2 And there was a man named Zacchae’us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.
Zacchaeus Climbs Tree to See Jesus
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
Jesus Calls Zacchaeus
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchae’us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
Reaction of Crowd
And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
Reaction of Zacchaeus
8 And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
Response of Jesus
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
EXPLANATION
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
“He entered Jericho and was passing through.” — Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem began with Luke 9: 51 in a Samaritan village. Jericho is the first village Luke names though he repeats six times that Jesus was “making his way to Jerusalem”. Jericho was only 23 miles from Jerusalem, was 770 feet below sea level, perhaps the lowest city on earth, was a short few miles from the Dead Sea and its spas and waters full of salts and minerals, and so the city for the wealthy of Jerusalem and elsewhere. It was also on the trade route between Jerusalem and the East. Jesus did not intend to spend time there.
2 And there was a man named Zacchae’us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.
And there was a man named Zacchae’us” — The name means ‘the pure, the clean or the innocent one’.
“he was a chief tax collector, and rich.” — This is the only occasion when we hear of a “chief tax collector” in the Bible. As such he would have been very rich in a city such as Jericho. This would also mean that he would have been greatly despised because people would have very strong feelings about how he collected his riches from their inflated taxes.
Luke taught that rich people had great difficult in freeing themselves from the attraction of wealth (Lk. 18: 24–27). They could have been more vociferous that others in their objections.
“And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.” — He was not going to see who Jesus was by a mere look. These words mean that Zacchaeus was searching for something deep; he was looking for a profound religious meaning as will become clearer in the passage. This was so important for him he did not mind looking a fool by climbing a tree.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
“So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.” — Zacchaeus, we know, was short and, no doubt, no one was making room for him to see Jesus. He did not mind being laughed at by running and climbing a tree, he, one of the richest upper class persons in Jericho. The sycamore tree is easy to climb and assured him of a good view of Jesus passing by.
Zacchaeus wanted “to see” Jesus. He may not have been aware that faith comes through “seeing and hearing” (Lk. 7: 22). The blind man, the story which comes before that of Zacchaeus, shows us how he, the blind man, overcame the problems he was having with the crowds. Zacchaeus also must overcome his problems of not being able to see Jesus.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchae’us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchae’us, make haste and come down;’” — Jesus realised the deeper desires in Zacchaeus’ heart. He called Zacchaeus by his name, making this a very personal request, and asked for an invitation into his house.
“for I must stay at your house today.’” — The word “must” occurs eighteen times in Luke’s Gospel (Lk. 2: 2: 49; 4: 43; 9: 22; 13: 16, 33; 17: 25; 22: 37; 24: 7. 26, 44). It conveys necessity to obey God’s command, plan or will.
“Stay at your house” is a frequent expression in the Gospels. It means more than sharing meals and a bed. When the disciples went out as missionaries they were told to stay in the house; they were to be given lodgings and not charged. In this paragraph of Luke, Jesus is saying that he is going to stay as a missionary of the Kingdom of God with Zacchaeus.
“today” — In the Bible “today” can have two meanings. It can refer to the twenty–four hour period in which the person is speaking. The word occurs in verse 9 also in this sense. It can also refer to the Christian era. This means that the words addressed to Zacchaeus are also addressed to us two millennia later. Jesus wishes to stay at our houses also.
“So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.” — Zacchaeus accepts the invitation “joyfully. The word “joyfully” has a very special meaning in the New Testament. In the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, the angel used it with Zachery (Lk. 1: 14), and Mary, in her Magnificat, said “my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk. 1: 47). Luke concludes his gospel with the apostles returning to Jerusalem after the ascension “with great joy”. In the wonderful chapter on “lost and found” the idea is repeated four times (Lk. 15: 5, 7, 10, 32). See also Luke 2: 10, 28; 8: 13; 9: 5, 48, 53; 10: 8, 10; 16: 9; 18: 17; 24: 41.
7 And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
“And when they saw it they all murmured, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’” — The crowd offered no salvation or hope for people they regarded as sinners. Among the “all” of the crowd would have been the disciples. This is meant to make the disciples of our day pause and look at themselves.
These words recall the story of Levi who was invited to follow Jesus and then they celebrated together with a meal to which the Pharisees and scribes objected. Jesus’ reply is echoed in this passage: “The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’” (Lk. 5: 30–32). Jesus will repeat this idea in the final verse of this passage.
