Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

Luke 19:8 (NKJV)

 

Tax collectors were not a respectable profession during Jesus' time.

The Jewish people despise tax collectors because they were levying money on behalf of the Roman Empire. Since they were seen as the faces of fiscal oppression and exploitation of the poor and a running dog of a foreign political power, no self-respecting Jews will ever associate themselves with these individuals, but not Jesus.

Luke told an opportune meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).

The Lord defied his culture's norms by extending grace to a corrupt tax collector. In turn, Zacchaeus shattered the paradigm of his business approach by giving away half of his money to the needy and repaying all of the victims of his greed four times what he had robbed them of. This man, who was hurting his community, is now healing it. As a result, we might conclude that Zacchaeus finally lived up to his true name, "the pure-hearted one."

The people were angry at first because Jesus had connected with Zacchaeus, but their rage has now transformed into joy. This was due to the fact that when Zacchaeus was set free from his greed, it had a significant impact on the immediate community. People were not only relieved of their debts, but they also prospered as a result of his generosity and repentance.

The story of Zacchaeus is a picture of the church.

We, like Zacchaeus, should not confine our salvation to a personal spiritual experience, but rather extend it to community transformation. We should look for ways to meaningfully touch our spheres of influence with the gospel, especially those who have yet to experience the grace of freedom.

Perhaps you feel inept or inadequate about sharing the gospel.

You may feel you lack the necessary abilities or knowledge to get the message across. However, don't let what you don’t know keeps you from sharing what you do know. Just be genuine and sincere — people can tell when you're faking it. If you are willing to work alongside God and other believers to further His kingdom, you will have numerous possibilities to improve our community for His glory.