In the Present Tense

 

In Luke 19:1-10, we’re told of a guy named Zacchaeus who was the chief tax collector in Jericho. Keep in mind that tax collectors did not have a good reputation and were hated so, Zacchaeus, with oversight over other tax collectors, was even more hated (v 2 EXB).

The story goes…

Jesus was coming into town and Zacchaeus, unable to see above the crowd because he was short, climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus stops at the tree, looks up at Zacchaeus and says,

“Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today.” (v 5 ERV)

Elated to have Jesus stay at his home, Zacchaeus hurried down from his lofty perch, much to the disdain of the townsfolk, who at that point grumbled and indignantly complained, He has gone in to be the guest of and lodge with a man who is devoted to sin and preeminently a sinner (v 7 AMPC).

Then verse 8 in the ESV recounts,

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 

In most other translations of the bible, this verse records Zacchaeus’ words in the future tense, as in “I will give” and “I will repay” or “I will give back” but here it’s in the present tense. How come, you may be wondering.

Well, I recently learnt that the original Greek text was written in the present tense. Zacchaeus was not telling Jesus what he will do, he was letting Jesus know what he already does; he already gives half of his goods to the poor and he already restores to anyone whom he may have over charged, four times the amount.

As far as first century Jews were concerned, tax collectors were corrupt agents for the enemy, Rome; they were seen solely as doing Rome’s bidding and therefore incapable of performing good deeds.

But Zacchaeus was different, yet, despite his righteousness, the people, so blinded by the stereotypical, were unable to see the good that he was doing. In their minds, a sinful tax collector could never be doing good works; the two just did not correlate.

Now, I must admit that for years I too saw Zacchaeus as a terrible person, a corrupt tax collector who cheated people out of their hard-earned money, the reason being, that has always been the picture of Zacchaeus that was painted by every Sunday school teacher, from every pulpit and in every bible study session.

It was Zacchaeus who had a lesson to learn, not so? Or maybe, just maybe, Zacchaeus has been the unwitting fall guy all this time and it’s us – the grumblers and complainers, the persons in the crowd, the townsfolk, the judgmental, the label stampers, the ones blinded by their own perceptions and misled by their own assumptions – for whom the lesson is meant.

Like the people in Jericho, we place labels on persons based on our own perceptions and assumptions. Sometimes we draw conclusions about others solely on hearsay and never take the time to see who the person really is for ourselves.

There was a gospel artiste with whom I was acquainted, she has a beautiful voice but because she did not dress in the way some Christians felt she should, throughout her performance, those persons became so fixated on what she was wearing, that their grumbling and indignant complaining caused them to not hear a word she sang.

I must add that she’s European and it was not anything indecent, some people simply had a problem with her style.

Even though the Word warns us about judging others (see Matthew 7:1-2), we all do it; we are no better than the people of Jericho.

Despised by the people of Jericho because of his profession, Zacchaeus must have felt compelled to confess to Jesus.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 (ESV)

And Jesus’ response to him was so lovely.

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” (v 9-10 NRSVUE)

Notice, Jesus was not speaking to Zacchaeus, He was talking to the crowd, the neighbours, the townsfolk, to you and to me. We are constantly looking at the speck of dust in others’ eyes and not seeing the lamppost in our own eyes.

We wrongfully judge others based on a variety of things including their profession. Oh, you don’t? You don’t believe that all politicians are corrupt? Moving right along…

Yes, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, but he was a tax collector whose heart was in the right place. He did not just repay for his wrongdoing, he repaid four times as much. Zacchaeus’ generosity and grace were not public knowledge before his encounter with Jesus. Jesus let the people know that Zacchaeus was not who they thought he was, for he, too, is a son of Abraham.

Beloved, the person you deem unworthy, he too is a son of Abraham; that girl you disapprove of, she too is a son of Abraham. Zacchaeus wasn’t going to give, he was already giving; he was not making a promise to repay, he was already giving back.

And, Jesus’ promise of salvation is not lying in wait for some time in the future, it’s for today. Salvation comes to you today, right now, it’s all in the present tense.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “In the Present Tense” © 2026 September 14, 2026