The New Jerusalem

Jesus invites Zacchaeus to come down from the sycamore tree, Saint Mark’s Basilica, 11th Century.

Luke 18:18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.”

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became sad, for he was very rich.

In Luke 18:18-23 a rich man seeks to inherit eternal life. This man has both wealth and authority (vv. 18, 23) and has kept the commandments since he was a child (vv. 20-21). The cultural understanding at the time was that the rich and prosperous were blessed by God. In the eyes of his contemporaries, the rich young ruler was the prime candidate for eternal life.

“It was commonly held that riches were a sign of God’s blessing, so that the rich had the best opportunity of getting the good things of the next world as of this.” – Leon Morris, Luke, TNTC. 1988, pg 285.

Jesus tells him that he still lacks one thing. He must sell all of his possessions and give them to the poor (v. 22). Exchanging his status and comfort for the good of the needy. Exchanging his earthly, physical home with a spiritual home, following Jesus. Tragically, this man is not willing to part with his possessions, choosing to part with Jesus instead (v. 23).

Those in the surrounding culture would have seen his money, authority, & obedience to the law as indicative of his favored status by God. Ironically, these are the very things that prevent him from following Jesus. Jesus drives the point home in verses 24-25, declaring the difficulty that will accompany the wealthy in entering the kingdom of God.

Luke 18:24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”

“By current Jewish thinking the disciples were right to be astonished. The rich were those whom God had blessed; if they cannot be saved, who can?” – R. T. France, Matthew, TNTC. 1985, pg 290.

The episode of the rich young ruler is closely followed by the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).

Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus and the ruler have a lot in common. Like the ruler, Zacchaeus has both riches and authority (v. 2). Being a chief tax collector, however, Zacchaeus uses this authority to defraud others, gaining his riches through theft. On top of that, he is a sinner, unlike the “law-abiding” ruler. While the ruler would have seemed fit for eternity, Zacchaeus isn’t deemed worthy for association with God’s people (v. 7).

However, Zacchaeus completely humbles himself, climbing a sycamore tree in order to see who Jesus was (v. 4). Zacchaeus accepts the honor of hosting Jesus, receiving him joyfully (v. 6). Without needing to be prompted by Jesus, Zacchaeus gives away half his goods to the poor (v. 8). This is a striking contrast to the ruler who is prompted by Jesus directly, yet still refuses (18:22-23).

“Whereas the rich ἄρχων [ruler] can only address Jesus as “good master” (in a way Jesus rejects) and grow sad when challenged to give his wealth to the poor, the rich ἀρχιτελώνης [chief tax collector] receives Jesus with joy as κύριε [Lord] and resolves to give half his goods to the poor and to redress past injustices fourfold.” – Dennis Hamm, “Luke 19:8 Once Again,” JBL 107. 1988, pg. 436.

“The story of Zacchaeus stands in marked contrast to that of the rich young ruler. Coming so soon after the emphatic statement about the difficulty of the salvation of the rich (v. 24), this incident must be seen as a striking manifestation of God’s grace (v. 27).” – Leon Morris, Luke, TNTC, 1988, pg 288.

In the aftermath of these two events, the ruler remained with his possessions and authority. However, while Zacchaeus gave up his wealth for the sake of the kingdom, he received much more (Lk 18:29-30). While the world no longer remembers the name of the rich ruler, Zacchaeus’ name is known 2000 years after his death. He is remembered not as a wicked thief or a tax collector, but as one who gave up everything to follow Jesus.

The rich young ruler and Zacchaeus teach the message of Luke 18:24-27, displaying the difficulty of the rich man’s salvation, along with the power of God that accompanies those who humble themselves before him.

Thoughtful and challenging comments or questions are invited and appreciated!