If I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. —Luke 19:8 (Our Daily Bread)
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Luke 19:1-10 New International Version (NIV)
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
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Making It Right
It was a perfect day for our garage sale—bright and warm. People
rummaged through clothing, paperbacks, and mismatched dishes. I noticed a
young woman looking at a string of white beads. A few minutes later,
the necklace vanished along with its admirer. I spotted her in the
street, jogged the length of my driveway, and discovered the missing
jewelry nestled in her palm. As we faced each other with the knowledge
of what had happened, she volunteered to pay for the stolen item.
Zacchaeus, the tree-climbing tax collector, met Jesus and was
changed. He vowed to repay four times the amount of money he had
dishonestly taken from others (Luke 19:8). In those days, tax collectors
frequently overcharged citizens and then pocketed the extra funds.
Zacchaeus’ eagerness to pay back the money and to donate half of what he
owned to the poor showed a significant change of heart. He had once
been a taker, but after meeting Jesus he was determined to make
restoration and be a giver.
Zacchaeus’ example can inspire us to make the same kind of change.
When God reminds us about items we have taken, taxes left unpaid, or
ways we have wronged others, we can honor Him by making it right.
Help me, dear Lord, to be honest and true
In all that I say and all that I do;
Give me the courage to do what is right
To bring to the world a glimpse of Your light. —Fasick
A debt is never too old for an honest person to pay.
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