Zaccheus was stuck. He was successful, rich, and able to afford all of the things that money can buy. But as a tax collector he also had a position that allowed him to cheat people, to profit from their poverty. And so he was hated, and thought of as a public sinner.
Could Zaccheus ever change? His own enjoyment, and the resentment of his neighbour seemed like things that would never change. Zaccheus was stuck.
When Jesus comes to town, all of a sudden there is hope for Zaccheus. He is suddenly drawn to Jesus. He is so excited about just seeing Jesus that he does something very undignified and silly: he climbs a tree to see Jesus.
Jesus has a surprise planned. “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” God has come to change things, to change Zaccheus, from the inside out.
Jesus has looked into Zaccheus’s heart, and invited himself over. And amazingly, Zaccheus responds with joy. But the voices of the grumbling neighbours don’t go away … “You are a sinner.”
Then Zaccheus takes a stand. His heart overflows for the very neighbours who gossip about him. His amazing generosity is shown in half of his money going to the poor, and refunding anyone he cheated.
Zaccheus is free. Jesus has come, and everything has changed. “Today salvation has come to this house.”