Luke 19:1-2 - Who can be Saved?

Luke 19:1-2 (ESV)

[1] He entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.

In the previous chapter Jesus had said that it was impossible for a wealthy man to come to faith. Now he meets a wealthy man who is not only rich, but he is a tax collector. That is a theological conundrum for the Jews. Wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, but tax collectors were clearly sinners. This wealthy sinner comes to faith. Jesus had said in the previous chapter that with man this is impossible but with God nothing is impossible.

How many people around us have we written off as impossible to reach? Why do we think that? Do we not understand that it was impossible for us to come to faith in Christ? Do we not understand our own depravity? Have we forgotten that we are only believers by the grace of God?

Zacchaeus had two strikes against him. He was wealthy. Wealth blinds people to their need for Christ and hinders them from accepting Jesus’ words, “Who ever comes after me must take up his cross and follow me.” He was a sinner. Tax collectors were known for being Roman collaborators, swindlers, and cheats. Yet he willingly gave up his wealth to follow Christ. Today, let’s pray for those we have thought to be too fallen to come to faith, and let’s thank him for his grace. It might surprise us what God does.