October 31, 2020 Bible Study Zacchaeus, A Study In Transformation

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Luke 19-20

The story of Zacchaeus has some interesting characteristics.  As children, Zacchaeus is presented as an example because he strives to overcome his limitations in order to see Jesus.  As adults, we look at Zacchaeus because Jesus’ presence in his life causes him to turn it around. The story of Zacchaeus really does provide us with a lot of important lessons.  The self-righteous wanted nothing to do with Zacchaeus because of his blatant sinfulness.  Yet ,despite his well-deserved reputation, and the knowledge that he was looked down upon by the righteous, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus.  Then Jesus did the fateful thing, He accepted Zacchaeus.  In His acceptance, Jesus did not sugar-coat Zacchaeus’ sins, He did not downplay them.  He merely said that He had come to seek and save the lost.  Like Zacchaeus, we should seek to see Jesus, and we should do whatever is in our power to make recompense for the sins we have committed.  But, also, like Jesus we should accept sinners without accepting their sin.  When sinners seek Christ, let us make sure to show them that He has been seeking them.  Zacchaeus did not stop sinning in order to approach Christ, he stopped sinning when Christ came to him.