Jesus was joyfully received

JESUS WAS JOYFULLYRECEIVED
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 19:1-8 1
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing
through. 2
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus;
he was a chief tax collectorand 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-figtree to see him, since Jesus was
coming that way. 5
WhenJesus reached the spot, he
lookedup 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.
New Living Translation
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his
house in great excitement and joy.
English StandardVersion
So he hurried and came down and receivedhim
joyfully.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES

Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Zacchaeus; The Triumph Of Earnestness
Luke 19:1-9
W. Clarkson The incident here recorded provides a very good opportunity for the imagination.
We can picture the scene before us quite vividly; it is a subject for the sacred artist. But let us
look at the triumph of earnestness as illustrated in the story of Zacchaeus.
I. It triumphed over THE PERIL WHICH ATTENDS WEALTH. This man was rich (ver. 2).
Riches are unfavourable to religious earnestness; we have Christ's own word for it (Luke 18:24;
see homily). They present a very strong inducement to their owner to forsake the fountain of
living waters, and to quench his thirst in the lower streams. Far too often they lead to luxury, to
indulgence, to spiritual indifference. But Zacchaeus did not suffer this calamity to befall him,
this fatal injury to be wrought upon him. His spiritual solicitudes won the victory over his
temporal circumstances.
II. It triumphed over THE DEMORALIZING CALLING IN WHICH HE WAS ENGAGED.
Our daily vocation must necessarily have a very great influence over us for good or evil; and if it
be one that tends to lower and degrade a man, he is placed in the greatest possible peril. Much
wisdom of mind, much resoluteness of soul, and much devoutness of spirit must be required to
withstand the adverse powers. But though Zacchaeus was engaged in a pursuit that invited
avarice and oppression, still he did not lose his religious earnestness.
III. It triumphed over AN EVIL REPUTATION. Few things are more degrading than a bad
name. Men quickly become what they are supposed to be and what they are called. Let all his
neighbours consider and call a man a rogue, and it will be strange indeed if he maintains his
integrity. Yet, although Zacchaeus was denominated and dismissed as "a publican," spoken of by
a term which was full of the strongest reproach, he did not descend to that level.
IV. It triumphed over THE OBSTACLES WHICH STOOD BETWEEN HIM AND CHRIST.
He could not venture to solicit an interview with this holy Prophet; that he knew was completely
barred by his vocation. He found it difficult to secure even a view of him as he passed along; his
smallness of stature was against him. But such was his determination that he disregarded all
considerations of dignity and decorum, and ran any risk of popular derision and affront, and
climbed up, as if he had been a boy, into a tree to command a view of Jesus of Nazareth. So he
prevailed.
V. IT WON WHOLLY UNEXPECTED GOOD.
1. The honour of entertaining this great Prophet at his own house; thus securing a standing to
which he had long been a stranger.
2. The advantage of a protracted interview, an extended privilege, in which he could not only
secure a few sentences from the great Teacher, but could unburden his heart to him and learn his
holy will.
VI. IT LED TO NEWNESS OF LIFE. (Vers. 8, 9.) Zacchaeus from that day forth was a new
man. His character was thenceforth determined: whatever selfishness or wrongness there had
been, it should be renounced, and, where possible, reparation should be made. Character and life

were to be cleansed and renewed; and Christ took him up into his favour and friendship. He was
to be perfectly restored to the position he had lost. By his pursuit and practice he had become an
alien, disinherited, no longer admitted to the services of the sanctuary. But now he was to be, in
the fullest and deepest sense of the word, "a son of Abraham," a far truer son of his than many
who prided themselves on their descent from the "father of the faithful." Thus earnestness of
spirit completely prevailed.
1. Only earnestness will prevail. Indifference will go down to the death from which it is already
not far removed. Halfheartedness will go only a very little way towards the goal; it will have to
take some trouble and to suffer some pains, but it will not win the prize. Even impulsiveness,
]PGBR> which bears a considerable resemblance to earnestness, but is not the same thing, will
fail before the way is trodden and the end secured. Only earnestness wins.
2. It always must. Whatever comes in the way; whatever inward or outward obstacles present
themselves; whatever personal or social hindrances intervene; however victory be delayed;
notwithstanding that the case may again and again seem hopeless; - still in the end earnestness
will succeed. Jesus Christ will manifest himself; he will be found in the home; his presence and
his grace will fill the soul with joy; he will declare sonship and heirship to his devoted and
determined follower. - C.
Biblical Illustrator
My house is the house of prayer.
Luke 19:45, 46
The purified temple
A. Watson, D. D.Regarding the Church as an institution, with its possessions, its laws, its days of
worship, its rulers, its teachers, its outward services, we may find for ourselves a lesson in this
incident. And that lesson is, that the spiritual character of the Church is everything, and that its
first object is to deepen in men's hearts the sense of the Divine and the spiritual. When that great
end is lost sight of, the Church has parted with her strongest claims upon the world, and it has
forfeited also its privilege as a witness for God on the earth. The spiritual influence is the first
and chief purpose of the Church of Christ. The lesson of this narrative comes home to us in these
days, when so much time and thought are given to the outer framework of Church forms and
usages; and that lesson may be needed to correct our spirit of bustling and restless energy in what
is at the best only the machinery of spiritual life, and not spiritual life itself. There is no class of
men who are more in danger of losing the true meaning of religion than those who are employed
in its service. If I were to seek for cases in which spiritual truth had been travestied and turned to
not only secular but profane purposes, I do not know that I could find them more readily than in
men to whom all sacred words and acts have grown so familiar that they have ceased to express

spiritual facts at all. Those who are always engaged in religious works are apt to lose the sense of
their sacredness. No man more needs to be on his guard against an unspiritual life than the man
who is perpetually employed in spiritual offices. He brings within the courts of God's house what
ought to be left without; he forgets his high spiritual functions in the bustle and care which attend
them; and it is really no absolute guarantee of a religious and spiritual life that a man's profession
is the teaching of religion. Christ's words and acts read us all a lesson, then; they tell us that in
the most sacred occupations of life there may be found cares and anxieties which are less
religious, and which are apt to swallow up too much of a man's time and thoughts. There is
another temple of a different kind, of which a word may be said. The whole Christian body is, in
the words of the New Testament, a temple of God. There is a sacredness in that temple, the
spiritual community of Christians, if we would only think of it, much greater than in the Temple
of Jerusalem, or in any building devoted to holy uses. And just as the whole Christian
community is a temple sacred to God, so each individual heart is in itself a temple where God
Most High is honoured and worshipped.
(A. Watson, D. D.)
Lessons from Christ's cleansing of the temple
James Foote, M. A.1. Abuses are apt to creep into the Church. Let us be on our guard against
their first introduction.
2. The Church is much indebted, under God, to those who have had the courage to stand forward
as real reformers. Hezekiah; Josiah; the English reformers. They are indeed the benefactors of
the Church who successfully exert themselves to correct doctrinal and practical errors, and to
promote the scriptural administration of ordinances, discipline, and government. Thus, the
progress of corruption is arrested, the beauty of Christianity is restored, and the glory of God,
and the religious, and even civil, interests of men are promoted.
3. It is the duty of us all, according to our several places and stations, to do what we can to
reform whatever abuses may exist in the Church in our own times.
4. Let this purification of the temple lead us to seek the purification of our own hearts.
5. In all we attempt for the benefit of others, or of ourselves, let us imitate the zeal which our
Master displayed on this occasion. To be useful to man, or acceptable to God, we must be deeply
in earnest — we must have the Spirit of Christ in this respect. Neither fear, nor shame, nor sinful
inclination should restrain us in such cases.
(James Foote, M. A.)
Christ's indignation aroused by irreverence
Canon Liddon.In contemplating this action we are at first sight startled by its peremptoriness. "Is
this," we say to ourselves — "is this He who is called the Lamb of God? He of whom prophecy
said that He should neither strive nor cry; He who said of Himself, "Come to Me; I am meek and
lowly of heart"? Is there not some incongruity between that meek and gentle character and those
vehement acts and words. No, my brethren, there is no incongruity. As the anger which is
divorced from meekness is but unsanctified passion, so the false meekness which can never
kindle at the sight of wrong into indignation, is closely allied, depend upon it, to moral collapse.
One of the worst things that the inspired Psalmist can find it in his heart to say of a man is,
"Neither doth he abhor anything that is evil." Bishop Butler has shown that anger, being a part of
our natural constitution is intended by our Maker to be excited, to be exercised upon certain

