Zacchaeus story

gaetano23 (58)in HeartChurch • 4 years ago

Making their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples entered the city of Jericho. As usual, a large crowd of people accompanied him.

Among them was a man named Zacchaeus, he was the head of the tax collectors and a wealthy man. As a tax collector, people didn't like me. He wanted to see Jesus, to discover who he was, but he couldn't because of the crowd, because he was short.

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Then, to see it, Zacchaeus ran forward and climbed a tree that was growing where Jesus was supposed to pass. When Jesus passed by the tree on which Zacchaeus was sitting, he looked up and said: "Zacchaeus, come down soon, because today I have to be in your house". Zacchaeus quickly came down and happily accepted the Lord.

Everyone who saw him began to resent the Master going to such a sinner! And Zacchaeus got up and said: “Lord! I will give half of my wealth to the poor, and if I take too much from someone, I will give four times! Then Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house. After all, the Son of Man came to save the lost."

The surprising story of Zacchaeus' conversion as a result of a meeting with the Savior provides us with an example of a truly spiritual rebirth. Everyone considered him a fallen sinner and a black sheep. Of particular importance, tax collectors and harlots were called "sinners."

Zacchaeus's name means "pure" and somehow sounds particularly ridiculous in combination with the most disgusting profession in the Jewish world at the time.

Zacchaeus was an important person in the corporation of tax collectors, but he did not rise high, and he could not rise above the crowd, which was crowding Jesus everywhere.

Let's consider this:

Are we not spiritual dwarfs in those moments when we lack the strength of character, sincerity and faith to follow Christ?

But, no effort is in vain. The Lord knows how to find those who seek Him, even in the most unexpected places: He found Matthew on the stone, Nathanael under the fig tree, a Samaritan woman at the well, a thief on the cross.

The Lord calls all who hide in the thickets of resentment, doubt, pride, and any ungodliness. A sinner, like Zacchaeus, must descend so that God can exalt him to justice. For his love, the Lord humbles himself without humiliating and exalts without tempting pride.

True repentance comes from knowing this sudden love, which causes repentance for the mistakes of a past life and elevates you to a new life.