Zacchaeus was a chief tax-collector at Jericho. He was a crook—a Jewish legman for the Roman IRS who would have been despised as traitors (working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community), and as being corrupt. 

Following the practice of the day, raked in as much more than the going tax as he could get and pocketed the difference.

If there was one man most people in Jericho despised, it was Zaccheus!

Because the lucrative production and export of (bal-som) was centered in Jericho. Jericho was one of the only places in the region where balsam was produced. Balsam is a fragrant resin that comes from some shrubs—today, balsam is the base of perfumes. It was expensive to make, and a large source of wealth for Jericho.

Luke 19:1-10 NIV

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus was despicable, hated, and rejected. And he knew it. 

Zacchaues knew he was a traitor (working for Rome) and he knew he stole from his own people, and he knew nobody liked him.  Thats why when Jesus was passing through Jericho Zacchaeus like everyone else wanted to see Jesus. The way he attended is telling:

1. He could have used his position and authority to get to the front. 

2. He would have been the top wealthiest person in Jericho and could have arranged a private VIP meeting with Jesus.

But instead Zacchaeus distanced himself and climbed a tree.

Zacchaeus is like many of us, when we fail, or find ourselves in a mess we distance ourselves. We disconnect from community, we feel shame and push people away, because of our failure we distance ourselves from Jesus.

In our messiness we distance ourselves, but Jesus seeks to be near even in the midst of our mess.  

This is hard to comprehend. Why would Jesus want to be near me at my worst?

Jesus when he approached the tree Zacchaeus was in he looked up and called him by name. Not only did he personally say his name he requested to be a guest at Zacchaues’ home. 

Jesus demonstrated something amazing, he engaged Zacchaues when nobody else would. 

Zachhaeus thought he could climb a tree and nobody would see him, but Jesus not only saw him, he called him by name and broke bread with him. This act was unheard of because this action was intimate. To be the guest at someones home was like belonging to their family. 

This angered people because Zacchaues didn’t deserve it.

Romans 5:6-8  “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus ends this story by saying he came to seek and save the lost. A call for every follower of Jesus.