legitimate objects; and the reason why anger is as a matter of fact generally sinful is, because it is
generally wielded, not by our sense of absolute right and truth, but by our self-love, and,
therefore, on wrong and needless occasions. Our Lord's swift indignation was just as much a part
of His perfect sanctity as was His silent meekness in the hour of His passion. We may dare to say
it, that He could not, being Himself, have been silent m that temple court, for that which met His
eye was an offence first against the eighth commandment of the Decalogue. The money brokers
were habitually fraudulent. But then this does not explain His treatment of the sellers of the
doves, which shows that He saw in the whole transaction an offence against the first and second
commandments. All irreverence is really, when we get to the bottom of it, unbelief. The first
great truth that we know is the solitary supremacy of the Eternal God; the second, which is its
consequence, the exacting character of His love. God is said, in the second commandment, to be
a "jealous God."
(Canon Liddon.)
Christ dealt immediately with wrong
J. Parker, D. D.What He might have done! He might have said, "Well, this temple will one day,
and that day not far distant, be thrown down. I shall not interfere with this abuse now, because in
the natural order of things it will be overturned along with this structure." Jesus Christ did not
know what it was to trifle so. I don't know that Jesus Christ knew the meaning of the word
expediency, as we sometimes prostitute it. He saw wrong. If that wrong would in five minutes
work itself out, that was no consideration to Him. Meanwhile, to Him five minutes was eternity!
(J. Parker, D. D.)
The cleansing of the temple
H. Goodwin, M. A.I shall endeavour to call your attention to one or two of the most marked
features. And in the first place, I would bid you notice our blessed Lord's zeal, that zeal of which
the Psalmist said, speaking prophetically, "the zeal of Thine house hath even eaten me" (Psalm
69:9).
2. But again, the conduct of our Lord shows us the reverence that is due to God's house. The
Jewish temple was emphatically a "house of prayer," it was a place where God had promised His
special presence to those who came to worship. And there are some things which, like oxen and
sheep, are things not clean enough to be brought into the temple of God; all evil feelings, and
pride, and unkindness, and envy, and self-conceit, and other wicked emotions may not be
brought into God's temple; they must be driven out with scourges, they must not be tolerated.
Then also there are some things which, like the doves, though pure in themselves, have no
business in the temple of God; the cares of this world, things necessarily engaging our attention
at other times, may not enter these doors: God's church is intended to be as it were a little
enclosed spot where worldly things may not enter. But again, the tables of moneychangers must
not be here; this is no place for thoughts of gain, it is a profanation of God's temple to bring them
here. And, lastly, Christian brethren, we cannot but be reminded, by our Lord's cleansing of the
temple in the days of His flesh, of that awful cleansing of His temple which will one day take
place, when all that is vile and offensive shall be cast out of His temple, and everything that
maketh a lie cast into the lake of brimstone.
(H. Goodwin, M. A.)
The Louse of prayer

G. M. Merry.I. Our first inquiry is — WHAT IS OUR LORD'S VIEW AS TO THE PURPOSE
AND END WHICH HE DESIGNS HIS EARTHLY TEMPLES TO SERVE? And this is the
answer — "My house is the house of prayer." He calls us here to pray. The work to which He
sets us in the sanctuary is mainly devotional.
1. As first, that common or united prayer is needful for man. Prayer itself is almost an instinct of
nature. Man must worship. And he must worship in company; he must pray with others.
2. Another observation which the Divine idea in regard to the earthly sanctuary suggests is, that
common or united prayer is acceptable to God.
3. Common or united prayer is efficacious to obtain Divine gifts. Otherwise, God would not
assign to it so foremost a position in the worship of the sanctuary.
II. MAN'S DEPARTURE FROM THIS DIVINE IDEA ABOUT THE HOUSE OF GOD ON
EARTH. "Ye have made it a den of thieves." There is man's perversion of God's design. You
know, of course, what the particular sin was which these words of our Lord were intended to
reprove. It was the appropriation on the part of these Jews of a portion of the temple enclosure to
purposes of worldly barter. This was the way in which the Jewish people lost sight of the Divine
idea in regard to their temple. And though it is not possible for men now to commit precisely the
same offence, I fear it would not be difficult to trace a corresponding sin, even in the present
altered condition of the church. It is possible now to desecrate sacred places and offices to
purposes of worldly gain. It is possible to make a traffic of spiritual functions and emoluments.
But, my friends, these are not the only things in which a departure from God's idea about His
sanctuary may be marked now. There are others, of another complexion and character, it is true,
but not the less to be reprehended. It is to these that I would more especially call your attention.
1. Let me say, then, that some pervert God's idea by making the house of prayer a house of
preaching. With them the sermon is almost everything. They are impatient of all else to get to
that. Prayers, and lessons, and psalms, and creeds, are all just to be endured as a sort of
preliminary to that.
2. I remark again, that some depart from God's intention with respect to the sanctuary by making
the house of prayer "a house of mere Sunday resort." They must pass the day somewhere; they
must get through it somehow, and so, as it is customary, and seemly, and respectable, they will
go to church. They are as well there, they think, as anywhere else; but, alas! this is all.
3. I remark, in the next place, that some pervert this design by making the house of prayer "a
house of formal service." Their service is no more than lip service.
(G. M. Merry.)
"My house is the house of prayer
A. McEwen.Nor are there wanting examples, in all succeeding ages, of the conscientious and
religious regularity with which the faithful ever attended the public means of grace. Thus, for
example, "Zacharias and Elizabeth walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless." The just and devout Simeon "waited for the consolation of Israel, and came by the
Spirit into the temple of the Lord." These, so striking examples of such excellent men, and the
uniform and continuous practice of the faithful in all ages, show that the public worship of God
is an institution of Divine authority. That there is a God is the first suggestion of unassisted
reason, and that God ought to be worshipped is the foundation and first principle of all religion.
Accordingly, we have reason to believe, that public worship began with the beginning of the

world, and that it has been continued and maintained in all countries and in all times, and under
every form of religion that man has devised or God instituted. The ancient Jews for example,
dedicated a seventh part of their time to the service and worship of God. We may also remark,
that, from the earliest ages, not only particular times, but also particular places, were set apart
and consecrated to these sacred services. In the darkest times of heathen idolatry, when there
were "gods many, and lords many," magnificent temples were built, stately altars erected, costly
sacrifices offered, solemn rites celebrated, and the elegant arts of painting and sculpture, poesy
and music, were called into the service of dumb idols. In after times, when the children of Israel
were in the wilderness, and had no fixed nor settled abode, the tabernacle was erected by God's
special command, and richly endowed with sacred utensils and ornaments for His solemn
worship.
I. PUBLIC WORSHIP IS CALCULATED TO DISPLAY THE GLORY OF GOD. As the court
of an earthly monarch derives its dignity from the splendour and number of its attendants, so the
church, "the court of the Lord," shows forth the majesty of the Most High by its multitudes of
humble worshippers.
II. PUBLIC WORSHIP IS ALSO CALCULATED TO PROMOTE AND PERPETUATE THE
PRACTICE OF PURE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION. Prayer kindles and keeps up the spirit of
piety in the soul. And if the "house of prayer "be thus holy, how great should be the purity of
those who frequent it? Here, again, let the royal Psalmist be our director, "Praise is comely for
the upright."
(A. McEwen.)
The house of prayer
Canon Liddon."My house is the house of prayer." This is as true of that portion of the holy body
which we call the Church visible or militant as it is of the rest. The object of the visible Church is
not solely philanthropic, although the Church's duty is to do good unto all men, specially to them
that are of the household of faith. It is not solely the moral perfection of its members, although
the purification to Himself of a peculiar people zealous of good works was certainly a main
object of its founder; still less is it the prosecution of inquiry or speculation, however interesting
about God, because we already know all that we ever really shall know in this state about Him.
We have on our lips and in our hearts the faith that was once delivered to the saints. This temple,
visible and invisible, is thus organized by its Divine founder throughout earth and heaven to be a
whole of ceaseless communion with God; and as its heavenly members never, never for one
moment cease in their blessed work, so by prayers, broken though they be and interrupted — by
prayers and intercessions, by thanksgiving and praise, private and public, mental and vocal, the
holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Him who is the common centre of light and
love to all its members, whether on this side the veil or beyond it. Into this temple also there
sometimes intrudes that which moves the anger of the Son of Man, for this spiritual society has
its place among men. It is in the world, although not of it, and it thus sometimes admits within its
courts that which cannot bear the glance of the All-Holy. And especially is this apt to be the case
when the Church of Christ has been for many ages bound up with the life and history of a great
nation, and is, what we call in modern language, established — that is to say, recognized by the
State, and secured in its property and position by legal enactments. I am far from denying that
this state of things is or may be a very great blessing, that it secures to religion a prominence and
a consideration among the people at large, which would else be wanting to it, that it visibly
asserts before men the true place of God as the ruler and guide of national destiny; but it is also