8 And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
“And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.’” — Zacchaeus does not reply to the crowd but to Jesus to whom he shows his willingness to personally repent and make restitution. Nevertheless he “stood” so that the crowd would gather around and hear him.
Luke uses the word “Lord” twice, once by Luke to emphasise that Zacchaeus “said to the Lord”. Initial faith had come to Zacchaeus. For use of the divine “Lord” by Luke, see Lk. 7: 13, 19; 10: 1, 39, 41; 11: 39; 12: 42; 16: 8; 17: 5–6; 18: 6; 22: 61.
“the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.’” — The two verbs here are in the present tense and imply repeated acts, not one on a single occasion and not a single act about to be performed but a regular custom of his. For Luke this is a great act of righteousness (Lk. 6: 30–31, 38; 11: 41; 12: 33; 16: 9; 18: 22, 29).
Secondly, he adds the words “If I have…” In his eyes he has not defrauded anyone because he has been making restitution. But when he thinks, or perhaps doubts that he has, he then restores “fourfold”, that is 400%. The Jewish Law asked for a 20% addition as restoration (Lv. 6: 5; 20: 26; Nm. 5: 5–7). Roman Law required “fourfold” but only from convicted criminals. Zacchaeus exceeded these.
When was Zacchaeus converted? This verse implies that it was sometime before Jesus called him to come down from the tree.
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.’” — The oriental custom allowed people to enter the house freely when a dignitary was being entertained. They could stand around and listen to the conversation. While Jesus addressed these words to Zacchaeus, he meant them for the listening crowd as he changed from addressing the second person (“Jesus said to him”) to addressing the crowd (“since he also is a son of Abraham”).
“‘since he [Zacchaeus] also is a son of Abraham.’” — The patriarch’s original name was “Abram” which was changed to “Abraham”, meaning “father of multitudes” (Gn. 17: 5). He was not the physical father but the spiritual to all those who like him had faith in and docility to God by their life–styles. St. Paul states “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise”. It is by faith that one belongs to Abraham. It was his faith which justified him.
“‘For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’” — This verse summarises the role of Jesus as Saviour (Lk. 2: 11; 5: 32; 7: 34; 9: 56; 12: 49; 15: 1–32; 18: 8; 19: 10).
APPLICATION
Jesus
Luke said that Jesus “entered Jericho and was passing through” (Lk. 19: 1). He had no intention of stopping. When he saw how Zacchaeus, a tax collector and rich, whose name meant “the innocent one”, was desirous to see him, he made up his mind to help him by seeking this sheep that was lost. He invited Zacchaeus to be his host that evening. Zacchaeus accepted the post most willingly.
He received Jesus “joyfully”, a word which in the Bible can conjured up Messianic joy. Jesus called him “a son of Abraham”, an acknowledgment of Zacchaeus’ faith. He had had an infusion of faith sometime previous to their encounter. Then he addressed Jesus as “Lord”, his divine title. Zacchaeus had the gift of faith, not necessarily at this moment but when he had been helping the poor and needy.
At the final verse in the passage, Jesus proclaims a most wonderful verse: “For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19: 10). It was not just a matter of searching but of “emptying” his divine life and becoming incarnate that he might have a body to sacrifice out of love shown by suffering and death.
Zacchaeus
The story of Zacchaeus comes after three other passages in the previous chapter (chap. 18) which are essentially connected with it. First, in spite of opposition from his disciples, Jesus welcomed children with these words to his followers, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as [he receives] a little child will never enter it” (Lk. 18: 16-17). Luke means by this that just as people receive “little children” willingly, trustingly, lovingly and with every good wish they must receive the kingdom of God if they intend to enter it.
The second passage (Lk. 18: 18-30) tells of a ruler who visited Jesus and said that he observed all the commandments and asked what he had to do in addition to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ reply to him was to sell all that he had and give the money to the poor. Then he could follow Jesus. “But when he heard this the man became sad for he was very rich”. He did not, because he could not, give up his wealth. Jesus’ comment was “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus then added details of his upcoming sacrifice and poverty in Jerusalem, his destination, having to suffer and die on the cross but he would be rewarded by his resurrection after he had given up everything. This was his model for his disciples (Lk. 18: 31–34).
