy the desire implanted in his heart. That crowd was around Jesus, but that crowd could not meet the yearning of his heart, or the need of his conscience.
Are you satisfied with riches? If that were possible, how sad it would be, with the surprise of hell before you. Are you satisfied with the crowd of profession about Jesus? Do you say, I am in the great fashionable crowd established by law; or, I am in the opposite crowd of dissent? Does this satisfy you? Unhappy, deceived man if it does. A different desire took possession of the soul of Zaccheus.
“And he sought to see Jesus.”
Is this, has it ever been, the longing; desire of your heart, to see Jesus? The only Jehovah-Savior Jesus—the living Jesus—Jesus Himself? Ah, not the crowd, not the priest, but Jesus. Oh, sin-burdened soul at Jericho, will aught do for thee but Jesus? Peters and Johns are all well, but “he sought to see Jesus, who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.” Earnest soul, you cannot sec Jesus for the press. You say, “How am I to see and know what is truth? Only see and hear that crowd. Thousands upon thousands are in that press, some crying, Sacraments, sacraments, come to us and we will forgive your sins. You must hearken to us, and perhaps you will be saved. Some are shouting, Works, works for salvation; some, Do penance, do penance; some exalt feelings; some, holiness by faith. Oh, what a press, how am I ever to know the truth and be saved?”
Now look at that little earnest man, why he runs away from all the crowd. Do you say, “I am unlearned, I am too little to see through it all?” That is just what he was; but he ran away from them all. Do likewise, run away from the confusion of the Babel of discordant sounds. Do you say, “Where am I to run to?” Run anywhere, so that you can see Jesus. He ran and climbed “a sycamore tree to see him.” But how do I know that I shall see Jesus for myself? How do I know that I shall speak to Him, and be saved?
Now just mark another thing. Not only did Zaccheus desire to see Jesus, but Jesus desired to see him. The eye of Jesus was on Zaccheus in the sycamore tree. Wherever you are, do you desire to see Jesus? Then be assured Jesus wants to see you. For you may rest assured God put that desire in your heart. The devil may put it into your heart to seek salvation in sacraments, and priestly ritual, but God alone will bring you to Jesus Himself. “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”
An earnest soul says, “I must climb a little higher to see Jesus. But Jesus did not tell Zaccheus to climb a little higher. No, but, “Make haste and come down.” So He says to us, make haste, and come down. We cannot be too little for Jesus. Let us come down, and be just what we are in His presence. Do not think you have to repent first, and give up your sins and then come to Jesus. No, you will never truly repent until you see Jesus the Lord. How long Job tried to climb a little higher, but when he saw the Lord, he made haste and came down. He took his true place before the Lord. He says, “Now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job never repented whilst looking at himself. Neither will you. What a moment was that when the eyes of Jesus and Zaccheus met. Have you ever met those eyes of infinite love to the sinner? It takes many years for some to cease climbing. But Jesus says to you, “Make haste and come down.” And where are you to come to? He did not say, Come to Peter, or John, or Andrew. Did he say. Come to my mother, and she will try to soften my heart toward thee?
Some would represent Jesus as so hard to the sinner, that he needs His mother, angels, apostles, saints, to intercede and try to soften His heart toward the sinner. Ah, they do not know the blessed Jesus who said to Zaccheus, “come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” Yes, Jesus not only bids him come down to Himself, but He must be his guest; and He must abide with him. And does He thus bid you come down at once, direct to Himself—it may be in the deepest self-abhorrence? He says come down to Me, from all thy efforts to climb, and I must abide with thee. What a Savior I Just as Zaccheus was, little tax-gatherer, down he came to Jesus, at His word. And may you do the same? Yes, and do just as he did: he received Jesus joyfully. Do thou the same, and He abides with thee forever.
That God should thus welcome the sinner to Himself is most offensive to poor deceived, self-righteous men. “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.” Thus also, at this day, are the riches of the grace of God rejected and despised. Ah! let them murmur. Oh, Jesus, we adore Thee, that Thou hast, in perfect love, thus revealed Thyself in grace to us!
As yet Zaccheus does not half apprehend this precious grace to him. He “said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor: and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold.” In itself this was very good to his fellow men, and contrasts with the hypocrisy of the Pharasaism of this day. Can you say you are giving half of your goods to the poor? The same thing was found in Cornelius. “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.” Yet he was one that needed to know the salvation of God. (Acts 10) There perhaps never was a day of more cruel selfishness than the present. Think of the waste in dress, in tobacco, wine, and pleasure, whilst families are starving for bread.
But mark, Jesus did not say, for so much almsgiving salvation is sent to thee. He did not say, thou hast merited salvation by thy works! He can never say that to a single, guilty, fallen child of Adam.
“Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham.” “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” (Gal. 3) Faith and salvation cannot be separated. In Jesus the Savior he saw the Lord. Salvation that day was come to that house. Has Jesus thus come to you at Jericho? As He says, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” It is the old, old story of the grace of God that bringeth, it does not come seeking salvation in you, but bringeth all you need; nay, all that He in infinite love can give: for He gave Himself.
Why has the Holy Ghost left the record of this lovely incident, if not to show you that Jesus is the one object to attract you to Himself? Do you want to see Him? Ah, He wants more than to see you! He must abide with you: you must be taken into everlasting companionship with Him—not on the principle of works, but through faith.
Abraham believed the promise of God. He was accounted righteous. Do you believe God, who has raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, “who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification?” Then by faith you are justified, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God says so, it is the truth. Make haste, then, and come down—down just now; Jesus waits to receive you. He must abide with you. Salvation, infinite and eternal, is come to you. Do you want to know the truth? He is the Truth. Do you want forgiveness? He says, Thy sins be forgiven thee. Do you want eternal life? He says, He that believeth hath eternal life.
Why should you not receive Him joyfully? God grant that you may come down, and receive Him now, and be forever happy. C. S.
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.