Repentance Proven by Action
Commentators agree that Zacchaeus's declaration is not just words, but powerful evidence of a genuine change of heart. Scholars like Albert Barnes and Charles Spurgeon see his commitment to give to the poor and make restitution as the "indisputable evidence" and "grand proof" of his conversion. True repentance, they explain, is demonstrated by tangible actions that correct past wrongs and reflect a new, transformed life.