Zacchaeus was a wee, little man

And a wee, little was he

He climbed up in a sycamore tree

For the Lord He wanted to see

And as the Savior passed that way, He looked up in that tree

And He said, Zacchaeus, you come down

For I’m going to your house today!  Yes, I’m going to your house today!

If you are a believer of a certain age, you probably sang this children’s song in Sunday School, taught it to your kids and grandkids, and maybe even taught it to children you had in your Sunday School class as the teacher.  The tune is catchy and the rhyming words simply tell the story of a desperately seeking tax man who risked his nobility and put aside his pride as he climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus.

I’m remembering, thinking and wondering…How desperately seeking are we today?

Luke 19, The Message

Zacchaeus

19 ^1-4 Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.

^5-7 When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”

⁸ Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”

^9-10 Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

There are three main characters in the story:  Jesus, Son of God; A Tax Man who was hated and feared by most; and the crowd who followed out of curiosity. Consider each one:

Jesus—Son of God/Son of Man, “a man who never sinned,” who had every right as the Son of God to judge humans—did not.  We watch Jesus comes near to a man who desperately seeks Him, leaving everything behind. 

Zacchaeus—a man of power who has the position and the order as a tax man to charge what he deems necessary to give to Rome what they demand and earn a living himself by overcharging and skimming off the top.  But then Jesus comes and moves in to the neighborhood of humanity and presents a new way of life—a Kingdom of God way of thinking and behaving.  Jesus changes everything in Zacchaeus before He sees Jesus in person!  Zacchaeus can’t wait to see and tell Jesus how He changed his life!

The Crowd—those who don’t really believe Jesus is the Son of God but are curious by his popularity as a healer and as a good Teacher.  They watch every move He makes so they can prove He is not perfect and not who Jesus claims to be.  They are posed to condemn and oppose the salvation of a tax man.

Pause to reflect…

Who most exhibits the relentless love of God? 

Who demonstrates humility with a desperately seeking heart?

Who do you trust greater than all the rest as an example to follow?

Who are we in this story of salvation?

Lord,

Thank you for a childhood song that brought me to your saving grace as a child.  Thank you for bringing me back to my “first love” of you relentlessly over the years of growing and learning.  I have not arrived yet, but I am closer to you now than every before.  Thank you, Lord for loving us the way you do.  When the world condemns us when we are down and out, you pick us up, brush off the dirt, and restore us to life by your love.  You are truly a Savior who becomes our Lord as we let go of the world to desperately seek You.  I’m yours—all I am and all I hope to be in you—decidedly yours.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Tell me the story of Jesus

Write on my heart every word…