Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector of Jericho, a prosperous city near important trade routes. Tax collectors were despised as collaborators with Rome and notorious for extortion. As chief collector, Zacchaeus had grown wealthy—but he was spiritually hungry.

When Jesus passed through Jericho, Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see Him. Being short of stature and blocked by the crowd, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. Jesus looked up and shocked everyone: "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house."

Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully, but the crowd grumbled that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a "sinner." Zacchaeus's response proved the reality of his transformation: "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."

This exceeded legal requirements—the law required restoring what was stolen plus twenty percent, while fourfold restoration was only required for stolen livestock. Zacchaeus went far beyond minimum repentance. Jesus declared, "This day is salvation come to this house... For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." A despised sinner became a son of Abraham through genuine, fruit-bearing faith.