undeniable that such a state of things may bring with it danger from which less favoured
churches escape. To be forewarned, let us trust, is to be forearmed; but whenever it happens to a
great Church, or to its guiding minds, to think more of the secular side of its position than they
think of the spiritual — more, it may be, of a seat in the Senate and of high social rank than of
the work of God among the people; if, in order to save income and position in times of real or
supposed peril, there is any willingness to barter away the safeguards of the faith, or to silence
the pleadings of generosity and justice in deference to some uninstructed clamour, then be sure
that, unless history is at fault as well as Scripture, we may listen for the footfalls of the Son of
Man on the outer threshold of the temple, and we shall not long listen in vain. Churches are
disestablished and disendowed to the eye of sense, through the action of political parties; to the
eye of faith by His interference who ordereth all things both in heaven and in earth, and who
rules at this moment on the same principles as those which of old led Him to cleanse His Father's
temple in Jerusalem.
(Canon Liddon.)
God's house a house of prayer
Canon Liddon."My house shall be called the house of prayer." Here is a law for the furniture and
equipment; here is a definition of the object and purpose of a material Christian church. There
are great differences, no doubt, between the Jewish Temple and a building dedicated to Christian
worship; but over the portals of each there might be traced with equal propriety the words, "My
house shall be called the house of prayer." No well-instructed, no really spiritual Christian thinks
of his parish church mainly or chiefly as a place for hearing sermons. Sermons are of great
service, especially when people are making their first acquaintance with practical Christianity,
and they occupy so great a place in the Acts of the Apostles, because they were of necessity the
instrument with which the first teachers of Christianity made their way among unconverted Jews
and heathens. Nay, more, since amid the importunities of this world of sense and time the soul of
man is constantly tending to close its eyes to the unseen, to the dangers which so on every side
beset it, to the pre-eminent claims of its Redeemer and its God, sermons which repeat with
unwearying earnestness the same solemn certainties about God and man, about the person, and
work, and gifts of Christ, about life and death, about the fleeting present and the endless future,
are a vital feature in the activity of every Christian Church, a means of calling the unbelieving
and the careless to the foot of the cross, a means of strengthening and edifying the faithful. Still,
if a comparison is to be instituted between prayers and sermons, there ought not to be a moment's
doubt as to the decision; for it is not said, "My house shall be called a house of preaching," but
"My house shall be called the house of prayer." Surely it is a much more responsible act, and, let
me add, it is a much greater privilege, to speak to God, whether in prayer or praise, than to listen
to what a fellow-sinner can tell you about Him; and when a great congregation is really joining
in worship, when there is a deep spiritual, as it were an electric, current of sympathy traversing a
vast multitude of souls as they make one combined advance to the foot of the eternal throne,
then, if we could look at these things for a moment with angels' eyes, we should see something
infinitely greater, according to all the rules of a true spiritual measurement, than the effect of the
most eloquent and the most persuasive of sermons. "My house shall be called the house of
prayer" is a maxim for all time, and if this be so, then all that meets the eye, all that falls upon the
ear within the sacred walls, should be in harmony with this high intention, should be valued and
used only with a view to promoting it. Architecture, painting, mural decoration, and the like, are
only in place when they lift the soul upwards towards the invisible, when they conduct it swiftly

and surely to the gate of the world of spirits, and then themselves retire from thought and from
view. Music the most pathetic, the most suggestive, is only welcome in the temples of Christ,
when it gives wings to spiritualized thought and feeling, when it promotes the ascent of the soul
to God. If these beautiful arts detain men on their own account, to wonder at their own intrinsic
charms, down among the things of sense; if we are thinking more of music than of Him whose
glory it heralds, more of the beauty of form and colour than of Him whose Temple it adorns, then
be sure we are robbing God of His glory, we are turning His Temple into a den of thieves. No
error is without its element of truth, and jealousy on this point was the strength of Puritanism,
which made it a power notwithstanding its violence, notwithstanding its falsehood. And as for
purely secular conversations within these walls, how unworthy are they in view of our
Redeemer's words! Time was, under the first two Stuarts, when the nave of the old St. Paul's was
a rendezvous for business, for pleasure, for public gossiping, so that Evelyn the diarist, lamenting
the deplorable state to which the great church was reduced, says that it was already named a den
of thieves. Is it too much to say that the Redeemer was not long in punishing the desecration of
His Temple? First there came the axes and hammers of the rebellion, and then there came the
swift tongues of fire in 1660, and the finest cathedral that England ever saw went its way. Would
that in better times we were less constantly unmindful of the truth that its successor is neither a
museum of sculpture nor yet a concert-room, and that He whose house it is will not be robbed of
His rights with permanent impunity.
(Canon Liddon.)
The regenerate soul is a house of prayer
Canon Liddon."My house shall be called the house of prayer." This is true of every regenerate
soul. When it is in a state of grace the soul of man is a temple of the Divine presence. "If any
man love Me, and will keep My words, My Father will love him, and we will come unto him and
make our abode with him." Christ's throne within the soul enlightens the understanding, and
kindles the affections, and braces the will, and while He thus from His presence-chamber in this
His spiritual palace, issues His orders hour by hour to its thinking and acting powers, He receives
in return the homage of faith and love, a sacrifice which they delight to present to Him. So it is
with God's true servants, but alas! my brethren, if you and I compare notes, what shall we say?
Even when we desire to pray we find ourselves in the outer court of the soul surrounded all at
once with the tables of the money-changers, and with the seats of the men who sell the doves.
Our business, with all its details, follows us in the churches, follows us into our private
chambers, follows us everywhere into the presence of our God. Our preparations for religious
service, the accidents of our service, occupy the attention which is due to the service itself.
Sometimes, alas! we do not even try to make the very first steps towards real prayer, and steps
which ordinary natural reverence would suggest; we lounge, we look about us, just as though
nothing in the world were of less importance than to address the Infinite and Eternal God. But
sometimes, alas! we do close the eyes, we do bend the knee, we try to put force upon the soul's
powers and faculties, and to lead them forth one by one, and then collectively to the footstool of
the King of kings; when, lo! they linger over this memory or that, they are burdened with this or
that load of care, utterly foreign to the work in hand. They bend, it is true, in an awkward sort of
way in the sacred presence beneath, not their sense of its majesty, not their sense of the love and
the beauty of God, but the vast and incongruous weight of worldliness which prevents their
realizing it. And when a soul is thus at its best moments fatally troubled and burdened about
many things, God in His mercy bides His time; He cleanses the courts of a Temple which He has

predestined to be His for ever, He cleanses it in His own time and way; He sends some sharp
sorrow which sweeps from the soul all thoughts save one, the nothingness, the vanity of all that
is here below; and so He forces that soul to turn by one mighty, all-comprehending act to
Himself, who alone can satisfy it; or He lays a man upon a bed of sickness, leaving the mind
with all its powers intact, but stripping from the body all the faculties of speech and motion, and
then through the long, weary hours the man is turned in upon himself; and if there is any hope for
him at all, if at that critical moment he is at all alive.to the tender pleadings of the All-merciful,
he will with his own hands cleanse the temple; he sees the paltriness of the trifles that have kept
him back from his chiefest, from his only good; he expels first one and then another unworthy
intruder upon the sacred ground. The scourge is sharp, the resistance it may be persevering; the
hours are long, and they are weary, but the work is done at last.
(Canon Liddon.)
Irreverence rebukedWhen Walter Hook (afterwards Dean of Chichester) was Vicar of Coventry,
he was once presiding at a vestry meeting which was so largely attended as to necessitate an
adjournment to the church. Several persons kept their hats on. The vicar requested them to take
them off, but they refused. "Very well, gentlemen," He replied, "but remember that in this house
the insult is not done to me, but to your God." The hats were immediately taken off.
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Received him joyfully.—The joy is significant as
implying previous yearning, a desire for communion with the new Teacher, the wish to sit at His
feet and drink in the words of eternal life.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary19:1-10 Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like
Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to
Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He
that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble
themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him.
Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be
justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God,
show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is
turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the
power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ
comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His
design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him
not, and asked not for him.

