John Calvin Commentary Luke 19:8

"And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold." — Luke 19:8 (ASV)

And Zaccheus stood, and said. From this result they should have formed their opinion of what Christ did; but men are so hasty and precipitate that they do not take time to wait for God.⁶⁸⁰

The conversion of Zaccheus is described by fruits and outward signs. As it was probable that he had enriched himself to the injury of others, if he had wronged any man, he was ready to restore fourfold.

Besides, he dedicates half of his goods to the poor. A man might indeed bestow all his goods on the poor (1 Corinthians 13:3), and yet his generosity might be of no value in the sight of God. However, though no mention is made here of inward repentance, Luke means that the godly zeal he commends in Zaccheus proceeded from that living root. In the same way, Paul, when treating repentance, exhorts us to those duties by which men may learn that we have changed for the better.

Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labor with his hands, that he may assist the poor and needy (Ephesians 4:28).

We should therefore begin with the heart, but our repentance should also be demonstrated by works.

Now let us observe that Zaccheus does not make a present to God from his extortions, as many rich men give God a portion of what they have obtained by dishonesty, so that they may more freely pillage in the future and be acquitted of the wrongs they have formerly done.

But Zaccheus devotes the half of his goods to God in such a manner as to give, at the same time, compensation for whatever wrongs he has done. From this we infer that the riches he possessed were not the fruit of dishonest gain.

Thus Zaccheus is not only ready to give satisfaction if he has taken anything by fraud, but he also shares his lawful possessions with the poor. By this, he shows that he has changed from a wolf not only into a sheep but even into a shepherd.

And while he corrects the faults that had been formerly committed, he renounces wicked practices for the future, as God demands from His people, first of all, that they abstain from doing any act of injury.

Zaccheus has not laid others under obligation by his example to strip themselves of the half of their goods. Instead, we only have to observe the rule which the Lord prescribes: that we dedicate ourselves and all that we have to holy and lawful purposes.

⁶⁸⁰ “Qu’ils n’ont pas la patience d’attendre que Dieu monstre ce qu’il vent faire;” — “that they have not patience to wait till God show what he intends to do.”;” — “that they have not patience to wait till God show what he intends to do.”