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Luke 19:8 "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 any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.'"

 

Zacchaeus could certainly have given half of his goods to the poor after his encounter with Jesus, but if he was not even sure who, if anyone, he had defrauded, how could he make reparation to them? Is he planning on spending a significant amount of time with his books, looking back to find anyone he defrauded and by how much in order to do this? Jesus takes Zacchaeus' words as evidence of his conversion, He doesn't ask for future proof of this promised reparation. Perhaps we are meant to assume Jesus knew he would do it, but I think, rather, we are meant to see that it is the change of heart, not the reparation, that is important.

 

Even if Zacchaeus didn't, or couldn't, go back and identify everyone he had defrauded, his conversion was sincere, and therefore was accepted by Christ. Zacchaeus was so overwhelmed with the Lord, so convicted by just seeing Him, that his heart responded with this profession of regret and intended atonement. That is what Jesus is looking for - a change of heart, a sincere commitment to God and His goodness. Just by virtue of this profession, Zacchaeus is no longer lost, but saved ("Today salvation has come to this house ... For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:9-10)).

 

Even if Zacchaeus did not find every last person he defrauded and restore to them fourfold, he had seen the error of his ways and was committed to doing good in the future for the sake of Christ. That really is all Jesus is asking of each of us - a sincere change of heart, a desire to follow Him. Once we have that, He will take care of the rest. He will forgive our sins even if we can't make perfect reparation for them. He makes reparation for us, He did it on the Cross and continues to offer His sacrifice to the Father for all the ways we continue to fail. He won't let us fall short.