Barnes' Notes on the BibleAbide at thy house - Remain there, or put up with him. This was an
honor which Zacchaeus did not expect. The utmost, it seems, which he aimed at was to see Jesus;
but, instead of that, Jesus proposed to remain with him, and to give him the benefit of his
personal instruction. It is but one among a thousand instances where the Saviour goes, in
bestowing mercies, far beyond the desert, the desire, or the expectation of men; and it is not
improper to learn from this example that solicitude to behold the Saviour will not pass unnoticed
by him, but will meet with his warm approbation, and be connected with his blessing. Jesus was
willing to encourage efforts to come to him, and his benevolence prompted him to gratify the
desires of the man who was solicitous to see him. He does not disdain the mansions of the rich
any more than he does the dwelling-places of the poor, provided there be a humble heart; and he
did not suppose there was "less" need of his presence in order to save in the house of the rich
man than among the poor. He set an example to all his ministers, and was not afraid or ashamed
to proclaim his gospel amid wealth. He was not awed by external splendor or grandeur.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary6. joyfully—Whence this so sudden "joy" in the
cold bosom of an avaricious publican? The internal revolution was as perfect as instantaneous.
"He spake and it was done." "Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the
dumb sing" (Isa 35:6).
Matthew Poole's Commentary Curiosity carried Zacchaeus up, but love to Christ bringeth him
down; he therefore makes haste to come down, and he receiveth Christ joyfully, glad to entertain
such a guest. When Christ cometh to any soul, he never brings any sorrow to it, nor any thing but
glad tidings.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he made haste,.... Such power went along with the
words of Christ, that they immediately reached his heart, awakened his conscience, affected his
mind, and drew his soul to Christ, and knit him to him, that be made all imaginable haste to be
with him. So souls sensible of their dangerous state and condition by nature, and apprehensive of
impending ruin and destruction, and having some intimation of safety and happiness in Christ,
and being filled with love to him, and a liking of him flee with all haste to him for refuge, for
righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation:
and came down; from the tree he had climbed, merely to indulge his curiosity, little thinking that
he should be called by name by him; that he should have him a guest at his house, and have such
a knowledge of him, and familiar acquaintance with him: so souls, when called by Christ, and
made sensible of their need of him, and the worth there is in him, quit their former post and
place, part with their carnal lusts and sinful companions, and renounce their own righteousness
and works, and come as sinners, humble and lowly, and venture upon Christ:
and received him joyfully; not only into his house, but into his arms and heart: Christ was a
welcome guest to him, as he is to every sensible sinner, who by faith receives him, as the Father's
free gift; as the alone Saviour and Redeemer; as the great Mediator, in all his offices, of prophet,
priest, and king; and in every relation and character he bears; and embraces his doctrines, and
submits to his ordinances, and that with, the greatest joy; as there is reason for it, since with him,
he receives the free and full forgiveness of his sins, a justifying righteousness, an abundance of
grace, and a right unto, and meetness for heaven.
Geneva Study BibleAnd he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. joyfully] This public honour done by the Messiah
to one so despised by all classes of his countrymen, ennobled him with a new feeling of
happiness and self-respect.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
JESUS JOYFULLY RECEIVED NO. 2701
A SERMON INTENDEDFOR READING ON LORD’S-DAY, NOVEMBER
18, 1900. DELIVERED BYC. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN
TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD’S-DAYEVENING, OCTOBER
16, 1881.
“He…receivedHim joyfully.” Luke 19:6.
THIS morning [Sermon #1624, Volume 27—WELCOME!WELCOME!], I
showedyou, dear friends, how joyfully Jesus receives sinners—howHe
welcomes them—how gladHe is to find those whom He came to seek and to
save. From this text, it appears that, when sinners receive Jesus, they receive
Him joyfully, so that there is joy on both sides. It is a joyful business
altogether;the Savior is glad to save, and the sinner is glad to be saved. I
know which of the two has the greaterjoy, for it is always more blessedto give
than to receive;and the great heart of Jesus, in its infinite benevolence, is
conscious ofa rarer joy than even the savedsinner canexperience. It is a
delight to Him to save;so great is His joy that He cannot contain it all within

His own heart, and He represents Himself as calling togetherHis friends and
neighbors, and saying to them, “Rejoicewith Me;for I have found My sheep
which was lost.” But when the two seas meet—the sea ofthe savedone’s
gladness and the sea of the Savior’s joy—what blessedfloods they make!How
the dancing waves claptheir hands with delight! Surely, joy on earth then
becomes more than on any other occasionparallelwith the joy in heaven.
Such joy before the Lord is “according to the joy in harvest;” and such days
are “as the days of heaven upon the earth.” How earnestly, then, you and I
ought to seek to bring men to Christ! This is the best method of making joy in
this sincursedworld. This is the surestway of plucking up the thorns and the
thistles that sin has sown, and of making the myrtle and the rose to grow
instead thereofaccording to that ancient promise: “You shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:the mountains and the hills shall break forth
before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands”—
even before you who are the means of reconciling men to their Maker, and of
bringing sinners to their Savior. This joyous time of receiving Christ is the
turning point in character, and it is also one of the tests of destiny. By this sign
shall you discern between the men predestinated unto eternallife and those
who have no share in the divine decree. He that receives Christ thereby proves
that he is Christ’s; but he that receives Him not shall surely perish as the
result of his willful rejectionof the Savior. The gospelis, after all, the great
fan that winnows the chaff from the wheat; it separatesthe precious from the
vile, even as Christ said to the Jews, “Youbelieve not, because youare not of
My sheep.” Whetheror no you will receive Christ when He comes your way,
is the all-important matter for eachone of you to decide. If your door is shut
when He is passing by He may never come your way again. But if, when He
bids you come to Him, as He bade Zacchaeus make haste, and come down,
you receive Him with alacrity, opening the door of your heart that He may
enter in, then shall you prove that you are His, that you are among those who
are the blessedof the Lord, and who shall be blessedworld without end. So
this matter of the receptionof Christ is, as I called it just now, all-important;
and I want to press it upon eachunsaved person here with the urgent desire
and the confident hope that some, like Zacchaeus, willreceive Christ joyfully.
This passagealso teaches us that, often, the most unlikely persons are the first
to receive the Savior. I should have said, and you would all have agreedwith

me, that the leastlikely personin the city of Jericho to receive Christ into his
house was this rich little tax-gathererZacchaeus—this manwhom all the
people dislikedso much that, when Christ went to his house, “they all
murmured, saying, that He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”
Yet he was the one person in that place who did entertain the Lord Jesus
Christ; and many a time since has Christ been shut out of goodmen’s doors,
or the doors of those who have reckonedthemselves as goodmen; but He has
found shelter within the gates ofsin
2 Jesus Joyfully ReceivedSermon#2701
2 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 46
ners, and such sinners as have been reputed among men to be utterly given
over and hopeless. Iwould not pick my congregationevenif I might do so; I
would much rather that they should come, as they do come, by God’s choice
and constraint; for the man whom I might think most likely to be blessed
would probably pass the blessing by; and he whom we, in our poor, feeble
judgment, might expect to be the last to receive the Savior, might turn out to
be the first, the most willing, and the most joyful receiverof Him. I cannottell,
therefore, who among you will take the Savior in; I wish I could hope that all,
who have not yet done so, would do it before the sermon ends. He is such a
wondrous Guestthat you may all entertain Him at the same moment; and He
can come to eachone’s heart, He may be the Guest of everyone who is a
sinner, and yet eachsinner who receives Him shall find that a whole Christ
has come into his heart. Let me also add that, sometimes very strange
motives may bring people where they will be led to receive the Savior. I need
not allude to Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree, or only just allude to it in
passing;but many a person has come into the house of God, out of the idlest
curiosity, or to oblige a friend, or to while awayan hour. RowlandHill used to
say that there were some people who made a cloak of religion; and when they
ran into Surrey Chapel, on a wet day, to shelter from the rain, he used to add,
“and there are some who make an umbrella of it.” It is just so still; people are
influenced by all sorts of motives; harmless motives, vain motives, foolish
motives, even condemnable motives have brought persons where Jesus Christ
has been passing by; and so have been the occasionofChrist’s entering into

hearts which otherwise had been closedto Him. It may be so with some of you
who are here; perhaps you hardly expectedto be here, and you scarcelyknow
why you came. Yet it was written in the book of destiny that, this night, you
should either acceptChrist as your Savior, or you should be willfully guilty of
shutting the door of your heart in His face. Godgrant that it may not be that
latter action; but may you say to Him, “Come in, blessedSavior. Let salvation
come, in Your person, to my house and heart, this very hour; then will I
rejoice while You shall rejoice also.” Thus have I introduced to you the text:
“He receivedHim joyfully.” Now I want to say to you, with regard to the
receptionof the Savior, that He is not here corporeally, physically, for He has
gone back into glory, to sit at the right hand of the Father; but He is here
spiritually according to His promise, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world.” He enters freely into men’s hearts, but He cannotnow be
receivedcorporeallyinto your houses, nor canHe sit at your tables, and
partake of your feasts;but He can, by His Spirit, enter into your hearts; and
He can spiritually dwell there, and make a temple of your bodies, and reign
there, finding a happy abode within your renewednature. I. Now, if you
would receive Him, I wish to call your attention, first, to the fact that, in order
to salvation, THERE MUST BE A PERSONALRECEPTION OF A
PERSONALCHRIST:“He receivedHim joyfully.” There you have two
persons both present. “He”—thatis, Zacchaeus—“receivedHim”— that is,
Christ—“joyfully.” That looks very simple, yet there is a greatdepth of truth
in it, as I will try to show you. For, first, there are some persons, who suppose
that, in order to be saved, they are to receive a creed. That is quite true; you
are to have a creed, and I urge you to take heed what you believe. Go to the
law and to the testimony, and believe nothing but what is in the Word of God.
But I pray you to also recollectthata man may receive the soundest creedin
Christendom, and yet be damned. He may believe, as a matter of head
knowledge, allthat should be believed; and yet, for all that, he may not believe
anything with his heart, and so may perish. I believe that the devil is orthodox.
In all that he says, he usually seems to propound either the truth or something
which shows that he knows what the truth is; yet, though, in that sense, he
believes, and even goes as far as trembling, the devil is not changedin heart,
nor will he be savedby what he believes. It is not receiving a creedwhich
saves you; it is receiving a Personinto your heart’s love. It is not written in

