Jesus Seeks the Lost

based on Luke 19:1-10

There is a story in the Bible about a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Most of the time a tax collector’s wealth was obtained by fraud. He would simply charge a little more tax than the going rate and pocket the difference. Collecting tax was a lucrative business. Zacchaeus and his kind lived by their own rules.

Even though he was a wealthy man and had everything money could buy, Zacchaeus was not completely happy. There was a certain emptiness in his life.

One day he heard that Jesus was coming to the city where he lived. He had heard much about this famous teacher and miracle worker. So, he was eager to see Jesus. But Jesus never went anywhere for the purpose of being a novelty, a curiosity item merely to be gazed at. Wherever he went he came to seek and save the lost. And the chronicle about Zacchaeus ends with Jesus saying that he came to seek and to save what was lost. He came to Jericho to seek and save Zacchaeus.

How Jesus did that is truly amazing. You see, other people had the same idea about going to see Jesus. So there were a lot of people in the streets. And poor Zacchaeus, we are told, was a short man. He could not look over or around the crowd in front of him. His view was blocked.

But he was a resourceful man and determined to get a glimpse of Jesus. He quickly assessed the situation and when he had ascertained which way Jesus was heading, he ran ahead and climbed in a tree whose branches hung across the road.

Can you imagine that! Here is this rich man running ahead of the crowd and climbing a tree so that he could get a glimpse of Jesus. There must have been quite a pull on him to act like that. One would expect this kind of behaviour from a young boy, not from a wealthy man. That was below his dignity. But so many marvellous stories had made their rounds about this Jesus that he had to go and see what gave Jesus his celebrity status.

The simple fact is that in all this God pulled Zacchaeus by arousing his curiosity so that he would meet his Lord and Saviour that day. When God pulls then we do things we otherwise would not dream of doing. God worked such strong curiosity in Zacchaeus, that this rich man was willing to do what might make him look silly in the eyes of others.

So there he sat in a tree, eagerly awaiting the moment to get a good view of Jesus of Nazareth as he passed by. But the Lord Jesus did not pass by. He stopped at the tree, looked up and said, “Zacchaeus come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

How astounding! This man had never seen Jesus, and yet Jesus knew his name. Now if you know someone by name it implies that you know something about that person. When Jesus called the tax collector by name Zacchaeus realized that Jesus knew who he was. Most importantly, Jesus knew that here was a lost soul, ready to be saved.

By calling his name, Jesus laid claim on Zacchaeus. That day this man received far more than he had ever hoped to receive. Curiosity drove him to get a glimpse of Jesus. He did not come to seek Jesus as his Saviour. But the Lord had come to Jericho that day to seek him out and to save this man who was spiritually lost. Jesus took charge in this tax collector’s life. He called him by name, commanded him to come down, and invited himself over to his house.

Zacchaeus responded to Jesus’ command with elation. He climbed down from the tree at once and welcomed him gladly. He was no doubt happy that this famous man had invited himself over to be his guest. But the most important reason for his happiness was that Jesus had entered his heart and took possession of it.

As of that day Jesus claimed Zacchaeus to be his own and took control of that man just as he lays claim on every believer. Zacchaeus was happy because from that moment on he experienced the joy of the greatest gift ever to come to us from God. It is the gift that brings purpose to life and to living. It is the gift of salvation.

What do you think, dear listener? Do you think that this rich man looked at himself as someone who was lost? I think he looked upon himself as someone who tried to get the best out of life. You only live once! It was not until he was confronted by Jesus that Zacchaeus saw the emptiness of his life and the need for change in his life. He was lost because he chose to live independently from God. But Jesus came to find him.

This account is found in Scripture to make us think. It is recorded for us to make us analyse our own situation, and to teach us that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Unless we know our own condition, and unless we accept the fact that we are lost in ourselves, we will not perceive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Neither would we own up that we need him as Lord and Saviour. We would be like Zacchaeus before his encounter with Jesus. We may be curious about Jesus from all the things we might have heard about him

—and maybe that is one reason why you listen to this broadcast, curious the hear what the next preacher has to say.

But Jesus as Saviour? What for? Us, lost? Come, come. We are decent citizens. O, we go off on a tangent once in a while, but, hey, that happens to everyone. We’re not perfect. But lost? No, that is saying too much. Lost are the street people, the junkies, the criminals . . . No need for us to re-evaluate our own condition.

Many of Zacchaeus’ fellow citizens felt they did not need to evaluate their own lives and so they did not need Jesus as Saviour either. They compared themselves to that tax collector. That tax fellow, he was a sinner, someone beyond hope and help. And what about themselves? They were honest citizens and therefore quite alright. The good versus the bad; the deserving versus the undeserving.

Right, Zacchaeus was undeserving, lost in sin. Both he and Jesus were well aware of it. That is exactly the reason why the Saviour came to him. For only those who are made aware of their sins and misery are receptive to the gift of salvation. Anyone who knows his own sins knows that he needs the great physician. The healthy do not need a doctor.

Thankfully our Lord is not fooled by our outward appearance. He looks right into the heart. And that is also frightening in its own way because it means that there is no such thing as a false front or a smoke screen behind which we can hide from him in pride. Zacchaeus’ heart was not that of a self-righteous person, but that of someone who would repent of his sins. That is why Jesus found him and salvation came to his house that day and not to the others.

Is it not wonderful that such a lost sinner as Zacchaeus was saved by the Lord? Indeed, is it not a miracle that God still saves sinners and that you and I may share in the same salvation? Let us not look at others but start with ourselves and own up our sins before God.

When Jesus claimed Zacchaeus as his own, the tax collector gladly surrendered his heart to the Lord who had sought and found him. He experienced the forgiveness of sins and he welcomed Jesus as his Saviour.

And what is the message in this for you and me? How does all this affect us? It certainly cannot leave us indifferent. As Jesus sought Zacchaeus, so we need to realize that he is seeking us too so that we may come to recognize and accept Christ Jesus as our Saviour.

Jesus still seeks the lost. He also seeks you by way of these broadcasts. What is your response? Is your response one of indifference or is it the response of a thankful heart that is touched by God and wants to serve him?

When you hear this message today, know for sure that you, like me and everyone else, need Christ Jesus as Saviour. He knows you by name as he knew Zacchaeus.

Christ’s call to a faith commitment is always a call for today. Don’t postpone. He is seeking you. Welcome him as your Saviour by surrendering your heart to him. The Lord wants to say to you also: Today salvation has come to you.

Are you ready to respond when he calls you by name?

   G. Nederveen

   Burlington, ON