William Burkitt on Luke 19:1

The history which relates the calling and conversion of Zaccheus the publican, is ushered in with a note of wonder: Behold, there was a man named Zaccheus. It is both great and good news to hear of a soul converted unto God: especially such a remarkable sinner as Zaccheus was: for,

1. He was by profession a publican; a calling that carried extortion in its face, and bade defiance to his conversion; yet, behold, from the toll-booth is Zaccheus called to be a disciple, and Matthew an apostle: such is the freeness of divine grace, that it often calls the greatest sinners, and triumph in their powerful conversion.

2. He was a chief publican, and probably one of the chief of sinners, yet behold him among the chief of saints. Lord! What penitent need despair of thy mercy, when he sees a publican, no, the chief of publicans, home to heaven!

3. It is added. as a farther circumstance, that he was rich: his trade was not a greater obstacle to his conversion than his wealth: not that there is any malignity in riches, considered in themselves, but they become a snare through the corruption of our natures. Zaccheus had not been so famous a convert, if he had not been rich; if more difficulty, yet there was more glory on the conversion of rich Zaccheus. To all these might be added a fourth circumstance, namely, that Zaccheus was converted in his old age, after a long habit of sin contracted. Such instances, though few, has God left upon record in Scripture; Abraham and Manasses on the Old Testament, Zaccheus and Paul in the New.