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Luke 19:5-10
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 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.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus made up for his short stature with a big bank account. He was the owner of tax franchises, a lucrative business. And he wanted to see Jesus. Yesterday we considered Jesus’ words to Zacchaeus. Today let’s focus on the tax collector’s response. Three things stand out in Zacchaeus’ reply.
Repentance. Zacchaeus was walking in one direction. Then, after meeting Jesus, his life changed. He reversed course. Repentance means changing the direction of your life and following Jesus. That’s exactly what Zacchaeus did.
Restitution. Sometimes in order to go forward, you need to go backward. Zacchaeus was convicted of his past practices. He determined to pay back anyone he had cheated. Theft, under the Old Testament law, required repayment of four times what was stolen. Zacchaeus voluntarily accepted full responsibility under the law.
Generosity. After paying back four times the amount to anyone he had cheated, Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions to the poor. Grace receivers are grace givers.
Lord Jesus, may I experience true repentance and turn from my sin. May I take full responsibility for my actions and seek forgiveness from those I have hurt. May I, who have received Your great grace, be willing to extend that grace to others. In Your name. Amen.
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