Salvation in a Sycamore Tree
Introduction: The Scandal of Sovereign Grace
The gospel is not respectable. We, in our modern, domesticated way, have tried to make it so. We want a tidy faith, a predictable God, and a salvation that makes sense to our accountants and our homeowners' associations. We want a Jesus who improves our lives, not one who turns them upside down. We want a Savior who pats the heads of good people, not one who dines with traitors and thieves.
But the Jesus of the Scriptures is not a tame lion. He is constantly offending the sensibilities of the religiously proud. And nowhere is this glorious, offensive grace on brighter display than in the city of Jericho, with a short man up a tree. The story of Zaccheus is a cannon shot into the heart of all works-righteousness, all self-justification, and all attempts to bargain with God.
Zaccheus was not a good man who had made a few mistakes. He was a chief tax collector. This means he was the regional manager of a vast extortion racket, sanctioned by the pagan Roman government. He got rich by squeezing his own countrymen, the people of the covenant, and handing their money over to Caesar, taking a hefty cut for himself. To the Jews, he was a traitor of the highest order, a collaborator with the enemy, a man whose very name was a byword for sin and corruption. He was, in short, the last person on earth anyone expected to have dealings with the Messiah, other than perhaps to be condemned by Him.
But God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. The gospel is not about God rewarding the righteous, but about God regenerating the wicked. This story shows us that salvation is not a prize to be earned, but a gift to be received. It is a sovereign invasion, a divine summons that comes to us when we are least deserving, and it is a summons that changes everything.
The Text
And He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. And Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on before and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. And when they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." But Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have extorted anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."
(Luke 19:1-10 LSB)
A Desperate Man (vv. 1-4)
The story begins with a man who has a problem.
"And He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. And Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on before and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way." (Luke 19:1-4)
Zaccheus is defined by three things: his job, his wealth, and his stature. He was a chief tax collector, which made him a pariah. He was rich, which was the direct fruit of his treason. And he was short, a physical limitation that serves as a wonderful picture of his spiritual state. He wanted to see Jesus, but two things stood in his way: the crowd and his height. The crowd represents the wall of public opinion and his own sin. The very people he had cheated and betrayed now stood between him and the Savior. His stature represents his own personal inability. He could not, in his own power, get a clear view of Jesus.
But there is a desperation in this man. This is not idle curiosity. A wealthy, important man does not throw his dignity to the wind, run through the streets, and climb a tree like a schoolboy unless something deep is stirring within him. Where did this desire come from? It was a gift. The one who was coming to seek him had first planted the desire to be found. God always takes the initiative.
Zaccheus's action is a picture of a man who has come to the end of himself. He knows he cannot get to Jesus through the normal channels. The crowd will not part for him. His money cannot buy him a view. His own abilities are insufficient. So he does something foolish, something undignified. He runs ahead and climbs a tree. This is not him earning his salvation; this is him positioning himself in the path of the one who can save.
A Sovereign Summons (vv. 5-6)
What happens next is the heart of the gospel.
"And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, 'Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.' And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly." (Luke 19:5-6 LSB)
Jesus stops. He doesn't just happen to notice a man in a tree. He came to that very place for that very man. He looks up and calls him by name. Imagine the shock. The most hated man in Jericho, hiding in a tree, is personally identified and addressed by the Son of God. This is not a generic call; it is a particular, personal, and sovereign summons.
And notice the command: "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." Jesus does not say, "I would like to come over if it's convenient." He says, "I must." This is the language of divine necessity. This was an appointment fixed in eternity before the foundation of the world. Jesus invites Himself. This is a divine invasion. Grace does not wait for an invitation; it kicks the door in.
Zaccheus's response is the only proper response to such a summons: immediate, joyful obedience. He "hurried and came down and received Him gladly." He did not argue. He did not make excuses. He did not ask Jesus if He knew what the neighbors would think. He simply obeyed with joy. This is the nature of saving faith. It is the glad reception of a sovereign King.
The Grumblers and the Convert (vv. 7-8)
The moment grace appears, the opposition party convenes.
"And when they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, 'He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.' But Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, 'Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have extorted anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.'" (Luke 19:7-8 LSB)
The crowd's reaction is entirely predictable. "They all began to grumble." This is the voice of the self-righteous. Their theology is simple: God blesses good people and punishes bad people. For Jesus to associate with a notorious sinner like Zaccheus was a violation of their entire religious system. They were the older brothers in the parable of the prodigal son, standing outside the party, fuming that the father would welcome such a reprobate home. They loved their categories more than they loved sinners.
But while they are grumbling, Zaccheus is being transformed. His response is not a quiet, private affair. He "stopped," or "stood his ground," and made a public declaration. This is not Zaccheus trying to buy his way into heaven. This is the spontaneous, joyful fruit of a regenerated heart. Notice the present tense: "I will give... I will give back." This is happening now. The King has come to his house, and the first thing that happens is that Zaccheus's relationship to his money is completely revolutionized.
And his repentance is specific and costly. He doesn't just offer a vague apology. He pledges to give half his possessions to the poor. Then he promises to pay back anyone he has defrauded four times over. The law required repayment plus twenty percent. Zaccheus goes to the penalty for a captured thief, a fourfold restitution. He is publicly labeling his former profession as theft. This is what true repentance looks like. It is not cheap grace. It is a radical reordering of one's life and one's checkbook, prompted by a joyful encounter with the living God.
The Mission Statement (vv. 9-10)
Jesus has the last word, and He uses it to define His mission and Zaccheus's new identity.
"And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.'" (Luke 19:9-10 LSB)
Jesus declares that salvation has come "to this house." Salvation is not just an individual transaction; it is a covenantal reality that impacts households. Zaccheus, the head of the home, has been claimed by Christ, and the blessing flows to his entire house. Jesus then redefines what it means to be a true Israelite. The grumblers thought they were the sons of Abraham because of their bloodline and their meticulous rule-keeping. Jesus says that Zaccheus, the traitor and extortioner, is a true son of Abraham. Why? Because he has demonstrated the faith of Abraham. He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Finally, Jesus gives us the theological key that unlocks the whole story. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost." This is His job description. This is His mission statement. Jesus is not a motivational speaker for the found. He is a divine search and rescue operator for the lost. Zaccheus did not find Jesus. Jesus sought and found Zaccheus. Zaccheus's climbing the tree was simply the fruit of Jesus's prior seeking.
Conclusion: Come Down from Your Tree
This story is our story. We are all Zaccheus. We are all spiritually short, unable to see God on our own terms. We are all trapped by the crowd of public opinion and our own sinful habits. We are all hiding in a tree of some kind, whether it is a tree of respectable morality, religious pride, or outright rebellion.
And the call of the gospel is the same today as it was in Jericho. Jesus is passing by. He stops at your tree. He knows your name. And He issues a sovereign command: "Hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." He is not asking for permission. He is announcing His gracious invasion.
The only question is how you will respond. You can stay in the tree with the grumblers, critiquing the scandalous nature of God's grace and insisting that He operate according to your tidy rules. Or you can, like Zaccheus, hurry down and receive Him with joy. You can welcome the King into your house and watch as He turns everything upside down, reorders your priorities, liberates you from your idols, and declares that salvation has come to your house.
If you have heard His call, come down. Come down from your pride. Come down from your self-righteousness. Come down from your sin. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. He has come to seek and to save you.