07/19/2026 Weekly Bible Lesson: Zacchaeus

The Lord does not size people up the way we do. Despite being rejected by the crowd, it was to the home of the chief tax collector Zacchaeus that the Lord went.

Verses 1-4 — Chapter 18 concludes with the crowd trying to dismiss a physically disabled individual from attempting to come to Jesus. Now we see a crowd creating a barrier for one they deemed socially repugnant due to his work in gathering wealth for Rome. Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector, but the chief tax collector. He would be an overseer of the revenue attained through taxation. Holding this position earned him no respect from the people in and traveling through Jericho.

Zacchaeus learned Jesus was passing through, and he had a strong desire to see Jesus. The crowd around Jesus would be larger than just the normal citizens and weekly merchants who would travel through the city. Passover was just around the corner, and Jewish citizens from all over would pass through this town. The crowd would be huge, and his stature hindered him from obtaining even a glimpse of Jesus.

Questions: What are the crowds that keep us from drawing close to Jesus today? Is it the mob of acceptance by friends, classmates, or co-workers; the horde of sin that builds a wall of separation; the host of worldly pleasures that impede one from drawing near; or the gathering of activities that keep one at a distance?

Despite the crowd’s blockade, Zacchaeus did not give up. He scurried ahead of the group to a sycamore tree and climbed it, which gave him an advantage of seeing Jesus over the crowd. This tree is considered a cultural refugee plant within Israel, creating a poetic alliance between man and tree, both looked upon as outsiders.

Verses 5-7 — While Zacchaeus waited on his perch to see Jesus, it was Jesus who spotted him. He looked up into the tree and called for Zacchaeus by name. Out of all those who interact with the Lord, only a few are named, and Zacchaeus can be counted among those. Not only is it impressive for Jesus to have said his name, but of all the residences in Jericho, it is at this chief tax collector’s house that Jesus would rest.

The crowd was aghast. They complained amongst themselves that Jesus would stay with him, whom they deemed a sinner. Moments before, they were clamoring all around Jesus; now, they were disgusted with His choice of host. It was fine when Jesus was with them, but how they soured when He went with Zacchaeus. In his commentary on Luke, H. Leo Boles ponders if the “all” could even include the twelve. Even though Matthew, who formerly was a tax collector, was among their number, he had left it all behind to follow Jesus. Zacchaeus had not done so.

Questions: How quickly are we to accept someone who has become a Christian, someone for whom we have had hard feelings? Do we question the staying power of an individual whose past is questionable or whose ideals are different than our own?

Verses 8-10 — Zacchaeus did not defend himself to the crowd, but he spoke to Jesus, calling Him Lord, recognizing His authority. His statement can be viewed in two ways: [1] he is changing his ways, by sharing his wealth with the poor and refunding those he had cheated. Or [2] he proclaims he is true to the meaning of his name, which is pure or innocent. Furthermore, he declares that he does share half of his income with the needy and has not defrauded anyone, but if he had, he would make restitution beyond what the law required. To offer four times the amount was not taught in the law for defrauding someone, but it was the amount for stealing sheep, so Zacchaeus was willing to pay fourfold to anyone he may have fleeced among the flock of Israel. People charged him with being a sinner due to his occupation, but he stepped up and demonstrated his willingness to do what would be pleasing to God.

Jesus applauded his statement and offered a view of  Zacchaeus opposite to that of the crowd. They viewed him as a sinner, equating him with a Gentile. Jesus stated that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s house and that he displayed the spiritual resemblance of Abraham, the man of faith.

Jesus then shared His mission as the Son of Man: to seek and to save that which was lost. The crowd should have rejoiced in what they should have perceived as a rescue, dining with the one they had dismissed. Although we were lost in our sin, Jesus came to seek and save us. Let us realize that no one is beyond hope. Our perception of who will respond should be like the Lord’s—limitless.