The third passage tells the story of the blind man of Jericho (Lk. 18: 35-43). He was blind and poor and in need of the help of other people. When he heard that Jesus was passing the people tried to silence him but he “shouted” to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”. People presumed that he was begging for money but he clarified this by saying “Lord, let me receive my sight”. He had heard about Jesus and so called him “Lord”. His faith made him well. He followed Jesus, glorifying him.
Lastly we have the story of Zacchaeus which recalls the previous stories. After the rich ruler asked Jesus, “Who can be saved?” (Lk. 18: 26), the reply was that “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Lk. 18: 27). The rich ruler was a very good living man but unable to sacrifice his wealth. The blind and poor man was saved by his faith. “Receive your faith; your faith has made you well” (Lk. 18: 42). Zacchaeus also was a man of deep faith, sharing his wealth and making restitution where and when necessary, trusting absolutely in Jesus. People tried to prevent him from seeing Jesus but he persevered in his endeavours, like the blind man. He was not ashamed to ignore people who thwarted him from encountering and following Jesus. He and the blind man had to shed all human respect of those around them when they tried to see or meet Jesus; they were treated with ridicule. This is an application taught by Zacchaeus, namely never let false shame or ridicule prevent anyone from meeting Jesus.
A second application is given also. Having wealth is not evil in itself. What is wrong is not using it for good purposes. Indeed when used for good purposes, as caring for the poor, the use of wealth can be highly virtuous.
A third application teaches us to respond immediately to God’s will and grace and not to count the cost.
Finally, there is a very important application that can be good to remember daily. The rich ruler was considered to be “holy” or “very good” because he was religious and most likely went to the Temple and synagogue regularly. But he loved himself more than anyone else and made no sacrifices for his neighbours in spite of his wealth. When Jesus called him to salvation he was unable to sacrifice himself. His wealth possessed him, not the other way about. The rich tax collector could not go to the Temple or the synagogue because of the hostility of those who were there worshipping but his love for the poor was good and most generous. When Jesus called him down from the Sycamore tree and invited himself to visit his house, he was prompt in glorifying and doing God’s will. Jesus “had come to seek and save” one considered lost and here he did (Lk. 19: 20).
Commentary on 31st Sunday of the year C 30.10.2016
TEXT: LUKE. 19: 01–10
Jesus’ Journey to Jerusalem
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
Description of Zacchaeus
2 And there was a man named Zacchae’us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.
Zacchaeus Climbs Tree to See Jesus
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
Jesus Calls Zacchaeus
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchae’us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
Reaction of Crowd
And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
Reaction of Zacchaeus
8 And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
Response of Jesus
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
EXPLANATION
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
“He entered Jericho and was passing through.” — Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem began with Luke 9: 51 in a Samaritan village. Jericho is the first village Luke names though he repeats six times that Jesus was “making his way to Jerusalem”. Jericho was only 23 miles from Jerusalem, was 770 feet below sea level, perhaps the lowest city on earth, was a short few miles from the Dead Sea and its spas and waters full of salts and minerals, and so the city for the wealthy of Jerusalem and elsewhere. It was also on the trade route between Jerusalem and the East. Jesus did not intend to spend time there.
2 And there was a man named Zacchae’us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.
And there was a man named Zacchae’us” — The name means ‘the pure, the clean or the innocent one’.
“he was a chief tax collector, and rich.” — This is the only occasion when we hear of a “chief tax collector” in the Bible. As such he would have been very rich in a city such as Jericho. This would also mean that he would have been greatly despised because people would have very strong feelings about how he collected his riches from their inflated taxes.
Luke taught that rich people had great difficult in freeing themselves from the attraction of wealth (Lk. 18: 24–27). They could have been more vociferous that others in their objections.
“And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.” — He was not going to see who Jesus was by a mere look. These words mean that Zacchaeus was searching for something deep; he was looking for a profound religious meaning as will become clearer in the passage. This was so important for him he did not mind looking a fool by climbing a tree.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
“So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.” — Zacchaeus, we know, was short and, no doubt, no one was making room for him to see Jesus. He did not mind being laughed at by running and climbing a tree, he, one of the richest upper class persons in Jericho. The sycamore tree is easy to climb and assured him of a good view of Jesus passing by.
