God wants to give us restoration and a good reputation. In Luke 19 we read about Zacchaeus the tax collector from the city of Jericho. He was very interested in meeting Jesus. Because he was short in stature, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by. But Jesus stopped by the tree and called him by name! 

"Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."

Luke 19:5 (NKJV)

Zacchaeus leapt down from the tree where he was sitting and publicly received Jesus, both in his heart and in his home.

Customs were applied on goods entering the city of Jericho. These were regulations established by the Romans. Tax collectors were known to collect too much tax and pocket the money themselves. Therefore, they were looked down upon by people. Zacchaeus was "chief tax collector and a rich man" and held a high position as a tax collector in his district (Luke 19:2). 

Jesus knew that people did not like tax collectors. They were known to be swindlers and collaborators with the occupying power, the Roman Empire. They were known to collect too much tax and pocketed the money themselves. They were rightly called "tax collectors and sinners" (Matt 9:10–11).

Suddenly, Jesus did something unusual in front of the crowd that followed Him: He invited Himself to Zacchaeus's house! Abruptly, He left them all and went home with Zacchaeus, a tax collector and a sinner with a bad track record. He did not let people control Him! He was the master of every situation that arose. 

Jesus cared for Zacchaeus, a repentant sinner who now wanted to make amends. This newly converted man needed conversation and follow-up. Jesus had "come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

When the holy Jesus accepted the great swindler Zacchaeus and went to his house, He helped Zacchaeus to a better reputation and a new start on his life. When Jesus Himself stayed with such a man, could he be that bad after all? A preacher friend of mine put it this way:

"If someone begins to speak disparagingly of another preacher, I list a lot of good things he has done. Then I stifle the negative criticism of him." It reminds me of the story of the great, white canvas and the tiny little black spot in the middle. What do people see? The little spot, but not the great, white canvas that surrounds it. Something to learn?

Do we dare to be friends with today's "tax collectors and sinners"? The best way to win a person for Jesus is to first become friends with them.

Let's learn from Jesus who did not categorize people according to how moral they were or had been. Extend your hand to them, show them respect, interest, and don't join the chorus against those whom society disparages. Jesus wants to give people a new start and a better reputation. And salvation.