Most of us, at some point in our lives, have hosted a guest – and probably on more than one occasion. It could have been for a meal. It could have been for an overnight stay. It may have been longer. Some of you may be hosting a guest right now … and you’re wondering if they will ever leave!
The guest may have been a family member, or a friend, or an acquaintance. They may be strangers that you were asked … or compelled … to host. You may have been preparing to host your guest for some time. In fact, you looked forward to their arrival with anticipation. Or maybe, you wouldn’t go right to “looked forward to their arrival.” Or perhaps, your guest unexpectedly showed up.
Over the years, we have been the host to guests in each one of those situations … and we have also been the guests received by gracious hosts in each one of those situations. i am particularly mindful of occasions when we found ourselves stranded while we were traveling overseas, and unexpectant hosts very graciously took us in.
It causes me to think of a very surprised, unexpectant host by the name of Zacchaeus. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. In fact, though no one else knew it, He was making His way to the cross. Along the way, He stopped in Jericho. In that day, Jericho was a winter resort for Jerusalem aristocracy, complete with a hippodrome stadium for horse and chariot racing, and numerous “modern” aqueducts to irrigate the rich vegetation. It was the site of one of Herod’s ornate palaces and considered to be a beautiful “city of palms”. John Wesley wrote that during this period, “about twelve thousand priests and Levites dwelt there, who all attended the service of the temple.” It was a thriving city, frequented by the “rich and the famous”. But Jesus wasn’t stopping in Jericho to visit the rich and famous, He came for the express purpose of transforming the lives of a blind beggar along the side of a road,(1) and one slightly-statured tax collector.(2)
Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in this prosperous town. In the day, tax collectors bid for the opportunity to collect taxes for a given region of the Roman Empire. They guaranteed to pay a set amount of taxes to Rome for their region. They then recouped their investment by extorting far and above that amount from the local citizenry. Goods coming into the region were taxed, as were goods coming out. Literally you paid the tax collector whether you were coming or going.
No one was exempt from paying taxes – unless you were a Roman citizen living in Rome. And there was no reprieve from paying your taxes. If a tax collector went to collect from a widow who could not pay, he would evict her and take away her home without giving it a thought. Tax collectors were hated and despised by their neighbors. That’s why they needed and were provided with the protection of Roman soldiers.
As the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus was responsible for the whole region of Jericho. Thus, he also collected a portion from the other tax collectors within the city who were under his charge. As a result, he was viewed with disdain by everyone in the region. It doesn’t appear that Zacchaeus was distressed by the feelings of his neighbors – and it appears he was quite content with the status quo – until the day Jesus came to pay him a visit!
Zacchaeus, like everyone else, had heard of Jesus. And he saw and heard the commotion as Jesus walked through the town. Little did he know that he was the very one that Jesus had come to see. Being vertically challenged, he climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view of Him.
Imagine his excitement when Jesus looked up at him and said, “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Jesus hadn’t come to stop at the home of the city’s mayor, or the home of the chief Pharisee, or the palace of Herod. He had come to be the guest of the despised tax collector!
At some point in the encounter, Zacchaeus surrendered his life to Jesus. We don’t know how their conversation went. But we do know that salvation came to Zacchaeus, and he would never be the same. He was one of those people who got saved – and never got over it! As he repented of his sin and received forgiveness from his Lord, he knew without anyone having to tell him that he needed to make public restitution for his sin. He knew that where he had cheated others, he must give back to them according to the Mosaic law.(3)
Imagine the reaction when Zacchaeus began to return fourfold that which he had taken from his neighbors. They had heard about Jesus performing miracles, but they had never imagined that He could change the heart of a “crook” like Zacchaeus! The sad thing is, i fear that though most of them rejoiced at the unexpected financial windfall they received, most if not all of them were too blind to see the real miracle that Jesus could bring about in each of their own lives as well.
We read in other parts of the Gospels that Jesus was hosted by others on numerous occasions. To name a few, His hosts included Simon the Pharisee, the sisters Martha & Mary, and later the two of them with their brother Lazarus. In the broadest definition of the word, He was also hosted by Herod, as well as Caiaphas the high priest, and Pontius Pilate. In the Old Testament, He was hosted by Abraham.(4)
i would contend that Zacchaeus was one of the most changed of all His hosts – and the change was obvious to the community around him. Some of His hosts opened their homes, but not their hearts. Some didn’t even open their homes. Some served Him. Some fell down and worshiped Him. Some reclined beside Him in an attitude of gratitude. But Zacchaeus was a picture of what it means to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him(5) … without reservation.
Just like Zacchaeus, apart from Jesus, we are nothing but deceitful, despicable sinners whom He, by His grace, chose to visit. So, it begs the question, what kind of host have we been to Jesus? And what kind of host are we now?
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This post is adapted from Walking With The Master, chapter 61, entitled “He Climbed A Tree”. This fourth book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print and for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.
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(1) Luke 18:35-43
(2) Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and made His way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” He said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
(3) Exodus 22:1
(4) Genesis 18
(5) Luke 9:23
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