Zacchaeus wanted “to see” Jesus. He may not have been aware that faith comes through “seeing and hearing” (Lk. 7: 22). The blind man, the story which comes before that of Zacchaeus, shows us how he, the blind man, overcame the problems he was having with the crowds. Zacchaeus also must overcome his problems of not being able to see Jesus.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchae’us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchae’us, make haste and come down;’” — Jesus realised the deeper desires in Zacchaeus’ heart. He called Zacchaeus by his name, making this a very personal request, and asked for an invitation into his house.
“for I must stay at your house today.’” — The word “must” occurs eighteen times in Luke’s Gospel (Lk. 2: 2: 49; 4: 43; 9: 22; 13: 16, 33; 17: 25; 22: 37; 24: 7. 26, 44). It conveys necessity to obey God’s command, plan or will.
“Stay at your house” is a frequent expression in the Gospels. It means more than sharing meals and a bed. When the disciples went out as missionaries they were told to stay in the house; they were to be given lodgings and not charged. In this paragraph of Luke, Jesus is saying that he is going to stay as a missionary of the Kingdom of God with Zacchaeus.
“today” — In the Bible “today” can have two meanings. It can refer to the twenty–four hour period in which the person is speaking. The word occurs in verse 9 also in this sense. It can also refer to the Christian era. This means that the words addressed to Zacchaeus are also addressed to us two millennia later. Jesus wishes to stay at our houses also.
“So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.” — Zacchaeus accepts the invitation “joyfully. The word “joyfully” has a very special meaning in the New Testament. In the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, the angel used it with Zachery (Lk. 1: 14), and Mary, in her Magnificat, said “my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk. 1: 47). Luke concludes his gospel with the apostles returning to Jerusalem after the ascension “with great joy”. In the wonderful chapter on “lost and found” the idea is repeated four times (Lk. 15: 5, 7, 10, 32). See also Luke 2: 10, 28; 8: 13; 9: 5, 48, 53; 10: 8, 10; 16: 9; 18: 17; 24: 41.
7 And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
“And when they saw it they all murmured, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’” — The crowd offered no salvation or hope for people they regarded as sinners. Among the “all” of the crowd would have been the disciples. This is meant to make the disciples of our day pause and look at themselves.
These words recall the story of Levi who was invited to follow Jesus and then they celebrated together with a meal to which the Pharisees and scribes objected. Jesus’ reply is echoed in this passage: “The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’” (Lk. 5: 30–32). Jesus will repeat this idea in the final verse of this passage.
8 And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
“And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.’” — Zacchaeus does not reply to the crowd but to Jesus to whom he shows his willingness to personally repent and make restitution. Nevertheless he “stood” so that the crowd would gather around and hear him.
Luke uses the word “Lord” twice, once by Luke to emphasise that Zacchaeus “said to the Lord”. Initial faith had come to Zacchaeus. For use of the divine “Lord” by Luke, see Lk. 7: 13, 19; 10: 1, 39, 41; 11: 39; 12: 42; 16: 8; 17: 5–6; 18: 6; 22: 61.
“the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.’” — The two verbs here are in the present tense and imply repeated acts, not one on a single occasion and not a single act about to be performed but a regular custom of his. For Luke this is a great act of righteousness (Lk. 6: 30–31, 38; 11: 41; 12: 33; 16: 9; 18: 22, 29).
Secondly, he adds the words “If I have…” In his eyes he has not defrauded anyone because he has been making restitution. But when he thinks, or perhaps doubts that he has, he then restores “fourfold”, that is 400%. The Jewish Law asked for a 20% addition as restoration (Lv. 6: 5; 20: 26; Nm. 5: 5–7). Roman Law required “fourfold” but only from convicted criminals. Zacchaeus exceeded these.
When was Zacchaeus converted? This verse implies that it was sometime before Jesus called him to come down from the tree.
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.’” — The oriental custom allowed people to enter the house freely when a dignitary was being entertained. They could stand around and listen to the conversation. While Jesus addressed these words to Zacchaeus, he meant them for the listening crowd as he changed from addressing the second person (“Jesus said to him”) to addressing the crowd (“since he also is a son of Abraham”).
“‘since he [Zacchaeus] also is a son of Abraham.’” — The patriarch’s original name was “Abram” which was changed to “Abraham”, meaning “father of multitudes” (Gn. 17: 5). He was not the physical father but the spiritual to all those who like him had faith in and docility to God by their life–styles. St. Paul states “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise”. It is by faith that one belongs to Abraham. It was his faith which justified him.
