IT IS THE DUTY OF THE RICH: Though there are many with great riches that do everything to obtain more at the expense of the poor. There are still others who use their wealth to help those who are in need. What’s the difference? Why are some willing to use their riches to help the poor while others are not?
In the Bible, God has provides us with practical guidance on how to live above the stresses of life, and we are given instructions on how to manage the resources He has given us.
In this series,
From a biblical perspective, we are looking at how to effectively manage the resources God has given us while prioritizing What Really Matters.
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Let’s Pray
God Most High, though we may not be rich, we still have an obligation to help those that are less fortunate than we are. Put within us a giving heart that we may be willing to share with those around us that are in need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
He must have been a short man. He had to be less than average height. He was so short that he had to climb a tree to see the leading person in the crowd that was passing his way that day.
Zacchaeus was wealthy, he was a rich Jew. He made his money by working as a tax collector for the Roman Government.
The Jews were under the power of the oppressive Romans, so they despised the people of Rome. Therefore, because Zacchaeus, although a Jew, worked for the Roman government, he was also despised.
You see, Zacchaeus was a tax collector. And he, like other tax collectors, exacted more tax than was due.
As a tax collector, in the eyes of the Jews, one was considered a sinner. And the Jews hated tax collectors because of their unfair practices in the collection of taxes.
This was Zaachaeus’s position. So, how did he move from the position of being despised by the people to using his wealth to help the poor? It was his encounter with that man.
Zacchaeus lived in Jericho. Jericho was a busy city. It sat on a trade route. So, there was a lot of business going on in Jericho. Zacchaeus somehow heard that Jesus was on his way to Jericho, and he wanted to get the opportunity to meet that man.
Now, this encounter with Jesus and Zacchaeus didn’t happen by chance. Apparently, Zacchaeus was under spiritual convection and wanted to make some changes in his life. So, he had heard about Jesus and wanted to see Him.
The word had gotten around that Jesus was on His way to Galilee on that very day and needed to pass through Jericho on His final trip to Jerusalem.
Jesus’ first words to Zacchaeus show that Jesus knew all about Zacchaeus before He entered the town. Here is what Luke 19:1–10 tells us about that encounter.
Luke 19:1-10
1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)
How is Zacchaeus’s story different from the story about the rich young man that was covered in the previous lesson? If you want to review the previous lesson, (Lesson 4) The Rich Young Ruler, you can view it at SabbathSchoolDaily.com
Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler were the same in some things. They were both rich. Both men wanted to meet Jesus. And both wanted everlasting life. But their thinking about their riches after they meet Jesus went in opposite directions.
Notice in Luke 19:8 that Zacchaeus tells Jesus he will give half of everything he owns to the poor.
Also, observe that Jesus accepted his offer. Zacchaeus’s offer shows us that he is now a changed man. He has a change of heart. His offer was an expression of a true change in his thinking about money and possessions. He placed his relationship with Jesus above his desire for money.
In response to his offer, notice that Jesus doesn’t say to Zacchaeus, “Sorry, but you have to give Me everything, just as I asked the rich young ruler. Half is not good enough.”
Why not? most likely because, though Zacchaeus surely liked his wealth, it wasn’t the god to him that it was to the rich young ruler. In other words, though Zacchaeus enjoys his money, money was not his idol or false god.
In fact, after his experience with Jesus, Jesus doesn’t need to tell Zacchaeus to give half his money to help the poor. Zacchaeus, instead, tells Jesus that he will give half of his wealth toward helping the poor.
It says in the book Desire of Ages that:
Zacchaeus had been overwhelmed, amazed, and silenced at the love and condescension of Christ in stooping to him, so unworthy. Now love and loyalty to his new-found Master unseal his lips. He will make public his confession and his repentance.
In the presence of the multitude, “Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. . . . The Desire of Ages, pp. 554, 555
In contrast, in the case of the rich young ruler, Jesus must tell him to give up everything; otherwise, his riches would destroy him.
Of course, Zacchaeus needed to be careful about the dangers of wealth. However, in his encounter with Jesus, he had a change of heart. Therefore, he exchanged immediate gratification with delayed gratification. Thus, his love for money was now under the control of the Spirit of God; therefore, he was in less danger than the rich young ruler.
“When the rich young ruler had turned away from Jesus, the disciples had marveled at their Master’s saying, ‘How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!’ They had exclaimed one to another, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Now they had a demonstration of the truth of Christ’s words, ‘The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’
Mark 10:24, 26; Luke 18:27. They saw how, through the grace of God, a rich man could enter into the kingdom.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 555.
So, after meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus became a changed man! This is also true of us. Our encounter can be like that of the rich younger ruler who placed his possession above Jesus, turned, and walked away, or that of Zacchaeus, who placed Jesus above his possessions to offer them to help the poor and choose to walk with Jesus.
If giving is not enough when someone asks you for help, Job was the type of wealthy person that searched for those in need. Who was this man, Job? Find out on Day 6-7: Consider the Man Job
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