Seeker of the Lost

Luke 19-1-10

1. Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Key observations from this passage: 

• Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Tax collectors were despised at that time because they were seen as betrayers among their people for collecting taxes for the Roman government. Additionally, there was a perception of tax collectors as deceptive since there was incentive to over collect on taxes because anything that was not paid to the government can be kept for themselves. 
• Though Zacchaeus was an outcast, Jesus saw Zacchaeus and called him by name. Although Zacchaeus went as far as climbing a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus, Jesus saw him and called him to himself. (Luke 19:4-5)
• Zacchaeus was not liked by the crowd, but rather seen as unworthy for Jesus to dine with (Luke 19:7).  After Jesus told Zacchaeus that he would stay at his house, the people saw this and began to mutter. “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 
• Jesus changes people.
  After encountering Jesus and being in his presence, Zacchaeus confessed his wrong and committed to restore what he had taken unjustly.  (Luke 19:8)
• Jesus reminds that He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
  
  Similarly in other passages, Jesus dined and associated with those cast out by society, and when the religious teachers of the day questioned his actions, Jesus told them why he came.
  
  While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
  
  On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:15-17