F.E. Marsh :: 450. Three Sights

LUKE 19:1-10

THE sight Zacchaeus saw from the sycamore tree; the sight that the Saviour saw when He looked up and discovered the publican in the tree; and the sight which the people had, when they saw Christ condescending to be the guest of Zacchaeus.

1. The sinner’s sight. “He sought to see Jesus” (Luke 19:3). There are many sights that the sinner seeks to have. Eve had a sight of the tree of knowledge, which led to her fall (Gen. 3:6); and Achan looked on the Babylonish garment and the wedge of gold, which led to his death (Jos. 7:21); but Zacchaeus saw Jesus and was saved.
   There are many things said about this man in his desire to see Christ.
   1. It was a sight attended with difficulty, for Zacchaeus was small of stature, and could not come near to Christ for the crowd, therefore he climbed up a tree. No one will be deterred by difficulty if he is truly in earnest about his eternal welfare. Difficulties are opportunities to evidence the reality of the seeker.
   2. It was a sight associated with curiosity. He sought to “see who He was.” Better curiosity than indifference, for indifference is like a bog which swallows up everything, but curiosity is the road that leads to the glen of interest, where the flowers of grace shall fascinate and fix us to the spot.
   3. It was a sight preceded by earnestness. We read that Zacchaeus “ran” and “climbed.” A spirit of determination prompted him to act as he did. Earnestness is like the steam in the engine, it causes one to move with haste.
   4. It was a sight from a vantage point. The publican knew that Christ was to “pass that way.” There is one point of vantage where we may view Christ, and that is from the Word of God. Christ ever shows Himself through the lattice of the truth (S.S. 2:9).
      A sight of Christ is the best of all sights. A sight of Christ gives us:—
      • A sight of ourselves (Job 42:5).
      • Salvation (Isaiah 45:22).
      • Gladness (John 20:20).
2. The Saviour’s sight (Luke 19:5). The Lord Jesus looked up as He came to the sycamore tree, and saw the anxious enquiring man hid among its branches. The Lord Jesus never passed by a person who was really desirous of knowing who He was, and what His claims were. The eyes of the Lord are as a flame of fire to search us (Rev. 1:14), but they are also as doves’ eyes by the rivers of water (Song of Solomon 5:12). It is said that doves, when they drink water, do not look up till they have finished drinking. If this is so, it may be taken as an illustration of the fact that the Lord loves with an intensity that is eternal in its duration.
3. The people’s sight. The people did not murmur as long as Christ was showing forth His power in miracle (Luke 18:43), but directly he went to be the guest of a man who was looked upon with contempt-for the tax-gatherers were oppressors of the people-then they began to grumble. It is the same to-day, many begin to grumble when they see one who has been noted for his wickedness converted to Christ, and if such a one is welcomed among God’s people, many of the latter, instead of encouraging the one who has believed, express themselves in a cold manner, by “hoping he will hold out.”
   The people, if they had looked long enough and deep enough, would have seen in Zacchaeus a man who was-
   • Called by Christ (Luke 19:5).
   • Converted through Christ (Luke 19:9).
   • Consecrated to Christ (Luke 19:8).
   • Communing with Christ (Luke 19:7).