our text, “He receivedit,” but, “He receivedHim.” Mark that: “He received
Him joyfully.” Again, salvation comes not through receiving an ordinance, or
ordinances, howevercorrector Scriptural they may be. It is not said,
“Zacchaeusreceivedbaptism;” or, “Zacchaeus receivedthe communion.” I do
not doubt that Zacchaeus did receive both ordinances;but it was not said to
him, “This day is salvationcome to your house because youhave receivedthe
sacraments.”No;salvationcame to him when he receivedChrist, when that
blessedand Divine Personcrossedthe threshold of his heart, and was
welcomedas He installed Himself in the affections of the rich tax-gatherer. It
was then that he was saved;and, beloved, if you are to be saved, Christ must
come in a similar fashion into your under
Sermon #2701 Jesus JoyfullyReceived3
Volume 46 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 3
standings and your hearts. Salvation comes, notthrough ordinances, however
Scripturally and correctlythey may be observed; it is Christ, and Christ
alone, who cansave your soul. It must be with you as it was with Zacchaeus
when “he receivedHim joyfully.” Furthermore, it was not even the doctrine
of Christ that Zacchaeus onthis occasionreceived, though he did receive the
doctrine of Christ, and learned of Christ, and became His disciple; but, first,
he receivedChrist; and, then, he receivedChristianity. Beware, I pray you, of
being like many nominal Christians who know not Christ. Beware ofthat
Christianity from which Christ has been eliminated. You must first receive
the Master, orelse it is idle to be associatedwith His servants. You may say
that you belong to His Church; but if you are not joined to the Head, what will
it avail you to claim to be in the body? If you are not vitally united to the Lord
so as to become one spirit with Him, of what service will it be to you that you
are reckonedamong His followers, and that your names are written on an
earthly church roll? Zacchaeus receivedChrist Himself, and this is the all-
important saving matter: “he receivedHim.” How did he receive Him? He
receivedChrist as his Guest, and entertained Him. Will you so receive
Christ—giving Him your heart, your love, yourself—letting Him come and
find meat and drink for His love within your souls? I beg you to admit Him
thus. Behold, He stands at the door of your heart, and knocks;again, and

again, and again, with gentle hand knocking at the door, does He seek an
entrance. Oh, open your heart to Him, and let Him be your Guestthis very
hour! But, further, Zacchaeus receivedChrist as his Lord. Notice what he
said: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have
takenanything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
That is the way in which you also must receive Christ as your Masterand
Lord. In so doing, Zacchaeus also admittedChrist as His Savior, for Jesus
said, “This day is salvationcome to this house.” You will think it strange, but
I have known some who have calledJesus “Lord,” who have not owned Him
as their Savior. Thank God, it is changedwith them now; but I did know
some, who came to this house, who honored and worshipped Christ according
to the light they had, yet they did not understand their need of Him, nor did
they acceptHim as their Savior. As I said, just now, this has all been changed
with them; and so must it be with any of you who would truly receive Christ.
If you do not acceptHim in His characteras Savior, you virtually rejectHim
altogether, since He cannever be separatedfrom the merit of His blood, and
the love of His heart towards guilty sinners. What! Would you have an
unwounded Christ—an unbleeding Christ—a Christ that never died for men?
There is no such Christ as that exceptin fiction; the Christ of reality “is come
to seek and to save that which was lost;” and in that characterHe must be
receivedby us also if He is receivedat all. II. Now I pass on to notice that
THE RECEPTIONOF CHRIST, TO BE REAL, MUST IN EVERY CASE
BE VOLUNTARY. Willingly, Zacchaeus “made haste, and came down, and
receivedHim joyfully.” That joyful reception of Christ shows the willingness
of Zacchaeus;it proves how cheerfully, how gladly, how willingly—the words
all carry the same sense—how joyfully, with the full freedom of his will, he
receivedthe Savior. Observe that the callof grace does not hinder this
willing reception. There was a previous call of grace:“Zacchaeus,make haste,
and come down; for today I must abide at your house;” but, although that call
was graciouslypowerful, and, in a gospelsense, irresistible, yetit did not
interfere with the free agencyof Zacchaeus so as to make him unwillingly
receive the Savior. No; he cheerfully, joyfully, receivedChrist as the result of
that call. Here is where many people make a greatmistake. They fancy that
we, who preach effectualcalling, make out that men are like logs of woodor
carved images—deadthings that are dragged or drawn about without any

reference to their ownwill. We teach nothing of the kind. We preachthat men
are intelligent, responsible agents, and that the omnipotent grace of Godin
which we firmly believe, and our belief in which we are never ashamedto
declare, nevertheless exerts itselfin a way and manner suitable to the free
agencyof these human beings, so that grace gets the victory; but, at the same
time, a man acts as a man. Zacchaeus is not draggeddown from the tree by an
angelwho lays hold of the nape of his neck, and throws him down againsthis
will; and the door of his house does not open by magic; but the man comes
down from the tree, in the ordinary way, by the exercise ofhis own will and
power, and he opens the door of his home for Christ to enter; yet, secretly, in
his heart there was a powerother than his own which was moving him to act
as he did. This may not be easyto understand or to explain in words; but it is
easyenough in actuallife. It is plainly seenin the lives of those who are
convertedto Christ. Nobody will saythat Zacchaeus did not as freely let
Christ
into his house as ever he had performed any action in his life. In fact, he never
had put so much heart into anything he had ever done as he did into that act
of receiving Christ. “He made haste, and came down, and receivedHim
joyfully.” He was glad to do it; he cheerfully yielded obedience to the divine
command. And, dear friends, you and I must receive Christ cheerfully,
willingly, voluntarily, or else we have not really receivedHim at all. Christ
will not force Himself into any man’s house, and sit there againstthe man’s
will. That would not be the action of a guest, but of an unwelcome intruder.
Christ will not come in, as it were, mailed and armed, to forcibly take
possessionofany man’s soul; but what He does is gently change the bias of
our will so that we willingly invite Him to enter our heart. We constrainHim
to come in, and to dwell with us; we say to Him, “Abide with us;” and not only
are we willing to have Christ, but we are anxious and desirous to have Him.
To get Him, we would, if necessary, sellall that we have. To keepHim, we
would lay down our very lives, for that which once seemedundesirable to us,
is now the height of our ambition, the very core and centerof our highest

desire. “He made haste, and came down, and receivedHim joyfully.” His
whole heart went with his receptionof Christ. What do you say, dear friend?
Will you now receive Christ joyfully? Will you willingly receive Him? I know
you will if you truly feel your need of Him, and if you realize how exactly He
meets that need. I know you will gladly receive Him if you understand what
blessings come in His train—what wealth of happiness and joy He gives to the
heart in which He condescends to dwell. You will say to Him, “My Lord, now
do I repent most sorrowfully that I ever resistedYou; and, made willing in the
day of Your power, I fling open the doors of my heart, and cry, ‘Come in;
come in; come in; dwell with me from now on, and go no more out forever.’”
After Christ has been receivedinto the heart, everything else will have to be
done cheerfully and voluntarily. He did not command Zacchaeus to give the
half of his goods to the poor; but, spontaneously, as soonas Christ came in,
Zacchaeus said, ofhis own accord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give
to the poor.” No ordinance to this effecthad proceededfrom the Savior’s lips:
“Zacchaeus, youmust restore fourfold to all whom you have wronged.” No;
but gladly, out of the fullness of his renewedheart, he freely said, “If I have
takenanything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
This is the very essence oftrue religion; it is cheerful voluntariness. When a
man, who professes to be a Christian, begins to ask, “MustI do this?” or
“Must I do that?” he makes us stand in doubt concerning him. Believers in
Christ are not under the law, but under grace. The principle that rules us is
not, “Must I?” but “MayI?” It becomes to the believer a joy and a delight to
serve Christ; he is not floggedto his duty. The slave-driver’s whip and the
stocks are not for the freeborn citizens of the New Jerusalem. These things are
for men of the world, who will do nothing unless they are paid for it, one way
or the other. The dread of hell, or the hope of heaven—these are the only
motives that they recognize;but those who receive Christ dread no hell, for
they know that they can never go there. “He that believes on Him is not
condemned.” Such a man works not to obtain heaven; why should He?
Heaven is his already; in Christ Jesus, it is given to Him by a covenantwhich
cannot be broken. So now he sings— “Loved of my God, for Him again With
love intense I burn: Chosenof You ere time began, I choose Youin return.”
And this blessedvoluntariness, this joyous freedom of the will, conferred by
sovereigngrace, becomes the very life and soul of vital godliness. Do you

