19 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
I love Zacchaeus’ enthusiasm. He was excited about Jesus. I compare this story to the one in the last posting in Chapter 18, where the man was told to sell everything. Why was that man told to sell everything, and yet it’s okay that Zacchaeus offers to only give half of his wealth to the poor? Must have been the attitude in their heart–it certainly wasn’t the money itself.
The rich man was obsessed with his riches so Jesus challenges him to give all of it away. Maybe after hearing what Jesus told Zacchaeus, he came back to Jesus in order to negotiate the amount he was to sell and give away. In contrast, Zacchaeus makes the offer without being told what to do. His attitude was an attitude of generosity. Perhaps that’s the point–God loves a cheerful giver.