“‘For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’” — This verse summarises the role of Jesus as Saviour (Lk. 2: 11; 5: 32; 7: 34; 9: 56; 12: 49; 15: 1–32; 18: 8; 19: 10).
APPLICATION
Jesus
Luke said that Jesus “entered Jericho and was passing through” (Lk. 19: 1). He had no intention of stopping. When he saw how Zacchaeus, a tax collector and rich, whose name meant “the innocent one”, was desirous to see him, he made up his mind to help him by seeking this sheep that was lost. He invited Zacchaeus to be his host that evening. Zacchaeus accepted the post most willingly.
He received Jesus “joyfully”, a word which in the Bible can conjured up Messianic joy. Jesus called him “a son of Abraham”, an acknowledgment of Zacchaeus’ faith. He had had an infusion of faith sometime previous to their encounter. Then he addressed Jesus as “Lord”, his divine title. Zacchaeus had the gift of faith, not necessarily at this moment but when he had been helping the poor and needy.
At the final verse in the passage, Jesus proclaims a most wonderful verse: “For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19: 10). It was not just a matter of searching but of “emptying” his divine life and becoming incarnate that he might have a body to sacrifice out of love shown by suffering and death.
Zacchaeus
The story of Zacchaeus comes after three other passages in the previous chapter (chap. 18) which are essentially connected with it. First, in spite of opposition from his disciples, Jesus welcomed children with these words to his followers, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as [he receives] a little child will never enter it” (Lk. 18: 16-17). Luke means by this that just as people receive “little children” willingly, trustingly, lovingly and with every good wish they must receive the kingdom of God if they intend to enter it.
The second passage (Lk. 18: 18-30) tells of a ruler who visited Jesus and said that he observed all the commandments and asked what he had to do in addition to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ reply to him was to sell all that he had and give the money to the poor. Then he could follow Jesus. “But when he heard this the man became sad for he was very rich”. He did not, because he could not, give up his wealth. Jesus’ comment was “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus then added details of his upcoming sacrifice and poverty in Jerusalem, his destination, having to suffer and die on the cross but he would be rewarded by his resurrection after he had given up everything. This was his model for his disciples (Lk. 18: 31–34).
The third passage tells the story of the blind man of Jericho (Lk. 18: 35-43). He was blind and poor and in need of the help of other people. When he heard that Jesus was passing the people tried to silence him but he “shouted” to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”. People presumed that he was begging for money but he clarified this by saying “Lord, let me receive my sight”. He had heard about Jesus and so called him “Lord”. His faith made him well. He followed Jesus, glorifying him.
Lastly we have the story of Zacchaeus which recalls the previous stories. After the rich ruler asked Jesus, “Who can be saved?” (Lk. 18: 26), the reply was that “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Lk. 18: 27). The rich ruler was a very good living man but unable to sacrifice his wealth. The blind and poor man was saved by his faith. “Receive your faith; your faith has made you well” (Lk. 18: 42). Zacchaeus also was a man of deep faith, sharing his wealth and making restitution where and when necessary, trusting absolutely in Jesus. People tried to prevent him from seeing Jesus but he persevered in his endeavours, like the blind man. He was not ashamed to ignore people who thwarted him from encountering and following Jesus. He and the blind man had to shed all human respect of those around them when they tried to see or meet Jesus; they were treated with ridicule. This is an application taught by Zacchaeus, namely never let false shame or ridicule prevent anyone from meeting Jesus.
A second application is given also. Having wealth is not evil in itself. What is wrong is not using it for good purposes. Indeed when used for good purposes, as caring for the poor, the use of wealth can be highly virtuous.
A third application teaches us to respond immediately to God’s will and grace and not to count the cost.
Finally, there is a very important application that can be good to remember daily. The rich ruler was considered to be “holy” or “very good” because he was religious and most likely went to the Temple and synagogue regularly. But he loved himself more than anyone else and made no sacrifices for his neighbours in spite of his wealth. When Jesus called him to salvation he was unable to sacrifice himself. His wealth possessed him, not the other way about. The rich tax collector could not go to the Temple or the synagogue because of the hostility of those who were there worshipping but his love for the poor was good and most generous. When Jesus called him down from the Sycamore tree and invited himself to visit his house, he was prompt in glorifying and doing God’s will. Jesus “had come to seek and save” one considered lost and here he did (Lk. 19: 20).