possessit, dear friend? If not, may Godthe Holy Spirit speedily give it to you!
If you have it, may He nurture it, and make it to increase within you; and so,
like Zacchaeus,whateveryou do, you may do it joyfully, cheerfully, as unto
the Lord! III. This brings me now to close with my third remark, which is,
that THE RECEPTION WHICH WE GIVE TO CHRIST MAY WELL BE A
JOYFUL ONE. To receive Christ into the heart, dear brethren and sisters,
ought not that to be as glad a thing as for a man to welcome his long-desired
bride, or his firstborn child, or to receive his estate when he comes to the
ripeness of manhood? Yes, more than that, ought it not to be as much joy to
receive Christ as to receive heavenitself, for would there be any heaven
possible if we had not first receivedChrist? Ring the bells of heaven, and ring
them yet again, for a soul has receivedChrist Jesus the Lord. It is the gladdest
event on earth, and it gives new joy even in heaven. See how the angels fly
upward from their various watching places to tell their brethren on yonder
battlements, that they may publish it in every golden
Sermon #2701 Jesus JoyfullyReceived5
Volume 46 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 5
street, “Another sinner has receivedChrist. Joy, joy forever!” These are the
things that make jubilees in heaven; when sinners receive their Savior, they
make glad rejoicing before the face of the Highest Himself. If I hear that a
certain person’s receptionof Christ had not much gladness in it, I am not
necessarilyled to suspectthe reality of it, though I wish he had receivedChrist
joyfully. When men receive the Word with gladness, if it is nothing but the
bare Word, I can understand that they may be like the rockyground which
receivedthe goodseed;but, after a while, for lack of depth and moisture, the
ground yielded not life enoughor nourishment enough for the seed, so it
withered away. But it is different when, instead of “it,” you read “Him.”: “he
receivedHim joyfully.” That is another matter altogether;for, if Christ is
receivedinto the soul, He will not die. If Jesus is taken into the heart, He will
not disappear, and go His way; but where He once comes, He abides forever.
So, let us have as much joy as we canconnectedwith our conversion;and let
us not, because ofthat gladness, questionits genuineness;but let us rather be
all the more sure that it is a true work of Christ’s grace because,like

Zacchaeus, we have receivedChrist joyfully. Think what joy there ought to
be in the heart that receives Christ into it. First of all, what an honor it is! O
poor lowly woman, or humble man, will the Lord of glory really come and
dwell in you? You are no queen, or prince, or philosopher; will the greatLord
of all dwell in your frail body, which is undecorated by costlydress, perhaps
unadorned by natural beauty? Has He indeed come down to dwell with you?
Then, you are indeed honored even above the angels, forwe never read that
Christ dwells in them. You ought to be indeed glad that the Lord has
permitted you to receive such an honor as this. Then, next, where Jesus
comes into the heart, He comes to put away all sin. Wherever Jesus is
received, all the guilt of the past is blotted out and gone, neverto be
remembered anymore. When you receive Christ, you receive full remission of
all your sin, every transgressiongoes into complete oblivion. Just think of
that, and tell me if it is not a joyous thing to receive Christ. Will you not, then,
like Zacchaeus,receive Christjoyfully? When you receive Christ, you also
receive the fountain of inward purity, the well-spring of cleansing which shall
overflow unto ultimate perfection. Receiving Christ, sin gets its death
warrant. Every buyer and sellerin the temple of your nature will have to go.
Everything receivedby false accusationwill have to be given up. Where Jesus
comes, the devil flies away, and angels come in with all their blessedtrain of
beauty and holiness. To receive Christ, is to drive out hell, and to let in
heaven; it is to end the darkness, andto begin the everlasting day. Then, shall
we not receive Him joyfully? Let me come close to you, and whisper a little
secretin your ear. Zacchaeus did not know it, and the parallel does not hold
goodwith his case,but it does with ours. There is greatcause for joy in
receiving Christ, because He will never go awayagain. When He once comes
into our heart, He claims the freehold of it; and, by a divine entail, holds
possessionofit againstall comers even to the end. I am not one of those who
believe that a man can be a child of God today and a child of the devil
tomorrow. Ah, no! When Christ, the strong Man armed, does really take
possessionofthe heart, a strongerthan He must come if He is to be driven
out; and there is no one strongerthan He is. Hell itself can find no power to
match the might of Him who died to save His people from their sins; and you
may depend upon it that He will fight for His own, and preserve His own, even
until He comes to take them to be with Him forever. Therefore, be gladwhen

Jesus comes into your heart, for it means salvation for you even unto the end.
And, further, it also means eternal glory; for He who thus comes into your
heart is the same Savior who prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom You
have given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which
You have given Me: for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Oh, yes! He will bring you safely home to glory. Admit Him, and He will keep
you here as His ownuntil sucha day as it shall please Him, and then He will
gently waft your soul awayto the better land where, transformed, and
rendered white as snow, He will still dwell in you, and walk in you, and you
shall be His people, and He will be your God. Oh, the bliss of admitting Christ
into the heart and life! There is nothing like it under heaven; and even heaven
itself can show nothing better than the joy of receiving Christ into one’s
inmost heart, for that is indeed heavenbegun below. So I will finish my
discourse by begging all of you who are gatheredtogetherhere, if you have
never yet receivedChrist, to receive Him now. Perhaps someone inquires,
“How can we receive Him?” Well, first, open the door which has hitherto been
closed. Be willing that He should come into your heart, to
rule your whole life. Next, stand at the door and invite Him to come in. By
earnestprayer, entreat Him to enter. Then, believe in Him; that is really to
receive Him, as John says, “As many as receivedHim, to them gave He power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” So that
believing on Him is receiving Him. It is trusting Him. You know what it is to
trust yourself wholly to the care of another. Just as you might, on some dark
night, when you had lostyour way on the moor, trust yourself entirely with a
guide who knew the way, even so trust yourself with Christ to lead you to His
Father, and He will do it. You have receivedHim when you have trusted Him.
O dear hearts, do receive my Master!BlessedSpirit, leadthem to do so, and
to do so at once! I admire Zacchaeus very much for one thing in which he
differed from a goodmany of you. You ask such a lot of questions, and when
you getthem answered, or if they are not answered, you ask so many more. If
Zacchaeus hadbeen like you, I canimagine how he would have satup in that

sycamore tree, and when Christ called out to him, “Make haste, andcome
down,” He would have said, “But,—;” and Jesus wouldhave listened, and
heard what he had to say, and answeredhim. Then he would have said again,
“But, Lord,—;” and there he might have stayed up in that sycamore tree, but
no blessing would have come to him. There are so many of you, who have
been, as it were, up a sycamore tree for years. You always wantto know more
than you ever will know. You seemto be very cleverat picking holes in the
gospel;you have wonderful skill in the art of trying how you candamn
yourselves;and you will do it, one of these days, unless God should prevent
you by His almighty grace. If you can, you even spoil the precious promises of
Scripture; you lay hold of one of God’s golden coins, and try to deface it. I
mean, that you take His promise, and then seek to getthe very life and soul
out of it—not that you may claim it for yourself, but in order to show that it
does not belong to you. I never yet heard of a man going to the law to prove
that a fortune was not his. Men are eagerenoughto gettemporal things; but
when you come to spiritual things, there are thousands of people who seem
only anxious to prove that they can never be saved. If I were in your place, I
would let the devil do that kind of work if he liked, it is very much to his taste;
but, as for you, do not have even a little finger in it. Look at Zacchaeus. I can
see him. As soonas ever Christ says to him, “Come down,” why, dear me, the
man is down before we can utter another word! And soonhe is at the door of
his house, and saying to the Master, “Come in, Lord, come in! Heartily do I
welcome You!” Now, then, go and do likewise;ask no more questions, but
make haste, and come down, and receive Christ joyfully. “But I want to know
this.” You shall know it when you have receivedChrist. “But am I one of His
elect?” I will answeryour question as soonas you receive Him. A good
Wesleyanbrother said to a Calvinistic friend down in Cornwall, “Now,
Malachi, I owe you these two pounds; but, before I pass them over, you must
tell me whether you are predestinated to have them.” Malachisaid, “Justput
the two pounds here, in the middle of my hand, and I will tell you directly.”
That was very sensible on the part of Malachi;and I sayto you—Do not be
asking about predestination or anything else, but just receive Christ; and
when you have acceptedHim, you may rest assuredthat He has given you
powerto become a sonof God. You have believed on His name, and therefore
you are saved. That is the all-important point. So, like Zacchaeus, make haste,

