“Seeing the Kingdom and Following”
Luke 18:35-19:27
“Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.” – Luke 19:2-3
The encounter with Zacchaeus is an interesting one, especially right after the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18. The Rich Ruler had so much going for him. He was intelligent, successful, and religious. He was good by the world’s standard, and yet he walked away sorrowful; he walked away from the Lord.
“All these things I have kept from my youth,” he said regarding the Commandments. “You still lack one thing,” Jesus responded. “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” [Lk 18:22].
But this “good” man was not good enough to get to heaven. “No one is good but One, that is God.” [Lk 18:19] If you want to get to heaven, you must be perfect [ref. Matt 5:48]. And this successful man failed the test. He loved his possessions more than God.
Zacchaeus was also rich. He was the chief tax collector of Jericho [ref. Lk 19:1-2]. The great difference, however, was that he sought Jesus with the heart of a child. “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” [Lk 18:17].
If you have ever been to Jericho, you know that there are many sycamore trees along the roads. And so, you can picture Zacchaeus, a small man, like a child, climbing from one tree to the next to “see” Jesus.
Now, this word “see” in Lk 19:3 is an interesting one. “And he sought to see who Jesus was….” It is the Greek word eido. It means “to perceive by any of the senses; indeed, to discover.” It is the same word used in John 3:3, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see (eido, i.e., “discover”) the kingdom of God.”
This word, eido, is also used in John 20:8 when the Apostle John entered the empty tomb a second time. The Scriptures record “he saw [eido] and believed.”
Seeing the Kingdom [eido], i.e., discovering it, comes with the heart of a child. It is what Zacchaeus had, and what the Rich Young Ruler did not. And that made all the difference.
It was the difference between the one who followed and the one who did not.