He That Winneth Souls Is Wise No. 14

It has many intriguing things about it. For example, when Jesus was going through Jericho and He met Zacchaeus there, what kind of man did He meet?

1. Zacchaeus was wealthy.

We read in verse 2, "And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich."

2. Zacchaeus was curious.

Verse 3, "And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature."

3. He was determined.

Verse 4, "And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him..."

It was probably those characteristics that account for Zacchaeus' being a rich man. He knew how to solve a problem. He wanted to see Jesus, but because of his size he was not able to see him among the rest of the people so he ran ahead of where the crowds had gathered. There he climbed up into a high perch and when the crowd followed Jesus that way they did not block his view. The first four verses of our text tell us a great deal about the man, Zacchaeus. In the remaining verses we are told a great deal about the Lord Jesus as He teaches us about soul winning. He shows us -

I. THE PLACE OF EVANGELISM.

Wherever Jesus went opportunities to win people to Him presented themselves and He took advantage of every opportunity. The reason many folks have never won anyone to Christ is because they have never learned that most soul winning takes place in awkward, and in every day, situations and times. Some have wasted years waiting for the perfect time and the perfect place to witness to a person.

Look at verses 5 - 6, "And when Jesus came to the PLACE, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy home. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully."

Most of us would think that with that multitude following Jesus that would be a rather awkward time for Jesus to be carrying on a conversation with some rich man who happened to be sitting high in a sycomore tree. But, it was not awkward for Jesus!

Illus: Delos Miles said, "Evangelism is where you find it."

What did he mean by that? He meant that every day awkward situations will confront us at awkward times.

Illus: Just look at what happened to Christ. He was surrounded by a cheering crowd as He walked down the road. Then He came to a particular sycamore tree. He looked up and saw Zacchaeus looking at Him with eyes that seemed to pierce right through Him. Notice what Jesus did then. He ignored the crowd of people surrounding Him and focused His eyes on one man. Why? Jesus knew that many of the people who were following Him were there for the wrong reason. Jesus also knew that for a rich man, who was on a high level in society, to climb a tree because he was too small to see Jesus in the crowd, he was different from all the rest.

This was an awkward situation and an awkward time, but when Jesus got to that sycomore tree, He was not about to pass Zacchaeus without reaching out to him. Jesus knew, better than anyone, that evangelism can take place wherever we are.

Illus: Remember when Jesus sat at the public well and the woman came to draw water. Again He was in an awkward situation at an awkward time. The woman had a reputation for living an evil life so no decent person in town wanted to be caught in broad daylight talking to her. But, Jesus knew He might never go that way again and that was a one-time chance to share the gospel of Who He was and why He had come in that very awkward time and place. It was at THAT TIME and THAT PLACE, beside that well, that He told her everything she needed to know to have eternal life in Heaven.

Here is the bad news to those Christians who are waiting for the ideal time and the ideal situation before they will witness: the devil will see to it that what you consider to be an ideal time and place will never come! The place for you to evangelise is wherever you are whenever you are there.

Illus: J. H. Jowett said of the Lord Jesus, the Master soul winner, "His eyes were like two eagle scouts:

• He saw Nathanael under the fig tree.

• He saw Matthew at the seat of customs.

• He saw that blind beggar beside the road outside Jericho.

• And He saw Zacchaeus, up in that sycomore tree."