and come down, and receive Christ joyfully. The Lord grant that you may do
it; and unto His name shall be the praise forever and ever! Amen.
END BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
• /contributors/gaither-bailey-profile-12086?ref=SermonDetailsView all Sermons
Out On A Limb
Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Oct 31, 2019
/contributors/gaither-bailey-profile-
12086?ref=SermonDetails
(rate this sermon)
| 788 views
Scripture: Luke 19:1-10
Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed
Summary: This is a different look at the character of
Zacchaeus as portrayed in the gospel of Luke
Out On A Limb
Luke 19: 1 - 10
Intro: A fitness center offered $1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate that they were stronger
than the owner who would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass. He would then
hand the lemon to the challenger saying that he would pay $1,000 it they could squeeze another
drop into the glass. Many tried and failed. One day, a short, skinny guy tried. The owner grabbed
a lemon and squeeze away and then handed the lemon to the little man who clenched his fist
around the lemon and 6 drops fell into the glass. In amazement the owner asked what the man
did for a living. The little man replied, “I work for the IRS.” (Wee Lil May by Spencer Homan,
SermonCentral.com)
I Do you know why short people get mad so easily? They have a short fuse. Short people are the
only people in the world who are always looking up.
A I’ve heard it said that God only lets things grow until they’re perfect. Some people simply
don’t take as long as others.
B For the Christian, Zacchaeus is probably the best know short person. This story is only in Luke
who simply introduces him by saying, Vs. 2 – “A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus:”

C We fail to catch the significance of the name, Zacchaeus. The Hebrew root for the name means
“pure” or “acquitted one.”
II There are other interesting facts about Zacchaeus in this story.
A Luke tells us that he wasn’t just any tax collector. He was a chief tax collector and was
wealthy.
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Faith
M i n d
Knowledge
A c t i o n
Purpose
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B VS. 3 – “He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the
crowd.” Why?
C (The Greek word for “short” literally means “the body of an undeveloped child.) Was he
aware of the reputation of Jesus as a healer?
III VS 4 – “So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree . . .”
A At the time of Jesus grown men NEVER ran and the certainly would not climb a tree. This
was something an adult just didn’t do. But Zacchaeus was willing to go out on a limb for Jesus.
B VS. 8 “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.
C There are problems here with the tense of the verbs. They can be translated as present OR
future tense. Is it a confession to Jesus or a change of heart? We don’t know for sure.
Concl: One thing we do know by looking at verses 9 & 10. Jesus sees Zacchaeus for who he is,
A SON OF ABRAHAM who may have been wrongly condemned by society but is rightly
known to God.
Are there people in our society whom we may have unjustly accused, judged or overlooked?
This story teaches us that we are all God’s creations and God alone reserves the right to judge.
• /contributors/the-rev-deniray-mueller-profile-82793?ref=SermonDetailsView all Sermons

A Wee Little Man In A Tree
Contributed by The Rev Deniray Mueller on Oct 29,
2019 /contributors/the-rev-deniray-mueller-profile-
(rate this sermon)
| 1,487 views
Denomination: Episcopal
Summary: meeting with Jesus can and will change a
person's life
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He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a
chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the
crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore
tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked
up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So
he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He
has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of
anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has
come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out
and to save the lost." (Luke 19:1-10)
Last week we heard about the tax collector who was praying in the temple and how God accepts
honest prayers over those who pray so everyone can see how religious and good they are.
This week we hear about another tax collector. Zacchaeus was a tax collector – a very rich tax
collector.
Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector for the Roman government, and probably the most hated
man in all of Jericho. He was considered a traitor to his own people. He made money off his
neighbors; he collected taxes above what was required by Rome and kept the rest. Who would
make room for him in a crowd? Who would want to be seen with him?.
But he had heard about Jesus – that man who was going around the country preaching and
teaching God’s love for EVERYONE. And he was curious. . . he wondered who this man was
and why he called the dregs of society to himself.
But Zacchaeus was a very short man – very short. Someone you could never find in a crowd – so
short that he couldn’t even see over the shoulders of people in front of him. And that was a

problem; how would he ever be able to see this Jesus when he came to town? Crowds were
gathering, much like people watching a parade. . . and he could not see.
But, Zacchaeus found a solution:
Zacchaeus was a wee little man, A wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree For the Lord he wanted to see;
And as the Savior passed that way,
He looked up in the tree,
Zacchaeus you come down
For I’m going to your house today.
~ Pick One ~
H e a r t
Faith
M i n d
Knowledge
A c t i o n
Purpose

Zacchaeus you come down
For I’m going to your house today
For I’m going to your house today. (sung)
As Jesus passed by, He looked up in the tree and saw Zacchaeus – and told him to come down
because he was going to eat with him that day. . . what an amazing thing. Jesus, the Son of God,
was going to eat with a tax collector! Needless to say, the righteous citizens of Jericho were not
pleased that Jesus had chosen a SINNER to share a meal with.
But we know from Bible stories that Jesus was always meeting and eating with those that society
had thrown away or considered unworthy – prostitutes, criminals, lepers, and EVEN tax
collectors.
Zacchaeus instantly confesses his sins to Jesus – his greed and overcharging of the people of
Jericho. In fact, we hear that he not only is going to give half of all his possession to the poor but
also promises to repay those he cheated four times what he owed them. He had a complete
transformation of his life. He was changed forever when he met Jesus.
And we, too, are changed forever when we call upon Jesus, when we come out of the tree and
allow Jesus to touch us. Jesus enables us really to see, to see real people with real needs, real
opportunities to get involved. We see true beauty in others. We see the multitude of gifts God
has given us and our community.
Zacchaeus is forever changed from a taker into a giver. And Zacchaeus is not unique. We see it
over and over again. When Jesus finds a home with us, the result is a generous heart. Giving is a
joy, not a burden.

What’s given may be money, may be time, may be some ability that can be shared. But time and
time again, when Jesus plucks us out of our tree, we become givers, not takers; workers, not
watchers; people who serve, not observe.
Jesus isn’t just coming to In The Garden. Jesus is already here. And he may be looking up at us,
inviting us out of some safe, but lonely perch, and into the kingdom of God.
Are we going to come down out of the tree?
Are we going to let Jesus come to our house?
Are we going to let Jesus into our hearts?
Delivered at In The Garden, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH;
• A Little Man Meets A Big God Series
Contributed by Brian Bill on May 15, 2003
/contributors/brian-bill-profile-
based on 476 ratings (rate this sermon)
| 139,589 views
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: This morning we’re focusing on a high-ranking
IRS man named Zacchaeus who cheated not on his return,
but on everyone else’s. He had figured out a way to skim
some money off the top and squeeze the last drop from
people’s wallets. Jesus not only changed h
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• …
• 5
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A Little Man Meets a Big God

There’s a story about a local fitness center, which was offering $1,000 to anyone who could
demonstrate that they were stronger than the owner of the place. Here’s how it worked. This
muscle man would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and then hand the lemon
to the next challenger. Anyone who could squeeze just one more drop of juice out would win the
money.
Many people tried over time - other weightlifters, construction workers, even professional
wrestlers, but nobody could do it.
One day a short and skinny guy came in and signed up for the contest. After the laughter died
down, the owner grabbed a lemon and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains to
the little man.
The crowd’s laughter turned to silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six
drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the manager paid out the winning prize and asked
the short guy what he did for a living. “Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or what?”
The man replied, “I work for the IRS.”
Have you filed your taxes yet? I guess we still have a week so you don’t have to worry yet. I
have a buddy who always starts his taxes on April 14 every year and stays up all night to get
them finished. I think he likes the adrenaline rush!
It’s tough to be honest during tax time isn’t it? Here’s an actual letter that was received by the
IRS a few years ago:
“Enclosed you will find a check for $150. I cheated on my income tax return last year and have
not been able to sleep ever since. If I still have trouble sleeping I will send you the rest.”
This morning we’re focusing on a high-ranking IRS man who cheated not on his return, but on
everyone else’s. He had figured out a way to skim some money off the top and squeeze the last
drop from people’s wallets.
Our passage this morning has some parallels to last week’s topic. As you recall, when Jesus was
approaching Jericho, he had an encounter with blind Bart, a poor beggar from the lowest social
class. Now, as we look at Luke 19:1, we see that Jesus is passing through Jericho on his final trip
to Jerusalem, and comes in contact with Zacchaeus, a very wealthy government man from the
top rung of the economic ladder.
~ Pick One ~
H e a r t
Faith

