Verse 9
I. Zacchæus was, humanly speaking, in as unfavourable a situation for turning to God, as anyone could be at that time. He was one of a set of men who might emphatically be called "that which is lost." And, therefore, when we find our Lord saying of this man, "This day is salvation come to this house," for that "he also is a son of Abraham," it is impossible not to perceive the freeness and fulness of the grace of the Gospel, which at once, with no long probation of penitence or trial required at once, forgiving all the past and trusting for the future; declares to the lost sinner that He was was one of Abraham's children, and partaker therefore of Abraham's blessing.
II. This is so true that to deny it were to deny the very foundation of the Gospel. But in giving this statement, I have not yet given the whole picture contained in the account of Zacchæus, and what remains is no less essential. The forgiveness was entire and immediate, because the repentance had been no less unhesitating and no less entire. Zacchæus "sought to see Jesus" we know not with how much of mere curiosity, nor with what an imperfect knowledge; but he sought and took pains to see Him; and He who is found by all that seek Him, said immediately, "Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house." But when Christ was come to him, when his first imperfect desires for good had been so largely blessed, then the love of Christ constrained him, and with no reserves, with no hesitation, he gave up all his heart to Him. He cares not for the sacrifice; he does not ask whether strict justice required so large a measure of restitution much less whether the law was ever likely to enforce it; but he wishes to free himself wholly from the accursed thing, unlawful gain; he wishes to judge himself, that he be not judged of the Lord; he cannot bear that any portion of sin or sinful profit should remain in that heart and house which Christ and Christ's Spirit had deigned to visit. So, then, no less complete and unreserved than the gift of the Gospel forgiveness is the feeling and the act of Christian repentance. Here, then, we find the Gospel in all its entireness; we see what is meant by forgiveness and also what is meant by repentance. Let our repentance be as full, as reserved, as immediate, as that of Zacchæus; and this day, yea this hour, is salvation come into our house, and it is proved that we also are sons of Abraham.
T. Arnold, Sermons, vol. vi., p. 117.
References: Luke 19:9 . H. J. Wilmot-Buxton, Waterside Mission Sermons, 2nd series, No. viii.; S. A. Tipple, Echoes of Spoken Words, p. 71.
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