The Gospel of Luke: Jesus is for everyone – Jesus changes Zacchaeus’s life
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was the epitome of a self-centre man. He was a little man who pretended to be big and liked to throw his weight around. He was the chief tax collector and was a rough, a thief and a crook. He was a traitor to his own people and a collaborator with the Romans. He was obsessed with money.
Jesus was the complete opposite of Zacchaeus. Jesus was not self-centred, He was God-centred. He was not selfish, He was selfless. Jesus came to serve others, not Himself. Jesus was not motivated by money or power, He came to give and not to take. Jesus had an authority and an integrity that Zacchaeus did not have.
No-one had told Jesus about Zacchaeus or that he would be up a tree waiting to see Him. Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves and He still wants to come into our lives and transform them. Is Jesus calling your name? How are you going to respond? It is only Jesus who can truly transform our lives. Zacchaeus was changed by Jesus. If you have an encounter with Jesus your life will never be the same.