M i n d
Knowledge
A c t i o n
Purpose

I want to use a very simple outline this morning:
I. The Searching Sinner (19:2-4) [read]
II. The Seeking Savior (19:5) [read]
III. The Spectacular Salvation (19:6-10) [read]
The Searching Sinner
In verse two, we see that Zacchaeus was a man of some prominence. His name in Hebrew
means, “pure and righteous,” but he was not thought of as being anywhere close to righteous
because of the job he had. As a tax collector, he worked for Rome and was considered a traitor
by the Jewish people. The fact that he worked for the Roman IRS indicated to others that he was
more interested in money than anything else.
Zack was more than just an IRS agent, however. He was a “chief” tax collector. He was in
charge of all the agents and was able to take a “cut” of commission from those who collected
taxes for him. He stood on top of the collection pyramid, stuffing his pockets with shekels before
he sent the required taxes to Rome. If Rome charged a 5% tax, Zack may have collected 10%
from the people.
Jericho was a great place to be for Zacchaeus because there were a lot of people coming in and
out of the city on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Jericho was considered the “tax
capital” of Palestine, the center of a vast trade network that extended from Damascus to Egypt.
Zack was in charge of one of the three tax offices in the entire country, and may have had the
best job of them all. Not surprisingly, the last part of verse 2 tells us that he was wealthy.
But he was a renegade in the eyes of the religious people. He would have been thought of as
fondly as a high-level drug dealer is today. In fact, in the minds of people, tax collectors were
often linked with murderers, adulterers, robbers, and other “sinners.”
Tax collectors were not new to Jesus. Early on in His ministry, Jesus had attracted, and worse yet
(in the eyes of the Pharisees), received them warmly. In Luke 5:30, Jesus was accused by the
religious leaders for eating and drinking with “tax collectors and sinners.” These two terms were
almost synonymous to the Pharisees. There was hardly a life form more offensive than these
traitors.
In verse 3 we notice that while Zack is very wealthy and successful by the world’s standards, he
knew something was missing. Even people today, if they are honest, will eventually admit that
there’s more to life than just trying to make money and obtain possessions.
Notice that it doesn’t say that Zack just wanted to see Jesus. No. He wanted to see who Jesus
was. He wanted to figure out what it was that made Jesus different from everyone else. He was
drawn to this man who had just given sight to the blind beggar on the outskirts of Jericho. Now
this healer was walking through his town. He may not have fully understood what was going on
in his heart, but Zack had a desperate need to get to Jesus. He probably couldn’t even explain
what drew him to see who Jesus was.
Perhaps that’s how some of you are feeling this morning. You’re drawn to Jesus. You’re
intrigued by who He is and you want to get to know more about Him. I can remember that
happening to me shortly before I became a Christian. I was curious about Jesus and loved to hear
about the stories that we’re focusing on in this series.

Zack had at least two problems that day. The first was that he was a short man. I picture him
bouncing up and down on his toes, like tigger, trying to see above the taller guys in front of him.
With all the crowds pressing in, there was no way for him to get close enough to Jesus. In a large
crowd like this I wonder if some unhappy taxpayers took out their frustrations with Zack by
giving him an accidental elbow or a shove from the back.
His second problem was spiritual - his sins were keeping him from Jesus. Isaiah 59:2 say that
“our iniquities have separated us from God.” Not only was Zack of short stature, he, like us, was
not able to measure up to God’s standards. He came up far short in a spiritual sense of ever
entering into a relationship with God. He was short on integrity and tall on sin.
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I love verse 4: “So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was
coming that way.” This guy was resourceful. It reminds me of something a friend of mine used
to say when I’d play basketball with him. His name was Curt and he was even shorter than I am.
He was always grinning and would say this: “I may be short…but I’m slow.”
Zack was short, but he wasn’t slow! He ran ahead of the crowd, looking for a way that he could
see Jesus. This picture is a bit amusing, isn’t it? First of all, it would have been considered
undignified for a rich man to run. Secondly, I don’t know about you, but it seems funny to me
that this wealthy man would shimmy up a tree to see Jesus. Sycamore trees often grew by the
side of the road and had branches that grew out horizontally from the trunk, which would give
him a good view of Jesus. He probably snagged his cloak on some branches but it didn’t slow
him down. Maybe he fell a couple times. He was determined to see Jesus and frankly didn’t care
what others thought of his sprinting or his climbing.
Zack did not allow anything, not the crowd or his condition, to stand between him and his desire
to see the Lord Jesus. What about you? Do you care enough about the condition of your soul to
pay whatever price is necessary to be right with God? Are you willing to turn from that little pet
sin? Are you ready to walk away from the crowd in order to see Jesus? Are you ready to run to
Him?
The Seeking Savior
In verse 5 we see that while Zacchaeus may have been searching, it was really Jesus who was
seeking him: “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come
down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
Jesus took note of Zacchaeus, although we are not told why. He stopped, looked up, called him
by name, and told him that He must come to His house. Again we see that while Jesus has set his
face toward the Cross, he stops and ministers to a searching sinner. He knew right where Zack
was because He knew all about him - and He was filled with compassion toward him.
This is how it always happens. Jesus makes the first move by coming to the dead sinner and
offering life through Himself. We would never be able to come to Jesus unless He came to us
first.
He then gives Zack a two-fold command: “Come down immediately.” Get out of the tree, Zack.
Right now. There’s always a sense of urgency about following Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says,

“…Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Can you imagine what must
have been going through the minds of those who were walking with Jesus that day? How did
Jesus know his name? Why did Jesus stop under that particular tree? Why did Jesus want this
sinner to come down right away?
And then Jesus gives the second part of the command: “I must stay at your house today.” Why
did Jesus express the necessity of going to the house of Zacchaeus? Why the “must”? The
Pharisees and religious leaders would say that because Zack was a chief tax collector he was a
“sinner.” Such a person should never be invited to your home. One should certainly not enter
their home as a guest, and you were especially forbidden to eat their food. Notice here that Jesus
invited Himself to dinner! This is the only instance in the 4 Gospels where we read of Jesus
inviting Himself to someone’s home for a meal. Jesus must stay at his house because it pictures
what His ministry is all about. He came to save sinners from their sins.
The Spectacular Salvation
Zacchaeus didn’t waste any time getting out of the tree. Verse 6 tells us, “So he came down at
once and welcomed him gladly.” Jesus said, “jump” and Zack jumped. He came down right
away and welcomed Jesus joyfully and with great excitement. He got way more than he asked
for - he just wanted to get a closer look at the Savior but now He was coming over for dinner! He
was overwhelmed with joy! The word “gladly” carries with it the idea of “jubilant exultation.”
This is similar to the response of Bart in Luke 18:43 when it says that he praised God. Next week
we’ll see that the disciples break out into joyful praise when Jesus enters Jerusalem (Luke
19:37). Joy is one of the key themes found in Luke’s gospel, being mentioned over 20 times in
one form or another. I wonder what it will take for us to become more filled with glad and joyful
praise? With all that God has done for us, we should be exuberant with joy! Yet too often our
faces are fallen, our hearts are heavy, and our minds are muddled with cares and concerns.
Friends, let’s learn from this example when people encountered Jesus, they broke out into
joyful praise! That should be reflected in our daily lives and when we gather together for
corporate worship.
The Seeking Savior
first.

corporate worship.
The Seeking Savior
first.

corporate worship.
Now, in contrast to Zack’s joy, we see in verse 7 that the entire crowd began to mutter. If the
crowd was confused about why Jesus was even talking to Zack, they now go ballistic when they
figure out that Jesus has invited himself to dinner at Zack’s place. Notice that it wasn’t just some
of the crowd. The text says that it was all the people. It may have even included the disciples.
The word itself means a low grumble, and indicates that they were complaining and finding fault
with what Jesus was going to do. This root word is also used to describe what the Israelites did in
the desert when they complained and grumbled to the Lord.
We might want to get down on the crowd for their response but I wonder how many times we
respond in a similar way? Let’s admit it. We have categories in our minds of people who are
really “bad.” We might be upset if Jesus were to drop in on them for a meal as well. It’s so easy
for us to think that we’re better than others - that our sin somehow smells better than other
people’s.

Jesus was joyfully received

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